Fairview’s Temple Dispute with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: A Timeline

This summer, Fairview, a city of nearly 11,000 residents about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Dallas, became the center of a heated debate after the City Council denied the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a permit application for the McKinney Texas Temple .

The proposed temple is a building of 42,000 square meters, 20 meters high and a spire of almost 50 meters. The temple was planned for a plot next to an existing church building in the city. The parcel is subject to residential zoning restrictions that may have state buildings maximum height of 35 feet. If built, it would be the tallest building in the city.

The temple has attracted national attention in a debate over religious freedom, zoning and the city’s identity. Recently, Fairview has a Defense earmarked fund to collect donations to protect the city from possible lawsuits from the church.

Related:Ahead of a lawsuit from the Church of Latter-day Saints, Fairview announces a defense fund

Here’s a timeline of the proposed temple, the city’s denial, and what’s happened since.

October 2022 – December 2023

In October 2022, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans for a temple in Prosper during a general conference.

The temple was one of eighteen temples announced at the conference to be built around the world, including Korea, Nigeria and Guatemala. Church temple construction has accelerated, with 168 new temples announced in the past six years by President Russell M. Nelson, according to the church website.

In December 2023, the church announced it would move the proposed temple site to Fairview and name it the McKinney Texas Temple.

If built, the McKinney Texas Temple will be the church’s third North Texas Temple. The church has five temples in the state, two under construction and three announced, including the McKinney Texas Temple. according to the church’s website.

Spring 2024

In March and again in May 2024, according to that of the church temple websitethe church organized community open houses to share information, answer questions and hear concerns, said previous reporting.

Some residents expressed their opposition to the size of the temple during the open day. WFAA reported. They wore green shirts with the text ‘Fairview United’ and ‘Keeping it Country and not an inch more’, a reference to the motto.

The church requested a conditional use permit to build the temple in a residential area where zoning laws allow buildings with a maximum height of 35 feet.

About a week after the May open house, the Fairview Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the City Council deny the church’s proposal.

Early summer 2024

On June 4, the debate over the church’s construction continued when hundreds of people attended a city council meeting. Dozens spoke at a public hearing on the church’s permit application, with about 25 opposed and six in favor. according to city documents.

While church members have said the proposed temple could accommodate the church’s growing population, opposition members said a building of that size would be out of place in a residential area.

The council decided to continue the discussion at its Aug. 6 meeting and give the church time to revise its plans.

Related:Fairview, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cannot agree on temple plan

In July, church and city officials met to try to reach an agreement, but were unable to do so.

The church offered to reduce the height of the temple by 4.5 meters and change the name, but city representatives did not support the proposed changes.

Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner, who has spoken out against the church’s proposed temple, previously said the city would allow the church building to reach a height of 40 feet and the top of the spire to reach a height of 65 feet. but church officials rejected these dimensions.

August 2024

On August 6, the Fairview City Council denied the church a conditional use permit for the proposed temple after a four-hour meeting.

The public meeting, which was held in an event space instead of the town hall to accommodate a larger audience, was filled with people dressed in white or green shirts to show their support or opposition to the proposed temple. Hundreds of others gathered outside the building or watched the meeting online.

After more than seventy people had spoken, the council decided to reject the permit application.

Church members argued that the temple is protected by state and federal law, and that the opposition’s arguments are misinformed. Some religious institutions in the city are allowed to exceed 10 meters in height church says laws allow religious organizations to charge extra height for a place of worship.

Those opposed to the temple raised concerns at the meeting about the potential impact on property values, lighting and traffic. The church maintains that temple engineers and architects have complied with city ordinances in its plans, including those related to lighting and land use.

Related:Fairview council denies Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints special approval for temple

“We are disappointed with tonight’s vote by the Fairview City Council and express our gratitude for the tireless efforts of those who have worked to provide the community with accurate and positive information about the temple project,” the church said after the council’s decision council.

The church said the vote is “part of an ongoing process seeking approval of the building,” and a spokesperson said the church is evaluating its options for next steps.

A letter sent to the city council in August, church attorneys Richard Abernathy and Jared Pace said temple locations are selected “under the Lord’s direction.” The architecture of the temple reflects the church’s belief that the temple is “literally the house of the Lord,” the letter said, and the architecture, especially the tower, reflects the church’s belief in looking up and ascending to God.

“Religious freedom outweighs subjective concerns about the aesthetic appearance and character of the neighborhood,” the letter said, citing the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

October 2024

After the council’s denial, Lessner told The Dallas Morning News editorial board his office was notified two church members planned to file a lawsuit against the city. The planned lawsuit, which came from individuals and not the church itself, had not yet been filed as of mid-October, Lessner said.

Art Rascon, a leader of the church, said at the time that the church had taken no official action against the city of Fairview and was still considering all options. Lessner said the church has said “several times” that it would sue the city if officials did not approve the proposed building.

Related:What you need to know: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ proposed Fairview Temple

In October, Fairview set up a defense fund for legal fees in anticipation of a lawsuit from the church over the city’s denial of the temple’s permit.

The Defense earmarked fundintended to protect the city’s zoning officials from potential lawsuits, collects donations from the public through the city’s website. Current city council members voted unanimously to approve the fund October 2 meeting.

What’s next?

The municipality has denied the church the conditional use permit without reservation, which means that the church can submit revised plans to the urban planning commission and the municipality without any time restrictions.

It is unclear whether the church will file a lawsuit against the city. Melissa McKneely, communications director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Dallas, said she and others at the church could not comment at this time and did not provide information about possible lawsuits or the city’s defense fund.