Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are set to file a lawsuit against the town of Fairview, said Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner.
The mayor told The Dallas Morning News editorial board his office received notice that two members of the church were planning to file a lawsuit against Fairview on Wednesday morning, which was the day after the Town Council denied the church a conditional use permit. The church needed the permit to build the McKinney Texas Temple, a 44,000-square-foot building with an almost 174-foot spire.
Lessner could not be reached for comment Friday by phone or by email.
Art Rascon, an area authority for the church, said the church has taken no official action against the town of Fairview and is still considering all its options.
“Any individual is free to file whatever they want to do, and file with regard to legal action against the town of Fairview, but it is not sanctioned or supported by the church,” he said. “It is completely separate from anything that the church is doing. The church has not filed any papers at this point.”
The decision to deny the permit came after a four-hour Town Council meeting Tuesday night. Members of the church and residents of Fairview spoke for and against the temple’s construction at its current dimensions. While members of the church said the temple of that size will accommodate the church’s growing North Texas population, those in opposition said a building of that size will look out of place in a residential neighborhood.
The church and town officials met in July to discuss possible changes to the temple’s design and name, but the two groups were unable to agree.