Judge rules in favor of pipeline to be built through polygamist church property

Enbridge seeks to build a pipeline through a polygamist church property near the Idaho-Utah border. | Google Maps WASHAKIE, Utah (ABC4) — A judge has ruled that a gas pipeline may be built through a church property belonging to a well-known polygamist group. Earlier this year, Enbridge, a natural gas provider, filed a lawsuit over .07 acres of land just four miles south of the Idaho-Utah border. The company claimed eminent domain rights to the property in order to build a natural gas pipeline. While the land is owned by N.W.R. Limited Partnerships, the property is home to the Latter Day Church of Christ (LDCC), one of Utah’s largest polygamous faiths. Pipeline “The pipeline is necessary for the safe and efficient distribution of natural gas to homes and businesses in Portage, Utah,” Enbridge said in a February court filing. Enbridge claims NWR rejected their $460,000-offer to construct the pipeline under eminent domain law. The gas company also claimed NWR had neglected to pay property taxes on the land for almost 10 years, documents show. NWR argued Enbridge’s offer failed to “reflect the value of the land,” and that the taking was “not necessary for the proposed public use.” After months of litigation, a district judge granted Enbridge “immediate occupancy” of the property for the initial offer price. According to documents, the pipeline will spread 30 feet wide and follow an existing canal route passing by a historic chapel belonging to the LDCC. The Kingston Group The Latter Day Church of Christ was formed in 1974 on principles resembling those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the faith are known for believing in and sometimes practicing plural marriage. Charles Elden Kingston, founder of the Davis County Cooperative Society. | Courtesy Davis County Cooperative Society via ABC4 The LDCC was created by members of the Davis County Cooperative Society, a socio-economic cooperative dating back to the Great Depression. The group is often referred to as “the Kingstons,” named after their founder, Charles Elden Kingston. The Kingstons are associated with multiple companies named on the lawsuit. However, attorneys representing the associated businesses did not respond to ABC4.com’s request for comment. History Built in 1939, the Washakie LDS Ward Chapel was once home to group of Shoshoni members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The chapel is a remnant of a Church initiative to work with indigenous tribes by teaching them “‘white’ agriculture techniques and [trying] to convert them to Mormonism,” the register reads. Members of the co-op and LDCC trace heritage to the chapel, citing a legend of founder Charles Kingston visiting the Shoshoni members during a Latter-day Saint sacrament meeting in 1933. During the visit, members believe Kingston met and converted a Shoshoni-Mormon leader to join the co-op. The visit is believed to have taken place on the same property, which will soon house a new pipeline. While the project was scheduled to begin in 2025, construction has likely been moved back due to litigation. Enbridge declined to comment further on the case.The post Judge rules in favor of pipeline to be built through polygamist church property appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com