A long-running battle between an Upper West Side church and its neighbors ended yesterday when West Park Presbyterian Church was designated a city landmark, quashing plans to use part of the historic property to build a condo tower.
The unanimous vote by the Landmarks Preservation Commission was hailed as a victory by neighbors and local preservationists who want the 116-year- old red sandstone church to remain as is.
But church members and their pastor, the Rev. Robert Brashear, insisted that the church doesn’t have the money to fix the crumbling structure at the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 86th Street, which can no longer be used for services.
“Today’s designation of West Park Presbyterian Church as a landmark will not preserve our beloved church building. Instead, it will hasten its demise,” said Brashear, who holds services for his congregation at another church a block away.