As many neighbors know, West Village Citizens for Preservation (WVCP) identified significant zoning issues related to the proposed Mission Building and retained counsel and zoning experts to formally challenge the project through the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). Thanks to broad community support, $19,500 was raised to fund that effort.

That zoning challenge remains active and unresolved.

However, despite the pending challenge, DOB issued the church a building permit on May 18. While any demolition or construction now proceeds at the church’s own risk pending the outcome of the challenge, the reality is that these situations often become a race against momentum and timing. Once demolition and construction advance too far, even legitimate zoning objections can become far more difficult to meaningfully reverse.

For that reason, WVCP is taking the next legal step available: an appeal to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA).

Key facts:

• WVCP’s DOB zoning challenge is still pending, with no defined timeline for a decision.

• DOB nevertheless issued a building permit to the church on May 18.

• That permit triggered a 30-day statute of limitations to file a BSA appeal.

• The BSA appeal may represent the final opportunity to halt or substantially challenge the Mission Building before construction momentum overtakes the process.

• If DOB ultimately agrees with the zoning challenge, the BSA appeal can potentially be withdrawn and refiled later if necessary. If DOB rejects the challenge, the BSA appeal becomes essential.

Preparing and filing the BSA appeal is estimated to cost approximately $25,000. WVCP’s attorney has indicated this is already significantly discounted given the amount of work involved, including a detailed presentation of the zoning and development history of the block and expanded legal and factual documentation.

We need your help. Please indicate your contribution here: https://wvcp.org/how-to-help/