Council denies appeal of patent‑easement vacation for proposed LDS temple amid notice and drainage concerns

The City Council on Dec. 18 denied an appeal of a planning commission decision to vacate a U.S. government patent easement for a parcel where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints plans a temple and meetinghouse. The decision came after more than an hour of public comment from neighbors, church leaders and preservation groups.

Church representatives and local supporters said the easement is a routine patent easement that must be vacated to build the approved temple; Bud Stoddard, a church stake president, described the vacation as a necessary administrative step. Several nearby residents and the Nevada Rural Preservation Alliance countered that required notices were not provided to affected HOAs, that drainage and rural‑preservation rules could be implicated, and that judicial review of related approvals was pending.

City staff explained the narrow statutory notification requirement for vacations (NRS 278.480), said the city had expanded notice beyond abutting owners to adjacent owners and registered neighborhood associations, and read the list of neighborhood groups that were notified. Staff also advised that pending judicial review did not create a court order staying city action.

Councilwoman Ellen Polanski moved to deny the appeal; the motion carried by voice vote. The denial clears the way for the record vacation to take effect consistent with the planning commission recommendation.

Why it matters: The vote allows an approved religious facility project to proceed administratively but underscores neighborhood concerns about notice and drainage that proponents and opponents raised.

What's next: With the appeal denied, the city will record the easement vacation consistent with the planning commission action; opponents may continue seeking remedies in court where applicable.