CHURCH PARTIES OKD
A federal judge has given the Third Church of Christ, Scientist permission to continue partying. On Dec. 9, Judge Deborah A. Batts of the Federal District Court in Manhattan sided with the church, upholding its 20-year lease with catering company Rose Group Park Avenue. The lease, which allows the Rose Group to hold events at the church in exchange for rent payments and $8 million for repairs, was approved by the Buildings Department in 2006. The Buildings Department then reversed its decision in 2007 when neighbors of the Park Avenue church began to complain, and the church filed a lawsuit against the city. Victor A. Kovner, the church"s lawyer, said he and his clients were pleased with the decision. â??Now that it"s been renovated, the congregation is somewhat larger and the activities are somewhat larger, Kovner said. â??The religious activities have increased. The city"s law department plans to appeal. â??We are disappointed in the ruling and plan to appeal the case, said Gabriel Taussig, chief of the administrative law division. The Rose Group, which hosts about two events a week at the church, was also pleased with the decision. â??We"re elated to be successful with this case, said owner Louis Rose. â??We want to work with the city and with our neighbors to make sure that they"re comfortable and their concerns are matched.