1 2 CITY COUNCIL 3 CITY OF NEW YORK 4 -------------------------------x 5 THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MINUTES 6 of the 7 SUBCOMMITTEE ON ZONING And 8 FRANCHISES (Held Jointly With) 9 SUBCOMMITTEE ON PLANNING, DISPOSITIONS And CONCESSIONS 10 -------------------------------x 11 12 December 12, 2007 Start: 10:36 a.m. 13 Recess: 5:07 p.m. 14 City Hall Council Chambers 15 New York, New York 16 B E F O R E: 17 TONY AVELLA 18 Chairperson, Zoning And Franchises Subcommittee 19 DANIEL GARODNICK 20 Chairperson, Planning, Dispositions And Concessions 21 22 23 24 LEGAL-EASE COURT REPORTING SERVICES, INC. 17 Battery Place - Suite 1308 25 New York, New York 10004 (800) 756-3410 2 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S 3 COUNCIL MEMBERS: 4 Joel Rivera 5 Simcha Felder Eric Gioia 6 Robert Jackson Melinda Katz 7 Larry Seabrook Helen Sears 8 Kendall Stewart Albert Vann 9 Charles Barron Jessica Lappin 10 Vincent Ignizio Miguel Martinez 11 Sara Gonzalez Inez Dickens 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S 3 Lee C. Bollinger 4 President Columbia University 5 Maxine Griffith 6 Executive Vice President Governmental and Community Relations 7 Columbia University 8 Robert Kasdin Senior Executive Vice President 9 Columbia University 10 David Dinkins Former Mayor of the City of New York 11 Jordi Reyes-Montblanc 12 Chair Community Board No. 9, Manhattan 13 Patricia Jones 14 Chair, 197-a Plan Committee Community Board No. 9, Manhattan 15 Ron Shiffman 16 Board Consultant Community Board No. 9, Manhattan 17 Noma Grey 18 Walter South 19 Gloria Allen 20 First Vice President General Grant Residents Association 21 Dr. Vicki Gholson 22 Founder Design Environmental For Experiential Learning 23 Sandra Harris 24 Representative of Lee Goldman, MD Dean of Faculty of Medicine 25 Executive Vice President Columbia Medical Center 4 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 Reverend Reginold Williams 4 Hazel Dukes 5 President of the New York State Conference of Chapters 6 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 7 John Stage 8 Dinosaur Barbecue 9 Cynthia Doty Coalition to Preserve Community 10 Joan Levine 11 Chair Morningside Gardens Community Relations Committee 12 Coalition to Preserve Community 13 Tom Kappner Coalition to Preserve Community 14 Julie Lawrence 15 Community-Based Planning Task Force 16 Paul E. Fernandez Chief of Staff 17 Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York 18 James Coletti 19 Assistant Vice President Building Trades Employers' Association 20 Daniel Perez 21 CIVITAS 22 Lloyd Douglas Lloyd Douglas Consultant Company 23 Norman Siegel 24 West Harlem Business Group 25 5 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 Christina Walsh 4 Institute for Justice 5 Ann Whitman Hudson Moving And Storage 6 Nick Sprayregen 7 Tuck-It-Away Self Storage 8 Richard Lipsky Tuck-It-Away Self Storage 9 Harriet Michel 10 National Association of Minority Suppliers 11 Cheryl Green Representing Trevor Green 12 Lewis Latimer Progressive Association 13 Michael J. Novielli 14 Victor Body Lawson Body Lawson Associates. 15 Ruth Eisenberg 16 Coalition to Preserve Community 17 Nellie Barley Director 18 Harlem Tenants Council 19 Sarah M. Martin General Grant Houses 20 Tom DeMott 21 Coalition to Preserve Community 22 Steven Kraus Skyline Windows 23 David Kraus 24 Skyline Windows 25 6 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 Yanira Rodriguez 4 Representing Michael Sin 5 Victoria Benetez Representing Dr. Rafael Lantigua 6 Columbia University 7 Dara Silverman Director 8 Jews For Racial And Economic Justice 9 Francine Perlman Coalition to Preserve Community 10 Jews For Racial And Economic Justice 11 Ishmael Wallace 12 Andrew Lyubarsky 13 Cheryl McKissack McKissack & McKissack 14 Victoria Mason Ailey 15 Representing George Van Amson 16 Sharon O'Halloran 17 Lisa Kersavage Director of Advocacy and Policy 18 Municipal Art Society of New York 19 Mercedes Narcisco Senior Planner 20 Pratt Center for Community Development 21 Bryan Mercer Student Coalition on Expansion And Gentrification 22 Tom Siracuse 23 Committee to Protect Rent Control Tenants 24 Andrew Bailis Jews For Racial And Economic Justice 25 7 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 Peter Favant 4 Crystal