City of Cody issues building permit for Cody LDS temple

Cody, Montana – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been granted permission by the City of Cody to construct a new temple, which will have a 101-foot steeple.

According to Cody Mayor Matt Hall, LDS leaders from Salt Lake City threatened to file a federal lawsuit if the permit was delayed any longer, thus the city was compelled to issue it.

Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods members filed a lawsuit in district court last month, claiming that the temple’s special use permit in a rural neighborhood was improperly approved by Cody’s Planning and Zoning Board. They contend that the 101-foot illuminated tower above the temple will devalue their properties, obstruct views of the surrounding mountains and night sky, and increase traffic on a two-lane road.

A lawsuit had also been filed by the Church in state district court.

Hall claimed that if the city continued to delay obtaining a building permit, LDS leaders threatened to bring a separate case in federal court.

“We decided to take the liability that the city might be facing out of the equation,” he said.

According to Hall, the state district court in Cody is likely to examine the ongoing lawsuits as early as this Wednesday.

There was no sign of activity near the west end of Skyline Drive by Tuesday morning.