This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • The Planning Commission gave its blessing Tuesday to plans to close a street for the city's second Mormon temple.
The commission unanimously voted to recommend the Municipal Council approve vacating 100 South between University Avenue and 100 West. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced in February that it wanted to buy the street — and Nu Skin Enterprises' parking deck — as part of its plans to convert the fire-gutted Provo Tabernacle into the Provo City Center Temple.
"I use 100 South a lot," said commission vice chairwoman Pam Boshard, "but I like giving it up for what I picture downtown Provo could look like."
The only serious objections came from Ted Schofield, owner of the sewing supply store Heindselman's Inc. Schofield, whose objections were in a letter sent to the commission, said closing 100 South would force traffic onto Center Street, causing congestion. He also warned that it would impede police and fire department response to emergencies.
"Finally, with all the lawsuits and continued problems from Salt Lake City with the Main Street Plaza, I cannot imagine how Provo City thinks this is a good idea that will not be challenged," Schofield wrote. "I think that both the city and the LDS Church need to look at other options. Closing 100 South will be an expensive mistake that the city will regret for years to come."
City engineer Dave Graves said a traffic study the city conducted after the October 2011 announcement of the temple showed that closing 100 South would not adversely affect traffic in downtown.
City planner Sean Allen also said the church's plans to create a "temple campus" align well with the city's goals for downtown. The new temple would create a focal point for the downtown area and would attract more people and businesses to the area.
Nic Leydsman, a Provo resident, said the LDS Church does "quality" work, pointing to the City Creek Center project in Salt Lake City. But he said closing 100 South might not be the best idea.
"Shutting the street down is taking one step forward and two steps backward," Leydsman said. He said the city closed 100 West for Nu Skin Enterprises' expansion, and closing 100 South would cause further problems the city needs to weigh.
But other residents gave unconditional support for the project.
"The proposed improvement of Provo's downtown far outweighs any minor inconvenience resulting from the suggested changes to traffic flow," resident Sid Sandberg wrote in a letter to the commission.
The request now goes to the council for final approval. Then, the city would have to have the street appraised to determine the price the church would pay for it.
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