Phoenix Arizona Temple
Phoenix Arizona Temple
Beus Gilbert PLLC—the law firm representing the Church on the zoning for the Phoenix Arizona Temple site—submitted its initial application on behalf of the Church to the City of Phoenix to rezone an 8.94-acre site on Pinnacle Peak Road from Single-Family Residential to Planned Unit Development to allow for the height of the temple. The acreage includes an existing meetinghouse, a bare lot, and the unlandscaped portions of two residences north of the bare lot.According to Maricopa County records, the Church purchased the bare lot in September 2000 and the adjacent meetinghouse lot in October 2002. Later, it acquired the two residences directly north of the bare lot at 5207 and 5217 W. Creedance Blvd., one in August 2008, and the other in March 2009. Together, these parcels create an 8.94-acre "L"-shaped site with 4.2 acres already occupied by the meetinghouse.As part of the rezoning process, the first neighborhood meeting was held in early June 2009 at the meetinghouse adjoining the temple site. Representatives of the Church met with neighbors to present information on the project—including a rendition of the proposed site design—and to answer questions and resolve concerns.On July 20, 2009, Beus Gilbert PLLC delivered its second submittal of the rezoning request for the temple—to be located in the Phoenix urban village of Deer Valley—pursuant to review by Deer Valley Village Planner, Kelly P. Walker. Mr. Walker made numerous editorial requests to the first submittal including wording changes and omissions, more detailed explanations, and more specific limits. The revised application included updated commentary, data, maps, photographs, and renderings of the project.On September 14, 2009, over 200 residents gathered for a second neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposal for the temple. Some of those in opposition expressed concern over the height, color, and lighting of the 126-foot building, saying it would disrupt their quality of life because of the light pollution and blocked mountain views. www.kylewarr.com