Mackenzie 5 Alberta Dawkins 6 Laverne Fountain 7 Representing Debra Wright 8 Yolande Cadore WeACT For Environmental Action 9 Julien Terrell 10 Housing and Health Coordinator WeACT For Environmental Action 11 Anhthu Hoang 12 Representing Cecil Corbin Mark WeACT For Environmental Justice 13 Ana Parks 14 Lead Poisoning Program Manager WeACT For Environmental Action 15 Calvin Hunt, Jr. 16 People's Committee 17 Nell Geiser Jews For Racial And Economic Justice 18 Christabel Gough 19 Society for the Architecture of the City 20 Julius Tajiddin 21 Jean Thomas 22 Frederick P. Mailay Co-chair 23 Global Peace And Justice At Riverside 24 Victoria Ruiz 25 8 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 Kate Miles 4 Student Coalition on Expansion and Gentrification 5 Julie Schneyer 6 Jenny Rose Halperin 7 Natalie DeNault 8 Samantha Barron 9 Michael Adams 10 Vivian Lu Columbia's United Students of Color Council 11 John Martin Green 12 Co-founder Blackberry Production, Inc. 13 Juan R. Silva 14 Tamara Gayer 15 Hint House 16 Fred Danesh West Harlem Coalition 17 Luis Gil 18 Coordinator, Youth Project Mirabel Sisters Cultural and Community Center 19 Joel Griffiths 20 Sherry A. Suttles 21 Lauren Feighan 22 Representing Jack Yuen 23 Luis M. Tejada Mirabel Sisters Cultural and Community Center 24 25 Mary Habstritt 9 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 Derrick Haynes 4 Robbie Cohen 5 Laura Gabby 6 Student Coalition on Expansion and Gentrification 7 Michael D. D. White 8 Gerard Millan Perichon 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 10 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Please find a 3 seat. I'd like to call this meeting of the 4 Subcommittee on Zoning And Franchises to order. 5 Joining me are Committee Members 6 Simcha Felder, Eric Gioia, Robert Jackson, Melinda 7 Katz, and Al Vann. And I am also joined by Chair Dan 8 Garodnick, who I asked to speak on behalf of his 9 Committee. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 11 Chairman Avella. 12 Good morning, everybody. My name is 13 Dan Garodnick. I'm the Chair of the Subcommittee on 14 Planning, Dispositions and Concessions. I want to 15 note that we have been joined also by Inez Dickens, 16 who is a member of the Planning Subcommittee, as 17 well as the Chair of the Land Use Committee, Melinda 18 Katz, and Council Member Jessica Lappin of 19 Manhattan, a member of the Land Use Committee. 20 We are going to be hearing today two 21 applications that are important to the future of 22 Northern Manhattan. This will become a joint hearing 23 of Planning and Zoning, we lack one member for a 24 quorum of the Planning Subcommittee. 25 The first application is a 197-c 11 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 rezoning application by Columbia University for a 3 special mixed use district, covering approximately 4 35 acres. Columbia's proposed expansion is 17 of 5 these acres. 6 The goal of Columbia's application is 7 to enable the University to expand its operations. 8 The second application is a 197-a 9 plan by Community Board 9, that covers the entirety 10 of its community district, including the portion 11 subject to Columbia's 197-c application. 12 Community Board 9's plan seeks to 13 revitalize the district by preserving historic 14 elements, by integrating commercial academic and 15 residential environments, encouraging the 16 development of new light manufacturing uses, and a 17 concomitant job growth in the district, and creating 18 significant amounts of affordable housing that are 19 income targeted. 20 The City Planning Commission, in its 21 review of the two applications, made certain 22 changes. For example, the CB 9 plan aims to make 23 sure that Broadway is an active pedestrian area with 24 retail and other uses that encourage public 25 movement. 12 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 In response, research buildings that 3 Columbia had planned to put on Broadway were moved 4 away from that thoroughfare and replaced with retail 5 and housing uses. 6 In addition, the Commission made 7 several changes to make the proposed campus more 8 physically open, inviting to passers-by, in order to 9 help integrate into the community, including 10 requiring the development of a public park at St. 11 Claire Place and 125th Street. 12 Also, Columbia will now under its 13 application develop its university housing along 14 Broadway. 15 Nonetheless, important differences 16 remain and we intend to examine those at the hearing 17 today. 18 Of course, there is also the issue of 19 eminent domain. Although the issue of eminent 20 domain is not strictly speaking before us today, if 21 the University's application is approved, there is 22 the possibility that eminent domain may be 23 ultimately used. 24 We will first hear today on 25 Columbia's 197-c and then we will hear from the 13 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Community Board's 197-a plan. I'm going to turn this 3 back to Chairman Avella to explain the parameters of 4 the hearing and what exactly to expect. 5 Let me just, before we go any further 6 let me just thank you all for your presence here 7 today. This says a lot to have you all right in the 8 middle of the work day here at City Hall and we 9 intend to make sure that everybody has an 10 opportunity to be heard fairly. 11 Thank you. 12 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Dan and I want to 13 make sure that everybody has an opportunity to be 14 heard today, because the whole idea of a public 15 hearing is to actually hear from the public. 16 What we will be doing is Columbia 17 will have 15 minutes to make their presentation. If 18 by that time we have quorum for Dan's Subcommittee, 19 the Community Board will then make a 15-minute 20 presentation. 21 We will then have questions from 22 Committee members, Council members, who are members 23 of the two Subcommittees. One question for a total 24 of five minutes. 25 Following that, and we will do that 14 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 for an hour and 15 minutes. If after Committee 3 members have had the opportunity to ask a question, 4 there is still time remaining in an hour and 15 5 minutes, we then allow non-Committee members, 6 Council members who are not members of either 7 Subcommittee, to ask a question for a five-minute 8 period. 9 After that hour and 15 minutes are 10 up, we will then immediately proceed to hear from 11 the public. Each of you who has ever signed up to 12 speak will have three minutes. And, again, if you 13 want to speak, you have to sign up. Fill out a 14 Speaker's slip by the Sergeant-At-Arms' 15 desk. And you really must fill out whether you are 16 in favor or in opposition. 17 It is extremely important that we 18 have an opportunity to hear from all of you. And Dan 19 and I will be here as long as it takes. We have the 20 room for as long as it takes. But, and this is a big 21 but, everybody has the right to be heard, no matter 22 which side you are on. We will absolutely not 23 tolerate kissing, booing, or applause, that tends to 24 intimidate people who are testifying. This is the 25 people's house, and we will make sure that everybody 15 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 has an opportunity to speak without any intimidation 3 from the audience. 4 And let me tell you something, if you 5 do it, I will stop the hearing. Dan and I will stop 6 the hearing. And if you do it, whether it's yelling, 7 hissing or applause, or throwing something, or 8 holding up posters, you only reflect on yourself. 9 So, let us have a true public hearing 10 where the public and everybody has an opportunity to 11 be heard. And if you want to say something, that's 12 going to be where you do it. 13 As I've said, Dan and I will be here 14 as long as it takes, to make sure that everybody is 15 heard. 16 With that, we will start with the 17 presentation of Columbia. If at the end of 18 Columbia's presentation we do not have quorum for 19 Dan's Subcommittee, we will start with questions of 20 Columbia, because until we get quorum, we cannot 21 start with that part of the presentation. We are 22 hopeful that we will get another Council member who 23 is a member of that Committee. 24 With that, I turn it over to 25 Columbia, and you may introduce yourselves and start 16 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 your presentation. 3 MR. BOLLINGER: Thank you very much. 4 Chairman Avella, Chairman Garodnick, Chairwoman 5 Katz, Members of the Committees, our own Council 6 Members Dickens, Jackson and Martinez, my name is 7 Lee Bollinger, I'm the President of Columbia. On my 8 right is Maxine Griffith, who is Executive Vice 9 President for Government and Community Relations. 10 She will, after my short introduction, take you 11 through the proposed project. On my immediate left 12 is Mayor Dinkins, who will be making a statement, of 13 course he is also a member of our community, and 14 Robert Kasdin, Senior Executive Vice President, will 15 be in charge of orchestrating, answering all 16 questions. 17 I want to begin by saying that 18 Columbia is desperate for space. I want to say 19 something about the importance of Columbia to New 20 York City. 21 I want to just say something briefly 22 about the importance of building the relationship 23 between Columbia and Upper Manhattan, but Harlem in 24 particular. And finally, I want to say something 25 very briefly, all within my five-minute period about 17 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 community benefits and our commitment to this 3 process. 4 Columbia is desperate for space. A 5 hundred years ago Columbia made a momentous decision 6 to move from Midtown up to Morningside Heights. That 7 happened just at the moment, the era, the decades in 8 which American Universities were created. And 9 through American Universities, so much of what we 10 value in American life was derived. 11 For the past couple of decades, 12 Columbia has been increasingly stretched for space. 13 We very much want to do this but it is a necessity 14 for Columbia to continue to do what it does so well. 15 And we began this process four years ago. 16 Columbia is critical to New York 17 City. I think all of us realize that in the modern 18 era, especially with globalization, that the 19 relationship between the creativity, the talent, the 20 commitments of great universities to cities is one 21 of the most important elements of the vitality of 22 cities. 23 We have great research, understanding 24 the atom, inventing radar. Just a few days ago 25 announced the discovery of the genetic basis of 18 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 breast cancer. We have great alumni, among them 3 people like David Paterson, Barack Obama, who went 4 to Columbia, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. These are 5 individuals who have been educated at Columbia, and 6 we have a great presence in New York City. 7 Columbia is the seventh largest 8 private employer in the City. Ten-thousand members 9 of our workforce live in the five boroughs of New 10 York City. Thirty percent of our workforce resides 11 in Upper Manhattan. Sixty-five thousand alumni are 12 present and living in the five boroughs of New York 13 City. 14 This is an extremely important 15 institution and its health and future depend upon 16 having the space in which to do the kinds of work 17 that we do. 18 One of the great things about this 19 process is that I think we have come to appreciate 20 more what Columbia is doing for Harlem in particular 21 and Upper Manhattan, staffing Harlem Hospital, 22 dental clinics, health clinics, outreach for 23 education, the jobs that are provided. But we want 24 to do more. 25 I want to say to you as clearly as I 19 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 can that this is a choice that we have made to try 3 to be part of the growth and development and 4 enhancement of the surrounding communities and of 5 Harlem in particular. 6 The area that we're talking about in 7 Manhattanville has been a declining area for many 8 decades and many expectation, many hopes for trying 9 to revitalize it have come and gone during that 10 period. 11 We believe that what we can do is to 12 help enormously in that revitalization. That brings 13 me finally to the community benefits. 14 We understand that housing, 15 education, the arts, health, environment, are 16 critical matters to everybody who lives in New York 17 City and everybody who lives in Upper Manhattan and 18 Harlem. And we are dedicated to trying to work with 19 the surrounding communities, and Community Board 9 20 in particular, to develop a community benefits 21 agreement that will reflect our commitments to help 22 on this. We've already committed to a $20 million 23 revolving fund that will provide, create or preserve 24 1,000 units of affordable housing, $4 million to an 25 anti-harassment fund to help tenants who may be 20 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 under threat because of landlord actions. There are 3 many other things we're prepared to do. 4 On eminent domain, let me say 5 emphatically, I have said all along we will not use 6 eminent domain against residential properties. 