The monks had to stop holding Sunday services at their home on West Neck Road on Aug. 26, after the City Council in an 8-2 vote denied them a two-year permit extension. The monks' use of their house as a temple had been an issue in Pungo.
Some neighbors complained that the services drew too much traffic and was inappropriate for a primarily residential area. The monks also want the court to allow them to continue worship services while the case goes through the judicial system, said John Stepanovich, a Virginia Beach lawyer who is representing the Buddhists.
