{"id":2569,"date":"2026-06-23T17:37:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T17:37:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2569"},"modified":"2026-06-23T17:37:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T17:37:40","slug":"does-the-vesper-amphitheater-follow-provos-hillsides-and-canyons-preservation-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2569","title":{"rendered":"Does the Vesper Amphitheater follow Provo\u2019s hillsides and canyons preservation guidelines?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Environmental groups opposing the proposed Vesper Amphitheater project claim it violates the city\u2019s \u201cHillsides and Canyons Plan,\u201d but project owners say the proposal actually helps fulfill the plan\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n

Read more Supreme Court rules along ideological lines in case involving religious rights in prison<\/a><\/p>\n

On Wednesday, the Provo Planning Commission will discuss the proposed Vesper Amphitheater project for the first time \u2014 approving or denying the project\u2019s concept plan and making recommendations for the city council on the requested general plan amendment and zoning change.<\/p>\n

Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said the project would \u201ctransform this area into something that will be not only an economic driver for Provo, but also just an amazing, beautiful, wonderful venue for fantastic musical events.\u201d Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran also expressed his approval for the \u201cspectacular project.\u201d<\/p>\n

But opposition has grown in community circles, with hundreds of comments against the idea and several local Facebook pages asking how to stop the development. A petition, signed by 4,500 people, argues Provo Canyon is \u201csimply not the right place\u201d for a large-scale commercial endeavor that would \u201cfundamentally alter\u201d the canyon.<\/p>\n

Conserve Utah Valley and other environmental groups have taken issue with the Vesper project, saying the situation is an uphill battle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many venues for the arts in Utah, but there is only one Provo Canyon. Once gone \u2013 it\u2019s gone forever,\u201d the group said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Hillsides and canyons preservation<\/h3>\n

The 100.7-acre proposal would include a more than 20,000-seat amphitheater, 75 hotel rooms, a parking garage and a retail and dining area, located at 6622 N. Highway 189, across the street from Mount Timpanogos and Canyon View parks. Vesper touts the project as restoring the canyon\u2019s natural beauty, as it would be built on the site of a mining facility.<\/p>\n

The Provo Hillsides and Canyons Plan was adopted in December 2023 with guidelines for the preservation and development of the canyons.<\/p>\n

The plan\u2019s goals are to preserve and restore natural habitats and landforms, conserve and protect water, increase recreation opportunities, encourage trail connectivity, use \u201cbest practices\u201d development to minimize environmental impacts, limit development in environmentally sensitive areas and ensure scenic quality and hillside visibility so future developments fit in the natural setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, residents would like to see the hillsides and canyons preserved as they are, with minimal additional development beyond improvements to basic amenities,\u201d the plan says.<\/p>\n

Vesper Amphitheater addressed the issue in its planning applications submitted to the city, saying the project is \u201cin line with the vision\u201d of the Hillsides and Canyons Plan. Vesper cited the Hillsides and Canyons Plan\u2019s implementation section: \u201cConsider the creation of a task force to address gravel pit reclamation. This could include ecological restoration, the creation of an outdoor concert venue, or other recreation amenities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conserve Utah Valley executive director Kaye Nelson disagrees. She was part of the group that created the Hillsides and Canyons plan and argues there are many things in Vesper\u2019s project proposal that \u201cdon\u2019t jive\u201d with the preservation plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the Hillsides and Canyons plan now has the words, \u2018concert\u2019 and \u2018amphitheater\u2019 in it, those who helped craft the plan never would have approved the uses put forth by the developers. The idea was more about potential gathering places for manageable groups, nothing even remotely nearing 20,000 people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The hillsides plan says the Vesper project is in a \u201chigh level of ecological constraint,\u201d meaning it is \u201cless suitable\u201d for development due to high fire risk, habitat priority access, and geological hazards.<\/p>\n

Vesper is requesting that the zoning of the area \u2014 which currently covers three zones: open space, preservation and recreation; public facilities; and agricultural \u2014 be changed to a regional shopping center zone. The company also wishes to amend the general plan\u2019s designation of the proposed project area from agricultural and parks, recreation and open space to commercial.<\/p>\n

Despite being commercially designated, the project leaders say the development t is still focused on being environmentally forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts location at the mouth of Provo Canyon gives it regional visibility and access characteristics that are materially different from a typical infill or neighborhood property. The project will provide and enhance access to public trails and open space, which is consistent with current general plan goals,\u201d Vesper said.<\/p>\n

