Some have dubbed him a hypocrite, but Richer maintains he's just following guidelines for growth and development as defined by Heber City and Wasatch County.

"In this docudrama, I play the role of the evil developer," Richer said this week. "But we're following a code that was put in place a long time before we came along."

That's little comfort to neighboring property owners.

"This is a mechanism to create multiple increases in the value of their land," Daniel Bray said. "I find it ironic and hypocritical that he is protecting his lifestyle in Summit County while maximizing his personal gains on the backs of those in our area."

At issue are 40 acres Richer owns with Park City resident Robert Karz in Daniel Township, just beyond Heber City's southern border. At present, that zone allows one house per 5-acre lot.

But Richer and Karz have petitioned Heber City to annex the land. If their property southeast of the Heber Airport along Daniel Canyon Road were to be included within the city's boundary, Richer and Karz could build up to four units per acre - a twentyfold increase.

Richer said he would not seek the greatest density and has preliminary plans for a development that would be a "transition zone" between Heber City and the more rural Daniel area.

"My partner and I have been attempting to annex the property for four years," Richer said. "It's been a painfully long process, and we believe we have complied with all the legal requirements."

Meanwhile, for the past two years, Richer and his colleagues on the Summit County Commission have worked to amend the Snyderville Basin Development Code. Last month, they passed measures that allow only one house per 20 acres in the unincorporated area of western Summit County.

Richer faces several hurdles before his Heber Valley land could be annexed. Among them is a formal protest by the Wasatch County Council. The council's action came in response to outcries from Daniel residents who fear a large housing development, said County Manager Mike Davis.

The annexation proposal would undermine land values in the bucolic township, Bray alleges. He and his neighbors own five-acre "ranchettes" that cannot be subdivided.

"We're not anti-development," Bray said. "We want appropriate development that protects our way of life."

The Wasatch County Boundary Commission will address the issue Jan. 13. If it rules in Richer's favor, the petition still would have to be approved by the Heber City Planning Commission and the City Council.

Although the county and city have squabbled over other annexations near the airport, this is one that the Heber City Council might oppose as well, said Mayor Lynn Adams.

"We have plenty of land in Heber City that isn't developed," he said. "We need to concentrate on developing our economy rather than on building more housing tracts."

csmart@sltrib.com

Meeting is Thursday

The Wasatch County Boundary Commission will discuss the annexation proposal Thursday at 6 p.m. in the county building, 25 N. Main, Heber City.