Dear editor:

Horizon, the cell tower applicant, and the LDS temple applicant have the same playbook. Zoning laws and codes are there to protect the public’s interest, but it’s become common for deep pocket developers to threaten small communities with legal action if they don’t get their way. They are willing to bankrupt a community to get their way all the while promoting their commitment to the community.

They will also use certain laws by stretching the meaning and intent of that law. In the case of Horizon there’s a Federal Communication Act that says communities cannot arbitrarily deny facilities in their area. The key word is arbitrary. Nothing in the act says companies can build whatever or wherever they want. Codes and zoning still apply and court decisions have confirmed that. That’s all Horizon has but the threat of litigation has become real. Even a win will be costly and Horizon has said that if they win there will be no mitigating circumstances considered.

The LDS applicant follows the same playbook. Using any type of “religious” discrimination argument is a stretch. This is about a building, zoning, codes and precedents that have nothing to do with religion. Freedom of worship has nothing to do with building structures of any kind wherever and however you want. There is no special exemption for religious groups to supplant existing laws, regulations and community standards in any of their activities.

Again, just as Horizon, the church has begun litigation saying that if they win there will be no compromise for community concerns. At the same time the church promotes its concern for the community but is willing to cost the citizens their hard earned taxes. By the way, the LDS is currently litigating a similar temple in the small town of Heber City, Utah. Lighting, size and location are being questioned by the community but the church is saying my way or the highway. See a pattern here?

So, both the LDS church and Horizon are nothing more than bullies trying to roll over small communities. In the case of the Cody temple, all the plans and even physical structures were well in place before the permitting process was even started. Both situations can be resolved by a change in location but they have shown hubris and arrogance (The term arrogance comes from the Latin adrogare, meaning “to feel that one has a right to demand certain attitudes and behaviors from other people”).

Bottom line — no one likes a bully.

Richard Jones

Cody