Mormon Temple faces fight

June Casagrande

Tables that had turned in favor of a proposed Mormon Temple have

turned again as a city subcommittee and an unofficial survey show

powerful opposition to the project.

A meeting of the city’s Environmental Quality Affairs Committee on

Monday drew a large crowd of residents to hear discussion on an

environmental report on the project that was issued last month. The

very favorable environmental report had described the proposed

temple as having “no significant impacts” on the surrounding area --

a conclusion disputed by a subcommittee charged with reviewing the

report’s findings.

“The lighting on this fairly large structure as well as the

steeple do appear to have an effect on the vistas of residents,”

subcommittee member Gus Chabre said.

This opinion is in direct disagreement with the report, prepared

by environmental consultants LSA Associates, which said that the

project would have a negligible effect on views. The disagreement,

Chabre explained, is because the report focused on public vistas and

not on views from private homes.

And private homes have been the issue all along, Chabre said.

An unofficial survey conducted by City Councilman Steve Bromberg

drives this point home.

Bromberg sent out questionnaires to residents of 288 homes near

the site of the temple, proposed to be built at 2300 Bonita Canyon

Drive. He received 126 replies. Though Bromberg emphasized that the

purpose of the survey was to solicit written comments from residents,

a yes or no question on the survey nonetheless offers a snapshot,

albeit an unscientific one, of residents’ feelings about the project.

Of those who responded to the specific question, 106 said they

disapproved of the project; 18 approved.

“As a homeowner, it’s not the building of the temple that I have a

concern with,” said David Wolf, a neighbor of the temple site who

attended Monday’s meeting. “It’s the steeple and the lighting. I’m

very concerned about them.”

The 124-foot steeple and the lighting on the temple were the main

concern of 90% to 95% of people who offered written comments,

Bromberg said.

“With maybe one or two exceptions, no one has a problem with the

church coming there -- they welcome them with open arms,” Bromberg

said. “It’s the steeple height that’s problematic to them because

their views are impacted by it.”

Bromberg said he will continue to gather information before he

takes a position on the project.

The 17,500-square-foot temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints would be built next to the church’s existing stake

center on Bonita Canyon Drive. Temple planners’ request that the city

allow the steeple to exceed height standards for the area will likely

come before the Planning Commission in August. It will also likely

end up before the City Council.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.