Fairview Town Council approves controversial LDS temple amid community pushback
Tuesday night, the Fairview Town Council approved a controversial temple proposal.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' plans for the building off Stacy Road can now move forward after the council approved a conditional use permit in a 5-2 vote.
The church has faced considerable opposition from the community over the last year, concerning the height of the building.
More than 40 people signed up to address the town council ahead of the vote Tuesday night to share their thoughts on the project.
Last week, the Planning and Zoning Committee voted to recommend construction of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' temple off Stacy Road - if the church met several conditions.
Tuesday night, the church agreed to many of the conditions, like renaming the temple the "Fairview Texas Temple."
However, the church said it cannot meet the condition that the tower and spire be no higher than 70 feet, which is the height the town's mayor proposed on Tuesday.
"In this case, where we have significant opposition to what you're proposing to do in this neighborhood, in this town," said Henry Lessner, the Fairview mayor. "I don't know why you can't bring it down to 70 feet?"
The church said the steeple must be 120 feet high for religious purposes. A spokesperson said if this is not agreed upon, the church may take legal action.
"It has nothing to do with it being a religious organization and everything to do with protecting our zoning laws," said Helen Dunham, a Fairview resident against the temple. "It's there for a reason, to protect the residents."
The mayor said his goal was to have this issue taken care of by the end of the night.
"By and large, we are happy with what we have put forth. We feel like it is a fair compromise. We're just hopeful that we can get the votes tonight and that we can move forward," said Melissa McKneely, the communication director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Following the vote, two height restrictions were agreed upon: 44 feet 7 inches for the roof and facade and the plan for the steeple and spire will remain at 120 feet.
Council also said the floor area of the new building may not exceed 30,742 square-feet, and the exterior lighting must be turned off between the hours of the 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
