The Fairview Town Council will hold before a final decision on whether the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can build a controversial new religious temple.
The LDS temple is a step closer to construction . Fairview denied the Church鈥檚 original permit after residents raised concerns about its size 鈥� the church initially proposed a 65-foot building with a 174-foot spire over 43,000 square feet.
After mediation, . The new plan proposes a one-story, 35-foot-tall building with a 120-foot tower in the middle of the property. The temple will stretch over 30,000 square feet.
Church leadership praised the deal and thanked the town.
鈥淭emples 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,鈥� the statement read. 鈥淎 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鈥he Church looks forward to participating in this public process and presenting this new plan for a temple on the Church鈥檚 property in Fairview.鈥�
The agreement cannot be finalized until The Church submits a new permit application to the Planning and Zoning Board.
The Church originally announced its plan to build the temple in Prosper during its General Conference meeting on Oct. 2, 2022. By December, its location was moved to Fairview where it became known as the McKinney, TX Temple.
But when Church leadership presented its plans during a May 9, 2023 Planning and Zoning meeting, their application was denied by a vote of 6-1.
During two open house meetings hosted by the Church, they said the larger temple was meant to accommodate its growing population.
Fairview Council granted a continuance on Aug. 6 allowing time to revise its plans.
More than 70 people spoke during the meeting which highlighted issues of zoning laws, religious freedom and the town鈥檚 identity. Many speakers wore shirts reading, 鈥淔airview United: Keeping it Country.鈥� Those opposed maintained the temple鈥檚 size wouldn鈥檛 suit the residential neighborhood.
During that Aug. 6 meeting, the town council ultimately opposed the revised plans 7-0.
In a letter sent to the Fairview town council, lawyers for the Church cited the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
鈥漈hese laws, which protect religious freedom for all, require the Council to approve the Church鈥檚 application,鈥� the letter read in part. 鈥淵et the Council appears poised to ignore them. It has refused the Church鈥檚 repeated requests for an explanation of the Council鈥檚 position regarding these laws.鈥�
They also noted religious organizations are allowed to request zoning height exceptions for houses of worship.
In a community impact report, the Church said the McKinney Temple is one of three other existing or proposed houses of worship in the community symbolizing their shared ideas of inclusion and welcoming all religious faiths.
Church and town leadership met for a mediation session last week, presided over by former U.S. Magistrate Jeff Kaplan. Fairview鈥檚 Mayor Henry Lessner, Fairview鈥檚 Mayor Pro Tem John Hubbard and the town鈥檚 attorney and manager represented the town鈥檚 interests.
Church leadership provided updated plans for the building鈥檚 construction including a lighting analysis, traffic study, drainage study, environmental impact memo and .
The workshop is an agenda item on Tuesday鈥檚 town council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.
