Some established TriBeCa bar owners are scrambling to find a legal loophole that will allow them to hold onto their liquor licenses after the State Liquor Authority moved to revoke the licenses upon learning that the bars are within 200 feet of a mosque.

A spokeswoman for the State Liquor Authority, Kimberly Morella, told The New York Sun that the original law prohibiting a bar within 200 feet of a school or religious institution predates the Alcoholic Beverage Control law of 1933.

“We believe that it was 1897,” Ms. Morella said. The law has been amended numerous times since then and has been in its current form since 2002, she said.

This is the latest episode in the growing conflict between downtown’s booming nightlife scene and residents who are defending their rights to a peaceful night’s sleep. Last week, neighborhood advocates forced the rejection of a liquor license application for a “gastropub” in the East Village. On Thursday, hundreds of anti-noise downtown residents gathered for a town meeting to air their protests in front of several elected officials.

The neighbors who informed the State Liquor Authority about the mosque’s presence, Peter and Janna Townsend, are owners and residents of the building at 1 White St., a four-story townhouse about a half a block from the mosque, surrounded by bars and restaurants.

The Townsends discovered the state’s 200-foot regulation on the Internet as they were mounting a challenge to the Liquor Store Bar, which was seeking a license to reopen nearby. Its application was rejected by the state, and the bar now sits dark and empty despite a costly interior renovation.

Ms. Townsend defended her actions. “I want this to be about quality of life in a neighborhood that is mixed use. There are businesses here and residents here. There needs to be a balance of uses. Those of us that need to sleep here should be able to sleep here,” she said.

As part of the process of applying for a liquor license, prospective bar owners must assert that they are in compliance with the law. The owner of the Bubble Lounge, a 10-year old bar whose license is being challenged, Eric Benn, said his establishment is 192 feet from the mosque. Mr. Benn said his business is in jeopardy.

“We’re looking forward to the government getting off our case. It’s getting to be rather repetitive – they take a great deal of money from us and then we get harassment,” Mr. Benn said. “It is impossible to detect that there is a mosque there; not even the Community Board knew.”

Since 1990, the two-story white-painted building at 245 West Broadway with drawn Venetian blinds and a locked gate has housed the Sufi mosque, Masjid al-Farah. The gold lettering on the front door does not contain the word “mosque,” but it is registered as a religious not-for-profit corporation with the state and federal government.

An administrator for the mosque, Kris Jones, said a lawyer representing the mosque submitted a letter to the state clarifying the uses of the building. She said that in addition to being a place of worship, the building serves as a space to feed the homeless and host interfaith meetings.

“We don’t have a dispute with any of the neighbors. We are here to support them. Our main thing is to be neutral,” Ms. Jones told The New York Sun. “We don’t want anyone to lose their jobs.”

The state also moved to revoke the license of Cercle Rouge, a French bistro that shares a wall with the mosque. There are mixed reports about whether the state also issued a summons to Tribeca Tavern. The highly rated restaurant Montrachet did not receive a summons because it predates the mosque.

If Mr. Benn or other bar owners are found guilty of submitting false information on their liquor license applications, they could be banned from obtaining another license in New York State.

Mr. Benn described a plan to move the bar’s door back 8 feet, but this would require clearing a series of regulatory hurdles, including applying for a liquor license at a new address and upgrading the building to code. He said his lawyer was looking for a way to prove that the mosque was not exclusively a religious institution, which would make his bar exempt under the state law.

Mr. Benn said his business has been repeatedly bothered by the Townsends, who he said regularly call the police with noise complaints.

Ms. Townsend, the neighbor, said she would not feel remorse if the bars were forced to close. She said there are more than 30 bars within 500 feet of her home.

“They should know the law. If they are going to invest in a business, they should look to see. It doesn’t look like a typical church, but if I were to start a business, I would make sure I wasn’t wasting my money,” Ms. Townsend said.

Ms. Townsend said she and her husband have lived on White Street for about 30 years. She owns the widely acclaimed soup, salad, and sandwich shop Columbine on the ground floor.

“Nobody used to come down here, not a soul. Then it became a destination spot,” Ms. Townsend said.

The bars have pleaded not guilty to giving false information, and they are awaiting a court date before an administrative law judge. The dispute was first reported by the Tribeca Tribune, a free weekly.