After yearlong battle, Fairview considers permit for controversial LDS temple

The town of Fairview is set to decide on a permit requested by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build a new temple.

The temple would be built on an 8.1-acre piece of property on Stacy Road near Meandering Way.

The special meeting on Tuesday began at 7 p.m. At least 43 people were signed up to speak in favor of and against the proposal.

The church wants to build a 30,000-square-foot temple next to an existing chapel. Temples are used for sacred ceremonies like baptisms and marriages. Chapels are used for Sunday worship services and youth groups.

“It is needed because we have outgrown our current temple,” said Melissa McKneely, spokesperson for the Fairview Texas Temple.

Tuesday’s meeting was to decide on a request for approval of a conditional use permit for the religious facility.

The meeting comes after a year-long battle between the town and the LDS Church, which entered into mediation earlier this year.

“We are happy with what we've put forth. We feel like it's a fair compromise,” said McKneely.

The church says it has made many major concessions, like shrinking the size of the proposed building and the height of the steeple, a sticking point at the special meeting.

The church says it has agreed to reduce the steeple’s height from 173 to 120 feet.

Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner argued the height should stand at 70 feet.

“The spire is a religious symbol to us. It’s very important for us to have a spire,” said McKneely.

Neighbors opposed to the temple wore green to the meeting and said it’s not about religion, but preserving city zoning laws.

“It’s there for a reason: to protect the residents, and that's why we are fighting this fight,” said neighbor Helen Dunham.

The church spokesperson says a 120-foot-tall steeple is the shortest they are willing to go and that if the council doesn’t agree to that, there may be a need to take legal action. The hope on both sides is to prevent the need for legal proceedings.

Another sticking point has been the name “temple.” It was initially called the McKinney Texas Temple, but church leadership agreed earlier this week to call it the Fairview Texas Temple.

If approved, it would be the eighth temple built in Texas and the third in North Texas, according to the LDS Church.