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HERRIMAN — When Herriman incorporated into a city in 1999, about 800 people lived in the small town in the southwest part of Salt Lake County.
Today, the city estimates about 60,000 people live in Herriman. The growth has been explosive, and in many parts of the city, it’s still growing.
“I think there’s too many homes,” said one of people we spoke to after they finished a 5k Saturday morning.
Herriman’s 5k was part of the weekend-long celebration honoring its 20 years.
The growth has been a challenge with traffic, infrastructure, and taxes, just to name a few issues.
“Can you believe that? That’s amazing,” said Marion Millett, a longtime Herriman resident.
Millett says he never would’ve thought Herriman would grow this big this fast.
He’s the guy who signed the paperwork for Herriman to incorporate 20 years ago to avoid having Riverton annex the area.
“It was nothing that I deserved or nothing that I earned, you know? I was the only one available,” Millett said with a laugh.
He also says he’s proud of the growth, and likes the diversity it brings to the area, but he hopes Herriman keeps its small-town country feeling.
“There are a lot of fabulous people who live here,” said Millett.
Part of keeping that small-town feeling is having parades, community fairs, and even city celebration events, such as what Herriman is doing this weekend.
“They love it so much. I mean, anything that has free candy,” said Joy White with a laugh as she watched her four children catch candy during the parade.
Love is a word her family uses often when they talk about Herriman.
They moved here from Colorado three years ago.
Now, they wonder what took them so long.
“We love how friendly everybody is. I’ve never lived in a place that all my neighbors have just been been perfect,” said White.
It’s all about perspective.
Many residents who have lived in Herriman for more than a decade feel the growth has perhaps ruined the city’s charm and why they moved here in the first place.
Recent residents often feel the opposite; that Herriman has plenty of charm and still feels like a small town.
“We absolutely love it here and we’re so happy we moved here,” said White.
One thing for certain, though, is Herriman will continue to grow in the next 20 years.
There will continue to be growing pains and challenges, and if city leaders have their way, parades as well.
