FAIRVIEW — The town of Fairview in Collin County has agreed to a non-binding mediation in its dispute with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over plans to build a large temple in a residential neighborhood. The effort aims to avoid litigation that could be costly for the town.
Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner, standing outside the town hall, discussed the issue that has consumed him for three months. The church, currently located on Stacy Road, seeks to build a new 43,000-square-foot temple with a height of 65 feet and a spire exceeding 150 feet.
“We don’t like to be crosswise with a church of any kind,” Lessner said. “We’d love to see things happen, but we have a really large issue in our town. They’re trying to set aside our zoning ordinances.”
In a letter to residents, Lessner announced that the town has scheduled a mediation next week with attorneys for the church.
“We hope to negotiate with the LDS Church to either scale down the current plans to fit in the neighborhood or move the temple to a location zoned for commercial use,” the letter stated.