Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plan to file a lawsuit against the city of Fairview, Fairview Mayor Henry Lessner said.
The mayor said The Dallas Morning News Editorial Staff His office received word Wednesday morning that two church members planned to file a lawsuit against Fairview, a day after the City Council denied the church a conditional building permit. The church needed the permit to build the McKinney Texas Temple, a 45,000-square-foot building with a nearly 175-foot-tall tower.
Lessner could not be reached for comment by phone or email on Friday.
Art Rascon, an area representative for the church, said the church has not taken any official action against the city of Fairview and is still exploring all options.
“Any individual can file anything they want and take legal action against the city of Fairview, but the church does not condone or support it,” he said. “It is completely independent of anything the church does. The church has not filed any paperwork to date.”
The decision to deny the permit came after a four-hour City Council meeting Tuesday night. Church members and Fairview residents spoke for and against building the temple at its current size. While church members said the temple of this size would accommodate the church’s growing North Texas congregation, opponents said a building of this size would look out of place in a residential neighborhood.
Church and city officials met in July to discuss possible changes to the temple’s design and name, but the two groups could not reach an agreement.