RENO, Nev. -- A group of Reno residents is fighting a proposed $3 million LDS temple, saying it would obstruct views from their upscale neighborhood.
Sylvia Schaerer said she and other homeowners paid as much as $40,000 extra for views of the city and Sierra Nevada Mountains for homes near Northgate Golf Course."We were promised this view," she said. "If we had known that this was going to be built, we would not have bought."
But an official of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Reno said the temple would not obstruct views and is a better alternative to the property's multifamily zoning.
"The temple would be 500 feet away from the nearest home," said the official, who asked not to be identified.
"Once they see what it does for the neighborhood, they will come to appreciate its enhancement to the community."
The 10,000-square-foot temple would feature a 75-foot lighted spire with a golden angel statue on top.
Local Mormons now must attend weddings and other vital church rites at the temple in Oakland, Calif., 200 miles away. The only Nevada temple is in Las Vegas.
About 20 residents discussed the project at a meeting Saturday and plan to protest it at a Thursday night meeting of a neighborhood advisory board.