The Cody Temple – A Tale of One City & Two Perspectives

The news that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints intends to build a temple in Cody was immediately met with waves of emotion in the Cody community. Now, that emotion is manifesting into action – on both sides of the issue.

In October 2021, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced its plans to build a third Wyoming temple in Cody. The location of the temple – the west side of Skyline Drive, north of the Cody Canal – was announced earlier this year.

The City of Cody’s Planning and Zoning Board is hosting its next public meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24.

Church leaders are seeking a conditional use permit for the temple and an auxiliary building, along with a special exemption to exceed the 30-foot height limit in the zoning district (the temple’s tower will be just over 100 feet tall.) The construction will also include a new street to the site with a cul-de-sac turnaround and a parking area.

Usually held at City Hall, this meeting will be held in the Cody Auditorium due to the anticipated attendance. Since this is the first civic meeting regarding the Cody Temple, it will also be the first time two different groups of Cody residents – with different opinions on the Cody Temple – will “confront” each other.

Two Facebook groups have become public forums for these opinions: Cody Wyoming Temple & Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods.

Cody Wyoming Temple was created in August 2022, between the announcement of the temple and the announcement of its location. Most of its members are enthusiastic supporters, so the group’s posts answer questions about the Cody Temple, like its purpose and how its construction might affect property values.

The group’s administrators are promoting a community open house to be hosted at the Cody church (1407 Heart Mountain Street) on Tuesday, May 23. This event will be a “Temple Preview,” with members of the Church’s Special Projects Department in Salt Lake City attending to review the plans and answer questions.

“All who have questions, concerns, or would just like to see the artist rendering and other displays regarding temples are invited to come,” reads the post announcing the preview.

Courtesy Cody Wyoming Temple

Meanwhile, Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods formed earlier this week. The opinions of its members are clear in its goal – Relocate the Temple.

No one in this group opposes the construction of the Cody Temple. Instead, they are advocating it be built elsewhere in Cody because of its potential impacts at the intended location.

“We support the temple,” the group’s first post reads, “but not in a Cody neighborhood.”

The group published a statement citing five reasons why “Cody deserves a Temple” in a different location – architectural integrity of Cody’s neighborhoods, protecting night skies, safeguarding traffic corridors, protecting wildlife habitat, and adhering to the City of Cody’s Master Plan.

Courtesy Protect Our Cody Communities

Both Cody Temple Wyoming & Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods are aware of what the temple would mean to Cody, so both groups are advocating that residents attend the Planning and Zoning’s May 24 meeting.

Regardless of what people think or how people feel, it’s always important to be heard.