City will look more closely at church plan

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but when it

comes to an issue as contentious as the proposed Mormon temple, city

officials think it’s best to let an objective third party make the call.

Contrary to its original plans, the city has decided to bring in a

consulting firm to create an environmental report for the temple proposed

to be built at 2300 Bonita Canyon Drive by the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints.

Though the report will consider numerous aspects of the project,

including traffic, air quality and water quality, the main idea is to

document the aesthetic effects of the steeple that, topped by a golden

statue of a trumpeting angel, will reach 124 feet high.

“The project has a potential visual impact, which just means it needs

further study,” said Jim Campbell, a senior planner for the city.

The change of heart was inspired in part by a crane parked at the

temple site late last month as a stand-in for the steeple.

“There is a broader area of visibility of the steeple than was

originally thought, which we learned from the crane,” Campbell said. He

added that photographs of the crane will be used to simulate images of

what the steeple will look like from many different angles and vantage

points.

The council on Tuesday approved a contract for $57,085 with LSA

Associates of Irvine to conduct the study -- a move most agree is a good

way to arm neighbors of the proposed temple with all the information they

need to form an opinion.

“This has been the most heated issue I’ve dealt with in my year and a

half on the council,” said City Councilman John Heffernan, whose district

partially encircles the temple site. He said he has been sending out

information to constituents that includes a survey question on whether

they support or oppose the temple so far.

“People seem to have deep feelings about the question of the temple in

a residential neighborhood, running about three to one against,”

Heffernan said. “So I think it’s a good idea to have a third party assess

these issues.”

The steeple is the only aspect of the 17,500-square-foot project that

exceeds city standards.

The Planning Commission and the council can grant a permit for the

steeple to exceed the 55-foot height limit for buildings in the area. But

some neighbors have said they don’t want to live with a view of the

steeple from their homes. Others have worried it could affect their land

values. Temple planners have stood firm on the question of the steeple

height, citing the authority of church officials whose judgment on such

matters is considered to be divinely guided. * June Casagrande covers

Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at o7

june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .