CB9

Community Board 9 has shifted its focus from Columbia’s now-approved Manhattanville expansion toward more common, community-based issues over the past nine months.
The first half of the academic year was marked by a series of milestones that were part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, a citywide mandatory review process required for land rezoning, for Columbia’s rezoning of land in Manhattanville.

Affordable housing and public-school overcrowding took the forefront at Thursday evening’s Community Board 9 meeting, as the board focused on issues surrounding the rezoning of 125th Street before passing several resolutions.

At Thursday night’s Community Board 9 meeting, the meaning of Winston Churchill’s “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others,” quoted by a speaker, seemed to hit close to home. After almost two and a half hours of confusion and frustration, the meeting’s attendees shuffled out of the Manhattanville Community Center, having opened up as many new issues as had been resolved.

At Thursday night’s Community Board 9 meeting, the meaning of Winston Churchill’s line “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”—quoted by a speaker—seemed to hit close to home.

At a Community Board 9 meeting on Feb. 21, the City College of New York presented plans for a proposed extension of its research facilities in West Harlem. The presentation evoked memories of the long process by which Columbia University sought feedback from local residents and businesses in the lead-up to its own expansion plan.

Sparks flew over City College of New York’s proposed expansion and a resolution concerning the relocation of Hamilton Grange to St. Nicholas Park at a Community Board 9 general meeting Thursday night.

At a public forum held by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer Wednesday night, West Harlem residents and business owners, elected officials, Columbia students, and Columbia expansion supporters and opponents testified for four hours, expressing their opinions on Columbia’s 197-c plan and Community Board 9’s 197-a plan.