With the announcement of two new LDS temples in the Salt Lake Valley, some people have questioned why construction on the Draper temple, which was announced more than a year ago, still has not begun.

The project hasn't stalled on the city's end, said Grant Crowell, Draper city planning director.

"It's another thing that helps put Draper on the map, so the city's excited," Crowell said. City Council members approved the plans with a positive recommendation from the planning commission.

The project hasn't actually been held up unexpectedly at all, he said. While city officials are still waiting for building permits and site plans to be submitted, church officials told Crowell early on that it would take them a while to sort through plans internally.

Once the LDS Church does submit its plans though, he said he doesn't expect to encounter any major hitches. Thus far, the city has only had to modify the zoning text for Corner Canyon, allowing for the temple's projected height and scale in the subdivision.

It's not normal to have a building that tall in a residential neighborhood, Crowell said.

"We don't have a lot of buildings that tall in the city, if any," Crowell said. "That may be hard for some people, but I think most people understand that when the LDS Church announces a temple, it's going to be a tall building."

Further modifications didn't need to be made since city officials had always anticipated a religious facility on the temple site, he said. A recently completed LDS Stake Center already shares the property.

The planning commission will look at drainage, parking and landscaping, but Crowell said he's certain the LDS Church will meet or exceed city requirements.

Traffic to and from the temple through residential neighborhoods is a potential concern, but without any expected traffic counts from the church yet, the planning committee can only speculate on how big an issue it will be, Crowell said.

Once the committee analyzes the expected traffic flow with the city, the church will be responsible for improving congested intersections and adding turn lanes as needed. That's standard procedure and not a big deal from the city's perspective, but he said he anticipates members of the public raising concerns about traffic.

"Generally people that live in residential areas are concerned about increased users whether it's an Albertson's or a temple," Crowell said.

Bountiful residents initially raised concerns about traffic congestion when the Bountiful Temple, which also is located in a residential area, was being built, said Paul Rowland, Bountiful city engineer.