In a unanimous decision, the Las Vegas City Council cleared the path for a new temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Lone Mountain area after a 7-0 vote on Wednesday. News 3 Las Vegas reports that despite hearing a wealth of opinions on the matter, the council members moved forward with the proposal to erect the religious structure on a 20-acre undeveloped plot, located at the southeast corner of Hickam Avenue and Grand Canyon Drive.
The proposal has been a ground of contention among residents for months, with strong voiced arguments from both sides about the project, which includes a 70,000-square-foot temple featuring a 196-foot spire. This concern was addressed after the meeting, where the city confirmed that the spire would not exceed the height of 196 feet, as per News 3 Las Vegas. Also part of the development plan are a 16,000-square-foot meetinghouse, 1,800-square-foot maintenance, and storage buildings.
The planned temple aims to accommodate the growing congregation of Latter-day Saints in the Las Vegas Valley, according to the church officials that pitched the necessity of the building. Yet, the expansion was not met without resistance as local inhabitants previously expressed concerns that the projected light from the temple and its substantial size could negatively impact their lifestyle, Hoodline stated. There were also worries about increased traffic potentially disrupting the rural, equine-friendly atmosphere of the neighborhood.
Before reaching the council, the project had already made its way through the city's planning commission in mid-May with a favorable recommendation. The city council's session included reviews on planning requests related to the project and discussions on amendments to the city's general plan, and zoning reclassifications for the land, which would affect the structure of the area significantly. It was a day anticipated with a host of testimonies and evidence, looking to shape the future skyline and communal make-up of the Lone Mountain region.
