The mayor of Fairview wrote a letter this month pleading with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to shorten the spire of a local temple under construction — despite the city approving its plans last year after months of dispute.
Mayor John Hubbard told church officials in a May 1 letter the community still has concerns about the size of the temple. Some residents have said the temple will block the view of surrounding homeowners and cause traffic issues.
"These concerns are not about opposition to the temple itself, but about ensuring that it fits harmoniously within the character of Fairview," Hubbard wrote.
Hubbard said he recognized the church has the legal right to build the temple as agreed, but asked for the church to voluntarily reduce the spire to 68 feet.
"Just because you have the right to do it, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do," Hubbard told KERA Tuesday.
The 30,000 square-foot building began construction in February and will have a 120-foot spire after the town council approved the building in April 2025. The church did compromise in November 2024 over the steeple height, bringing it down from its original size of over 170 feet to the current 120 feet.
The council approved the permit 5-2 after the church warned the town it would sue if its permit wasn’t granted. The church said it had already reduced its planned spire height, and further delaying its permit would be religious discrimination.
Hubbard was one of the two council members who voted against the permit.
"They will litigate us into bankruptcy, and that's why the town council begrudgingly approved it," Hubbard said.
KERA has reached out to the LDS church for comment and will update this story with any response.
A group of residents formed Fairview United in 2025 to oppose the construction and launched a failed lawsuit against the town’s approval of the church’s building permit.
"The citizens feel like it was shoved down their throat," Hubbard said.
The church is home to 95,000 members in North Texas and has one temple in operation, according to the church. Two more temples, including the Fairview building, are announced or under construction.
Temples in the LDS church are different than a chapel, which is a regular meeting place. Temples are where more sacred ceremonies like marriage are conducted.
The church has said it needs new temples as it struggles to serve its North Texas members.
Dylan Duke is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org.
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