The Fairview Town Council denied a conditional use permit request from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build a massive temple.
The August town council meeting included testimony from 70 people who voiced either support or opposition to the project, The Dallas Morning News reported. The town council denied the permit request without prejudice so the Mormon church could propose an alternative plan for a new temple.
The rejected proposal was for a 44,000-square-foot temple with a 173-foot spire, which would have made it the tallest building in Fairview, according to Candy’sDirt.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints argued the temple was needed due to the region’s growing Mormon population. It claimed its Dallas temple could no longer support the community alone.
“We are disappointed with tonight’s vote by the Fairview city council and express gratitude for the tireless efforts of those who worked to provide correct and positive information to the community about the temple project,” the church said in a statement, per Candy’sDirt.
Community members who opposed the proposed temple plan expressed concerns about its potential impact on surrounding property values and traffic.
One resident, however, noted how the tall structure of the temple was important to her faith.
“Christians can worship in a building that does not have a cross, yet I would never say steeples and crosses are not an important part of their faith,” Holly Snow testified at the meeting, per DMN. “I would never suggest to my Christian neighbors that the steeple on their church is just a meaningless symbol or to my Catholic neighbors that the cross on their church blocks my view and has no purpose.”
Karen Sowards, a former teacher in the church, noted that the temple should be modeled after the one in Paris, which does not have an excessively tall structure.
“It is lovely, elegant and it is still a temple. It is a place to make covenants with the church or church members,” she said, according to DMN. “I encourage the cooperation of the president to replicate — with maybe some modifications — the Paris France Temple for the Prosper-McKinney-Fairview-North Texas temple.”
Residents have debated the temple since it was proposed in 2022. The June town council meeting drew thousands of attendees, as reported by DMN. Melissa McKneely, a spokeswoman for the church, said they will reassess a new temple plan in response to the town council’s decision.
Devika Chand urged the community to be more considerate of the Mormon community.
“I think that if the compassion can be both ways, then I really think it can move forward. But we’re not being compassionate both ways,” she said, per DMN.