Read more Opinion: The civic virtue of everyday citizens<\/a><\/p>\n

The project will be, at most, 30% developed to comply with the regulations of the regional shopping center zone, the application says.<\/p>\n

All leftover undeveloped areas will be landscaped or preserved as open space. Vesper said it plans to place more than 50 acres of the project under a conservation easement and increase connectivity between the Provo River and the Bonneville Shoreline trail systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the current site area is not publicly accessible, the proposed plan will incorporate public trails and connect existing trails to open space and trail hubs,\u201d the application says.<\/p>\n

Vesper said it will work with the Utah Department of Transportation to determine roadway infrastructure improvements to handle the increased traffic. One such solution is a pedestrian and vehicle bridge across Highway 189 to increase access to local parks and trails.<\/p>\n

But Nelson argues the environmental and traffic studies need to be completed and addressed before the area is rezoned. Even though Vesper claims the venue will only have a few full-capacity events, Nelson says the development\u2019s uses should be limited to minimize its impact on the canyon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have lots of concerns on many topics, but, besides traffic, the biggest concern we have is how this will change the nature of the canyon. It\u2019s a gift for many people from all over to go there to recreate, to relax, to see fall leaves and more. This high-impact venue will cause a shift in who uses the canyon. People will stop going if they have to battle the traffic, even if it is mitigated with a UDOT flyover,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n

Finalized plans to come with city approval<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe design for the project, including the structure locations, sizing and massing, is not yet finalized,\u201d the application states.<\/p>\n

Vesper submitted a 48-page planning application detailing an \u201cenvelope-based concept plan\u201d that provides the city with the authority to shape the final list of uses, design commitments and project obligations, but also allows for flexibility on some aspects, such as site-grading, utility strategies, road access and geotechnical conditions that still need to be studied.<\/p>\n

The project plans to use native vegetation and water-wise principles throughout the development and minimize the need for regrading by using existing slopes and landforms when possible, according to the application. The flexible design can be adjusted \u201caround existing natural features without compromising the integrity of a premier venue experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because the existing condition of the site has \u201csubstantial portions\u201d that are previously mined or disturbed gravel pit terrain, Vesper said, the main concern isn\u2019t about whether development is extending into \u201cintact undisturbed hillside conditions,\u201d but rather how previously altered landforms can be safely regraded and reused through engineered pads, circulation, drainage, stabilization and revegetation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis does not mean hillside considerations disappear across the site. Rather, hillside sensitivity is not uniform,\u201d Vesper said in its application. Further geotechnical, grading and engineering refinement will follow as the project continues, it added.<\/p>\n

David Osmond, who announced the project in a press conference last month, says the goal is not to overwhelm the canyon with a new development but to \u201ctransform it from an existing gravel pit into something more beautiful, more useable, more stable, more thoughtfully planned \u2014 a gateway to the Provo Canyon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conserve Utah Valley, however, argues that the situation doesn\u2019t have to be an \u201ceither\/or\u201d of an amphitheater or a gravel pit. She said many people never even knew there was a gravel pit there until talks of Vesper started.<\/p>\n

She suggested another option to \u201ctruly restore\u201d the area as intended by the Hillsides and Canyons Plan, which she said was created to honor residents\u2019 wishes of what they wanted the area to be<\/p>\n

\u201cProvo Canyon is an iconic treasure and many travel from all over the county and even farther to create memories there. There are lovely parks, a blue-ribbon fly fishing stream, many species of wildlife, waterfalls and the views are breathtaking!\u201d Nelson said. \u201cThe Vesper development could be a great idea. It\u2019s just proposed in the wrong place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Provo will host an open house meeting about the project on July 8. The City Council will make final decisions on the proposed zoning and plan amendments on July 14 at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018The show must go on,\u2019 81-year-old rocker Rod Stewart says after pausing Utah show for oxygen<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opponents of the proposed Vesper Amphitheater project claim the proposal violates the city’s “Hillsides and Canyons Plan” but the project owners say it actually fulfills the city’s goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"yoast_head":"\nDoes the Vesper Amphitheater follow Provo\u2019s hillsides and canyons preservation guidelines? - American Movers Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2569\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Does the Vesper Amphitheater follow Provo\u2019s hillsides and canyons preservation guidelines? 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