ULURP

While some are rejoicing at the City Council’s approval of the Columbia expansion/Manhattanville rezoning applications, many others, including myself, are astonished by the failure of the land use approval process to protect the West Harlem neighborhood and afford the community true input into the project.

Since their beginnings, Columbia and Community Board 9’s alternative Manhattanville rezoning plans, known as 197-c and 197-a respectively, have traveled a long and winding road of revision. Yet many 197-a advocates have criticized these revision processes, arguing that CB9’s plan was altered more substantially than Columbia’s, and that conflicting components of the two proposals were left unresolved.

The New York City Council paved the way for Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion on Dec. 19 when it approved the University’s plan for land rezoning.

Columbia and Community Board 9 representatives made their cases for alternative Manhattanville zoning proposals before a packed crowd at a City Council hearing Wednesday morning.