Las Vegas City Council unanimously votes to pass proposed Lone Mountain LDS temple

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Las Vegas City Council unanimously voted 7-0 to pass a proposed Church of Latter Day Saints temple that has been the center of controversy from residents in the area.

The meeting started at 2 p.m. Wednesday and it was a packed house as city council members heard from lawyers on both sides and public comments for and against the temple.

The design of the proposed Lone Mountain temple has faced scrutiny from residents as the lighting and height of the property are set to conflict with guidelines from an agreement meant to protect the character of the rural neighborhood— city staff have disagreed with some residents’ interpretation of the document

On the other side, supporters of the proposed LDS temple have said the property will help meet the demand for a second location for weddings, specific ceremonies and other events which currently can only be held at the Las Vegas Nevada Temple location.

8 News Now spoke to Nathan Taylor, a consultant and government affairs lobbyist for Lone Mountain residents in opposition to the proposal, after a closed-door Las Vegas city staff meeting on July 10 where he said he believed the meeting had the potential to bring concerns to the bargaining table but fell short of those hopes.

“We’re talking about 70,000 square feet, 216 feet tall building that is just not appropriate for this area and so the neighbors have asked me to negotiate the project and up to this point there has not been much of a negation,” he said at the July 10 meeting.

On the other side of the table inside the closed-door meeting sat Michael Thomson, Director of Construction for the Special Projects Department for the LDS Church who has been involved in the design, construction, and maintenance of over 60 temples throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“The focus of the meeting was to listen,” Thomson said following the July 10 meeting. “We all came to listen to share our feelings and to share our thoughts, very heartfelt feelings from everybody that was shared, it was a very good meeting.”

Lindsay Nielson, a member of the church who lives near Lone Mountain, acknowledged those in opposition but also pointed to those who showed up in support.

“We are totally aware of the opposition but there are so many more people who have come here in support and so many people who have seen the plans and are all about. The church is so good about following the laws and regulations and the church is absolutely will follow the conditions,” Nielson said.

Those in opposition claim that those in favor are well organized and have packed the council meeting with people who don’t live in the area and don’t have a stake in the development. They have also brought up legal concerns regarding certain rules and the interlocal agreement.

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