Mormon temple project debuts

June Casagrande

Almost a year after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints unveiled plans for the county’s first Mormon temple, residents

with strong feelings on the project had built up plenty of steam for

Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting.

More than 220 residents packed City Council chambers to take part

in the commission’s first public hearing on the 17,575-square-foot

project, slated to be built at 2300 Bonita Canyon Drive.

A show of hands showed at least a third of the audience supported

the project. The remaining opponents said the problem is aesthetic:

The 124-foot-high steeple, they argued, is just too tall and too

visually prominent to place in the view of so many private homes.

“If they had agreed to abide by rules of a 50-foot height limit,

we certainly would not be here tonight,” said Steven Brombal,

president of the Bonita Canyon Homeowners Assn.

But church planners, who have already made a number of concessions

to win over their neighbors, say the temple will be a thing of beauty

and benefit to neighbors for years to come.

“It’s a very good and beautiful design that will be a credit to

Orange County and all the people who live near it,” said Ralph

Martin, architect for the church.

Thursday’s hearing was the first step in what is normally a

two-part process to consider a use permit. The matter is expected to

return to the Planning Commission on Oct. 3 for a final vote.

If commissioners grant the church a permit to build the steeple in

excess of area height standards, it’s almost inevitable that the

issue will come before the City Council.

But if commissioners deny the permit, the issue probably won’t

just go away. The church has gone to court in the past in places such

as Belmont, Mass., where last year it won the right to build a

70,000-square-foot temple despite organized resident opposition.

In the case of the Newport temple, a federal act could provide the

grounds for a court case. The Religious Land Use and

Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 forbids governments from

imposing land-use regulations that hinder religious expression.

Because church officials say the steeple has special religious

significance, they could argue that it is protected under this act.

Local Mormon leaders have said they would follow the direction of

their Salt Lake City leaders on the question of whether or not to go

to court.

But comments from church leader Joseph Bentley could foreshadow a

fight. If the Planning Commission said the steeple should be shorter,

it would “substantially burden religious expression,” he said,

quoting the federal act.

* 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.