Republished with permission from Cody Enterprise.
A bright glow illuminated the site of LDS temple under construction off Skyline Drive last week, a test of the lighting system for the exterior of the structure, landscaping and adjacent parking lot.
The test produced negative reactions from two neighbors, Colin Pitet who described the result as “extremely obtrusive” and Sarah Frances McClure who called it “pretty brutal.” They also questioned what the city guidelines will be for the outdoor illumination. After the test, McClure emailed city officials about her concerns.
Regardless, they both hope the LDS will be sensitive to its residential neighbors.
“The Church is working with the city to meet all lighting requirements,” said Jimmie Edwards, 2nd Counselor in the Cody Wyoming Stake Presidency, in a statement to the Enterprise. Before the test scheduled for the evening of March 31, he added, “At the request of the City, the Church delivered notices to residents beforehand.” [See sidebar]
Regarding the lighting test, which lasted about 8-10 p.m., “it was hard to miss it once it started,” Pitet said. “It was very bright and extremely obtrusive. It dominates the landscape and ruins the night sky.” Yet, he added, “Every other temple is bright, so I wasn’t surprised.”
The evening test, which took concepts to reality, sent a message to Pitet – “It certainly drives home how big the impact will really be. It’ll be very significant to our neighborhood and also many parts of town.”
“It’s so bright, just like daytime,” said McClure who lives in a house full of windows. “It comes in my living room, my foyer, the babies’ room and the master bedroom. It’s pretty brutal.
“I feel a little helpless, but we’re not in a position to move.”
During the test, she said in her email to the city, “We noticed they were pointing out shadows with a laser pointer and are concerned they may be adding even more light. I’m hopeful the city council will protect my right to peace and health on my own property and will address this concern with those who can fix the problem.
“We have triplets on the way and this cannot be our reality.”
One option she considered was blackout blinds, but the quote of $15,000 at a time-limited discount, going to $21,750 after April 23, was untenable. McClure cited those figures in her email to the city, which went to the mayor, city council, city administrator, city attorney and a Cody policeman who’s been responding to neighbor complaints about the temple construction site. She also wrote, “We were not told that uplighting is suddenly allowed and that the light can interfere with the livelihood, health, and peace of the neighbors and their property.
“I had understood the light wouldn’t cross the property line and that the light would be angled downward in accordance to city code.”
McClure has also understood that the city council would do what it could so the project wouldn’t interfere with the neighborhood. However, since construction started in 2023, the council has amended the city’s lighting ordinance so it only deals with commercial properties, which made her conclude, “There’s nothing that can be done.”
Another option McClure considered was planting more trees, but the existing ones don’t shield her home from the temple’s aura. “The lights are so bright the trees disappear,” she recalled.
Referring to the discussions during the city’s planning and zoning board meetings during the summer of 2023, when the temple project was under consideration, Pitet recalled that board member Matt Moss said lighting wouldn’t be an issue because it would be .5 candle feet at the property line. Pitet said that’s an “irrelevant figure,” calling the idea that the lighting wouldn’t affect the people in the area as “absurd.”
Further, the claims that the project wouldn’t be obtrusive and would contribute to the neighborhood “were “proven false by the testing that was done,” he added.
Still, to him, the major issue at this point is what guidelines the city will use for the lighting, since the lighting ordinance no longer applies to residential areas. Also, the district and supreme courts found that P&Z made the final decision on the site plan in June 15, 2023, and that plan lacked comment about lighting mitigation. Yet the conditional use permit granted on August 8 does have some restrictions.
“Maybe the church will decide to be charitable or honor what it said it would do and abide by the restrictions,” Pitet said. McClure was also positive, saying, “I’m hopeful that they can be good neighbors and help us out.”
Cody City Administrator Tony Tolstedt said Monday that he didn’t know how the city will treat the issue, but will meet with community development director Utana Dye to research the matter and provide a response this week.
From the LDS, no additional information was available. The church has announced no dates for the end of construction and the public viewing.
“The LDS is looking forward to the completion of the temple and to welcoming the community to the public open hours,” Edwards said. “The date for an open house has not been announced yet.”
In the spring of 2023, LDS leadership in Salt Lake City announced its plan to build the Cody temple in an area zoned rural-residential off Skyline Drive. The building would measure nearly 10,000 square feet with a nearly 101-foot tower, along with a 140-space parking lot on a 4.7-acre parcel. Initially LDS filed, but then withdrew, a request for a special exemption for the tower’s height. The city planner subsequently found that it met regulations and didn’t fall under the 30-foot height restriction for a rural-residential area.
Meanwhile, residents who favored relocating the temple to a compatible location formed an organization called Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods. The group ended up filing two lawsuits, as did the church. The cases went to a state district court, which ruled in the church’s favor, and the Wyoming Supreme Court confirmed that decision in June 2025 – both citing a technicality about the P&Z process. The ruling meant the city P&Z approved the plan on June 15, 2023, which meant POCN had missed the 30-day deadline to appeal; POCN contended it had met the deadline, saying the final P&Z approval came in August. After the city of Cody issued a building permit in the September of 2023, the church held a ground-breaking ceremony a year later and began construction last fall.