After working together in non-binding mediation over the size of a proposed temple, the leaders of a Texas town and representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have reached a tentative agreement for construction of a smaller temple.
If approved in a series of public meetings that will begin next week, the McKinney Texas Temple now would be a single-story building of approximately 30,000 square feet with a main height of 45 feet and a steeple height of 120 feet.
Original plans called for a two-story temple of 44,000 square feet with a main height of 65 feet and a steeple height of 173 feet.
The Fairview Town Council unanimously denied a conditional use permit for the temple after a four-hour meeting on Aug. 6. Fairview and McKinney are neighboring suburbs within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and the proposed temple site is in Fairview.
City and church representatives recently began non-binding mediation talks and reached a settlement on Monday.
The church operates 200 temples around the world, including seven in Texas.
What the Church of Jesus Christ said about the settlement
The Church of Jesus Christ issued a statement about the settlement:
“Temples are sacred and holy places for Latter-day Saints and are considered to be a house of the Lord. We are grateful that town officials from Fairview were willing to discuss the concerns of the community with church representatives and we were able to reach an agreement to move forward. A new proposal is now in place that represents a mutually agreed compromise between the church and the town and has the support of the mayor and the council. This proposal includes a smaller single-story temple of approximately 30,000 square feet and a steeple height of 120 feet. This plan will next be presented in public hearings for consideration by the Fairview Town Council. The church looks forward to participating in this public process and presenting this new plan for a temple on the church’s property in Fairview.”
Fairview mayor’s letter
Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner issued a letter to residents on Wednesday morning about what he called an initial compromise.
“On Monday, our town council agreed unanimously to approve the non-binding settlement agreement that would permit the church to submit a new proposal consistent with the settlement agreement which would go before the planning and zoning commission and then would return to the council for consideration,” he wrote.
Lessner stated that the town council will review the settlement agreement with residents in a workshop during its regular meeting on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
“We appreciate the efforts of all those involved in working together in good faith to try to produce a compromise solution that will protect the town’s character and zoning laws while at the same time allowing the church to construct the temple at its chosen site,” he wrote.