Ordinance would clear path for Victor steeples

The Victor Planning Commission will recommend the City Council amend its height regulations to allow for the construction of 75 foot church steeples. On a two to one vote Tuesday, the board determined a steeple could not be habitable, could not impede views from adjacent properties, and must comply with the city’s lighting standards.

In a staff report, Victor City Planner Bill Knight supported the ordinance change. The new rules, which now go to the full City Council, would remove regulatory barriers and allow such community oriented buildings into town.

Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (VARD) also endorsed the proposed rules. The organization said the rules would make it possible for a proposed LDS Stake Center to move into Victor city limits. The watchdog group called it a “huge step in a positive direction”. They said research indicates the location of wards and temples in neighborhoods are assets to a community, increase property values, and help develop a community’s “sense of place”.

A request to approve stake center construction in rural Teton County was rejected by County Commissioners earlier this year in part because a proposed steeple would have violated zoning regulations.