Temple debate enters cyberspace

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- The debate over the proposed Mormon temple has spread

beyond city and even state borders through an e-mail campaign to City

Council members.

Since shortly after a crane was erected Jan. 28 at the site of a

proposed temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

council members have been receiving 10 to 20 e-mails a day from church

members throughout the region and even from other states.

“It seems like people got the idea at one point that we’re against the

temple, because the tone of e-mails shifted to people asking us, ‘Why do

you oppose it?’ despite the fact that we haven’t taken a position yet,”

said City Councilman Steve Bromberg, whose district includes the temple

site. “So this thing has just mushroomed into something that it’s not.”

Church officials had urged their Newport Beach members to contact City

Council members to counter a spate of anti-temple e-mails. But, according

to Weatherford Clayton, president of the church’s existing stake center

in Newport Beach, enthusiasm for the effort snowballed.

“Actually, we’ve been trying to put the damper on this enthusiasm,”

Clayton said. “We appreciate their faith and their love, but we’ve been

trying to tell those outside of Newport Beach, ‘Please don’t write.”’

An environmental study is underway for the 17,500-square-foot temple

proposed to be built at Bonita Canyon Drive and Prairie Road.

The building meets all city guidelines except for its steeple, which

extends 124 feet high. The height limit for buildings in the area is 55

feet. City officials have the option of granting a permit to allow the

steeple.

Many neighbors have said the steeple will impose too much on their

skyline and their neighborhoods. Others have concerns about the

building’s color and its lighting. The temple isn’t expected to add a

significant amount of traffic to neighboring streets.

The Planning Commission could review the project in about six months,

after which the issue could go before the City Council.

Council members in recent weeks have received hundreds of e-mails from

church members from neighboring cities, such as Costa Mesa, Westminster

and Fullerton, as well as from places like Northern California and Utah.

Though local officials say they understand that the proposed temple,

which would be the only one in Orange County, is of great religious

importance to the entire region, they stress that their first

responsibility is to Newport Beach.

Councilman John Heffernan, whose district is near the temple site and

includes the largest number of homes that will have views of the steeple,

has sent out a questionnaire to residents asking what, if anything, they

think about the temple.

“I wanted to get input from my district to help with my decision

making,” Heffernan said. “I want to get the best possible read on

things.”

Heffernan said that he has so far received about 50 replies to his

survey mailer, but that it’s too soon to interpret the results.

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .