CB9 Debates Long-Awaited Planning Guide

Members of a Community Board 9 committee and residents of Morningside Heights and West Harlem met last night to work on a proposal to help shape future development in Manhattanville.

The subject of the committee's monthly meeting was the board's so-called 197-A plan, which will establish a framework to guide future development in Community District 9, stretching from 110th to 155th Streets and from the Hudson River to St. Nicholas Avenue. The 197-A proposal is the product of years of work, and the committee expects to present a summary of its recommendations in early January.

Columbia University's plans for developing property in Manhattanville were a central focus of last night's meeting. That development depends on a change in the zoning status of the area--currently zoned for manufacturing--to allow for larger buildings and a wider variety of uses. New York's Department of City Planning is expected to propose the necessary zoning amendments in early 2004.

The 197-A plan will not propose specific zoning alternatives to counter the changes that will be proposed by the city, which will in any case be subject to the board's review. Instead, the 197-A will offer broad guidelines to ensure that future development benefits the community. In an interview after the meeting, Shiffman called the 197-A plan an opportunity to "articulate the agenda for the community."

197-A status and timeline

The meeting was led by Ron Shiffman and Mercedes Narciso of the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Economic Development, an organization hired by CB9 to assist in the formulation of the 197-A plan.

Narciso laid out the timeline for the committee's progress. Currently, she said, the project is "still in the research/recommendation phase." The committee is considering what issues the plan should address and is updating a previously prepared 197-A plan that was rejected by the city. One of the current tasks is incorporating new data from the 2000 census to replace the 1990 census data used in the original plan.

The committee plans to present a summary of its recommendations by Jan. 5. During February, Narciso said, the committee will hold a series of community forums to collect feedback, which will be used to draft the actual plan by March. Then the plan will be subject to the public review process.

Development concerns

Shiffman canvassed the various issues he hopes the 197-A plan will address.

He cited a number of "community economic development issues," focusing especially on the importance of creating additional jobs and figuring out "how we can diversify those jobs," as well as ensuring that the jobs go to local community residents.

Shiffman also pointed out the need for low- and middle-income housing in addition to market-rate units. The need for affordable housing struck a chord, eliciting strong approval from several attendees including Tom DeMott, a member of the steering committee of the Coalition to Preserve Community.

The 197-A committee also discussed a variety of design issues, including the bulk, height, and densities of development in the Manhattanville area. Other design concerns that could factor into the 197-A plan include the creation of open spaces and green spaces.

Environmental issues were discussed as well. Manhattanville and the surrounding areas are home to two city bus depots, as well as the marine transfer station and sewage treatment plant. Shiffman also mentioned the need for "sustainable design," adding that buildings should "produce as much energy as they consume."

Critiquing Columbia

Attendees of the meeting repeatedly raised questions about ways of shaping or limiting Columbia University's development plans.

CB9 Chair George Goodwill announced that he has asked the Department of City Planning to attend the board's general meeting next Thursday to provide more information about its rezoning plan and its current status. Few details are known about the department's plans, which could begin the formal Uniform Land Use Review Procedure within the next few months.

One way for CB9 to ensure appropriate development, Shiffman said, could be through "side agreements" with private developers such as Columbia, but he added that it will be important to ensure "long-term accountability" and "enforcement" for those commitments. Others expressed similar concerns about accountability.

Lyn Kent, a founding member of the Morningside Heights Historic District Committee, emphasized that the community's dialogue with Columbia should take into account not only the jobs and residents currently in the area but also the potential for additional job creation that could take place without changes to the zoning codes.

"Don't tell us how few jobs there are and how few people there are. ... [The existing zoning] can allow many more jobs than there are and much more housing," Kent said, adding that CB9 should be "challenging Columbia not by what's there but by what could be there."

The meeting was attended by Geoffrey Wiener, Columbia's assistant vice president for planning and project development, who answered a few questions but mostly took notes on the concerns that were raised.

"I was here to listen," Wiener said after the meeting. "We would like to consult with the community board as they develop the 197-A plan."