The Madison zoning board approved a new temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Thursday.
The LDS church intends to construct a 30,000-square-foot, one-story temple with a tower that is 120 feet high. In Alabama, it would be the second Mormon temple.
The church had requested a special exemption to permit a religious facility on the property’s existing high-density residential zoning, and the zoning board advised the city to grant it. The LDS church intends to add a tower, cupola, or spire that will be higher than the 50-foot maximum for other zoning types, per a zoning board report.
The main floor of the structure is below the 35-foot height limit for high-density residential zoning, and the 120-foot spire is neither particularly large or unwieldy, according to the report.
According to the assessment, the structure shouldn’t negatively impact nearby property or the neighborhood’s character.
At the end of 2024, the LDS Church, popularly known as Mormons, had 17.5 million members worldwide, including over 40,000 in Alabama spread over roughly 75 congregations. In 2000, the church opened its Gardendale temple in the Birmingham area.
The city’s planning commission suggested last week that Madison annex around 14 acres on two undeveloped properties east of the temple site, which is also owned by the LDS church.
According to documentation submitted to the planning commission, the main route to the temple would be via Browns Ferry Road to the westernmost property. The majority of the 13.98 acres that are suggested for annexation would remain an untouched natural area, with the remainder being utilized for stormwater infrastructure and secondary driveway access.
It is anticipated that the Madison City Council will hold a public hearing in August to discuss the annexation and zoning suggestions.
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