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A person speaks during the Town Council meeting at\u00a0Fairview Town Hall on\u00a0Tuesday, April 29, 2025. The Fairview council approved a permit for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build the Fairview Texas Temple.<\/p>\n
Anja Schlein\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Fairview leaders are again asking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to reconsider the height of the 120-foot-tall temple it\u2019s building in the Collin County town, over a year after the Town Council<\/a> granted the church a permit for the disputed steeple.<\/p>\n The town and church fell into bitter disagreement over the temple\u2019s size, which in 2024 was originally planned to rise more than 170 feet, higher than any other structure in\u00a0Fairview. After a denied permit, threats of a lawsuit, mediation, an approved permit and a lawsuit from residents, construction began on the temple in February<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In a May 1 letter to church leaders, Mayor John\u00a0Hubbard wrote there remains \u201ca consistent concern\u201d about the height and scale of the temple<\/a> and whether it will fit \u201charmoniously within the character of Fairview\u201d and asked the church to volunteer to lower the steeple.<\/p>\n Leaders said they have seen residents lose trust in the Town Council over the approved permit<\/a> and lingering tension between residents who oppose the temple\u2019s height and those who believe it\u2019s a right.<\/p>\n \u201cNeighbors \u2026 are still hurting,\u201d council member Sheehan said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News editorial board Monday. \u201cOur town is hurting<\/a>, and we’re trying to see if there’s any way to heal it.\u201d<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The church and town \u201cspent considerable time\u201d on a design<\/a> that \u201caddressed the concerns of all parties,\u201d wrote church spokesperson Melissa\u00a0McKneely in a statement. A mediation process resulted in a significant size reduction, she said, which was approved and is now under construction.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cMaking changes to the project at this stage would create substantial delays,\u201d she said. \u201cThe\u00a0Fairview temple is an important part of meeting the religious needs of Latter-day Saints<\/a> throughout north Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n Church leaders say a new temple is needed to accommodate a large congregation in the region. There is currently one temple operating in Dallas that struggles to meet demand, leaders said, and another under construction near Fort Worth.<\/p>\n For several years, the issue has divided neighbors in the town<\/a> of about 11,000 residents 30 miles north of Dallas, between McKinney and Allen. Some residents have said the towering steeple is out of place in\u00a0Fairview, which claims to maintain a more rural identity.<\/p>\n Church members have said they have a religious right to build their temples tall, even if temples elsewhere are built shorter. In Yorba Linda, Calif., the LDS church has constructed a temple with a steeple that is 70 feet tall.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIn that context, it is reasonable to ask whether a similar approach could be considered for\u00a0Fairview<\/a>,\u201d Hubbard wrote. The mayor said he has not received a response to his letter, which he said was sent to over a dozen church leaders earlier this month.<\/p>\n In an interview with The News\u2019 editorial board, town leaders said the permit that allowed a 120-foot-tall steeple was an agreement made by a previous Town Council<\/a> who feared legal retribution that could financially harm Fairview. Some also noted the church is under new leadership that might reconsider the temple\u2019s height. \u00a0<\/p>\n The town is not looking to reopen a legal matter<\/a>, and leaders maintain the church has every right to build the structure at 120 feet.<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cJust because you have the right to do it, it’s not the right thing to do,\u201d\u00a0Hubbard said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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