NY Daily News - Group Sues City over WTC Mosque

By Samuel Goldsmith

A conservative advocacy group sued the city yesterday, claiming officials buckled under pressure when they green-lighted a mosque near Ground Zero.

The American Center for Law and Justice, a Washington-based group founded by the Rev. Pat Robertson, sued just a day after the Landmarks Preservation Commission cleared a path for the project.

Commissioners "allowed the intended use of the building and political considerations to taint the deliberative process," court papers charge.

The commission voted unanimously Tuesday not to protect the 152-year-old Italian palazzo-style building two blocks north of Ground Zero, saying it does not rise to the level of an individual landmark.

"This smacks of political interference," said Tim Brown, a 9/11 first responder who filed the lawsuit with the American Center. "There was an extraordinary amount of pressure put on Landmarks to get this building off their calendar so the mosque could move forward."

The project, known as Park51, is a 13-floor community center and Muslim prayer space. Opponents of the development say it is offensive to 9/11 victims' families and a potential recruiting ground for terrorists.

The lawsuit argues the building's design is on par with several similar downtown buildings that are protected by the city. They also believe the building's proximity to Ground Zero makes it a historical landmark.

Mayor Bloomberg, who appoints members to the landmarks board, has been an outspoken supporter of Park51.

City Law Department spokeswoman Kate Ahlers said lawyers "are confident that the Landmarks Preservation Commission carefully applied all legal standards and followed appropriate procedures."

Lawyers for the city will try to have the case dismissed before it is argued in front of a judge. That could happen as soon as next month.