Zoning disputes, lawsuits and tension surround new Mormon temple plans

Driving the news: The Fairview Town Council, on the outskirts of Dallas, delayed a vote Tuesday that could override the planning and zoning commission's rejection last month of the church's plan for a 173-foot building in the town of 11,000.

• The normal building height limit is 35 feet in the town, whose motto is "Keeping it country."

The intrigue: Fairview city officials said church representatives agreed to revise their plans — echoing compromises offered in Cody, Wyoming; Heber City; and Tucson, Arizona.

Yes, but: When Cody officials rejected the compromise last year, the church returned to the originally planned height of 101 feet in a legal back-and-forth that's pending in Wyoming state court.

Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner said last month that a church attorney similarly threatened to sue the town, and accused the multibillion-dollar faith of "bullying."

• "I am very concerned about where this goes if we deny them," Lessner said Tuesday. He warned that the town could face a costly lawsuit "if we don't show that we are willing to accept having a temple in town."

The big picture: Zoning disputes over temples have created community tensions and image problems for the Salt Lake-based faith.

State of play: Temple opponents have accused the church of leveraging connections in government to secure favorable recommendations.

• In Fairview, critical residents accused church members Tuesday of misrepresenting the temple's proposed size in campaigns to drive up support for the project.
• In Las Vegas, where the city council is considering approval for a new temple in the rural Lone Mountain neighborhood, opponents told the Salt Lake Tribune last month they've been targeted with harassment from those who want it built, complaining of an "atmosphere of intimidation."

The other side: Church members in Fairview said Tuesday they have experienced religious discrimination and mockery before and during the temple dispute.

• While zoning hearings typically stick to the building specs, some arguments over temples online have descended into religious insult, prompting suspicion that temple opposition is motivated by anti-Mormon bias.

Zoom in: In Heber City, two groups have sued Wasatch County over its approval of a temple there, arguing the process didn't follow the letter of the law and lacked transparency.

• Two years after Heber City became an official Dark Sky place in 2021, the county modified its lighting ordinance so the new temple could be illuminated by floodlights.
• A dark sky preservation group accused the county of religious discrimination, saying staff withheld information from them while accommodating the church. The group dropped its most recent lawsuit in February, and failed to gather enough signatures to put the temple plan to a vote.
• Another lawsuit over the county's process is pending.

What's next: The Fairview council now plans to vote on the temple in August, when the church is expected to submit a new design.

• If six of the seven town council members approve the temple, it would override the planning commission's rejection.

What we're watching: If the temple is still rejected after city officials review the modified plan, the church could return to its original design in a lawsuit challenging the denial.

• That could deter other cities from rejecting compromises like Cody did, knowing they might face a costly lawsuit from a wealthy opponent that no longer has an incentive to meet the neighbors halfway.