"Too Tall, Too Bad": Small Texas Town Fights Construction of 174-Foot Mormon Temple

They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and that apparently includes the houses of worship.

Members of the city council of the town of Fairview, Texas are fighting the construction of a new Mormon temple, which they say not only violates the town’s established zoning laws, but which will do everything from encourage unwanted tourism to obstruct their views to lower their property values.

Despite opposition from both city council and many of the town’s residents, the church is forging ahead with their plans - and they say they’ll sue the city if they don’t get their way.

Small Town, Big Temple

Fairview, a sleepy small town located 30 miles north of Dallas, is less than 9 square miles, with just 11,000 residents. The town’s unofficial motto is “Keepin’ it Country,” a slogan which appeared on shirts many residents wore to community meetings where they expressed their opposition to a proposed temple from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly referred to as the Mormon Church.

On orders of the 100-year-old LDS President Russell M. Nelson, the LDS Church is expanding operations in Texas, with planned construction of at least nine new Texas temples in the coming years. There are already two LDS temples in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but church leaders say a third is desperately needed to address the spiritual needs of the Lone Star State’s 385,000 practicing Mormons.

Plans were made by LDS leadership to create what they call the McKinney Texas Temple in Fairview, which initially was proposed as a 65-foot tall, 43,000 square foot temple with a spire reaching 174 feet. But residents and city council pushed back on the idea, and in non-binding mediation, the Fairview Town Council and the LDS Church reached a compromise: a 35-foot tall temple with a spire reaching 120 feet, which they submitted for public opinion.

Residents say that the revised plan is better - but they’re still not convinced a 120-foot tall temple is “keepin’ it country.”

A Town Divided

In recent town meetings, residents pointed out that the building would violate Fairview’s zoning ordinance, which restricts buildings to 35 feet. And they say that letting the church construct what would be by far the largest building in the town in what they say is a largely residential area, would damage the town’s small town, country character. 

"This is in my front yard essentially," said Rose Oswald of the proposed construction site. Never could I have imagined that we would consider putting a building of that size on that lot."

Other residents argued that the new temple would obstruct their views, produce light pollution, and draw unwanted tourists - all of which, they say, will lower property values. According to the city, 87% of the 350 messages the city received from residents were opposed to the temple’s design or size, clear indication the town overwhelmingly disapproves of building the temple as-is. 

Still, not every resident was opposed, and some local LDS believers say they welcome a new place to worship. "They're just mad because we're LDS," said LDS member Shirley Swartz. "The Lord told Salt Lake City to build this temple here. So, why is that so wrong? If it's tall, too bad."

See You in Court

The LDS Church is committed to getting their new temple up one way or another - and they’ve already informed the city that if they can’t reach a satisfactory conclusion, they’ll sue, just like they did to other cities who opposed new temples, like Las Vegas and Cody, Wyoming. 

In a letter sent to the town council, lawyers for the LDS Church cited both the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act as legal proof the town must approve the new temple. ”These laws, which protect religious freedom for all, require the Council to approve the Church’s application,” the letter reads.

The LDS Church also accused the town council of hypocrisy. They pointed out that in 2006, the town council approved a 154-foot bell tower for a Methodist church without issue. Though the bell tower was never built (and that church’s current bell tower is estimated at 40 feet tall), the LDS Church says that it shows clear favoritism for some faiths over theirs.

In addition, the letter states that they simply can’t build elsewhere, and to suggest otherwise is a violation of their religious freedom in and of itself. “Temple sites are chosen by prayer and inspiration, not because of cost or convenience,” reads the letter. “Forcing the Church to abandon the chosen site—even if some alternative site was readily available—would substantially burden the Church’s religious practices.”

Though they hope to avoid a legal fight and reach a conclusion everyone can agree on, the city set up a Zoning Defense Fund in anticipation of a lawsuit, where they’d be fighting a religious group reported to have a net worth in the billions.

"If this issue goes to court,” says Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner, “we would be David fighting Goliath."

What do you think about the proposed temple? Is the town council being hypocritical by rejecting the proposed design, or simply listening to their residents? Does the LDS Church have a right to build a massive temple in Fairview, even against the wishes of the majority of residents?