7 Let me close by saying this is a 8 historic opportunity. It is certainly for Columbia. 9 We hope it is for others and we will do everything 10 we can to make that so. 11 We are very proud to be in the middle 12 of the congressional district of Chairman Charlie 13 Rangel. From the beginning when I talked to Chairman 14 Rangel about this, he has been supportive and I am 15 authorized to say the Chairman is in support of this 16 project. We respectfully ask you to approve the 17 rezoning application as amended by the City Planning 18 Commission. 19 Thank you very much for listening to 20 me, and now I'd like to turn this over to Maxine 21 Griffith. 22 MS. GRIFFITH: Thank you, President 23 Bollinger. And thank you to the three chairs and the 24 members of the Committee. 25 I'm going to take you very quickly, 21 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 given the fact that time is short, through a slide 3 presentation that will delineate our plan. Before 4 that, I'd like to speak a moment about process. 5 One of the first decisions that was 6 made by the University was to hire two firms who are 7 arguably the best urban design, planning and 8 architecture firm in the world. 9 SOM's Good Morlings Merrill 10 (phonetic) represented by Marilyn Jordan Taylor, who 11 is here with us today, and Renzo Piano, Renzo Piano 12 Studios. But even hiring those great firms, they 13 didn't start from scratch. There were already a 14 number of studies that had been generated by the 15 elected officials and the residents of this 16 community. I'm actually old enough to have been 17 involved in one of them back in the late eighties 18 when the meat market moved out of this area, 19 manufacturing had already left. The elected 20 officials of the area realized that they were losing 21 good jobs, and unless development opportunities were 22 found to bring jobs back into the community, this 23 area would languish. 24 There was a study in 1988, and when I 25 went to -- when actually Mayor Dinkins appointed me 22 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 to the Planning Commission, I was hopeful that I was 3 going to have to recuse myself, because I was 4 hopeful that we would see development coming into 5 the area. That didn't happen. 6 In 1998, I was back again. I was 7 teaching at Columbia, and was more tangentially 8 involved in another planning process generated by 9 the Community Board. And, again, we were all hopeful 10 that development would come, and indeed, I believe 11 that the 197-a plan that's before you today, in part 12 was catalyzed by that second plan. 13 So, the designers who delineated the 14 plan that you will see started from a foundation of 15 those planning efforts, and also took into account 16 the concerns of a community advisory committee that 17 was also formed at the beginning of this process. 18 So with that can we have the first 19 slide? This is one image, and I mentioned this was a 20 truncated presentation so we have many images of the 21 existing conditions, but this is one image of the 22 existing condition, for those who are not familiar 23 with the site. This is 125th Street. 24 Next slide, please. This is a slide 25 that shows the full build-out. All the yellow square 23 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 areas are areas that would be built by Columbia 3 under this plan. Let me take you through a few key 4 elements. 5 First thing, a question that's always 6 asked of me: No, Fairway will not be affected, for 7 those of you who shop in that area. Tremendously 8 important. 9 Also, Dinosaur Barbecue, Floridita, 10 all the existing major retail establishments are so 11 much concern to the community. We are committed to 12 finding space for them in this development. 13 As you can see by the drawing, all 14 these streets, the existing streets remain clear and 15 unblocked and unimpeded. As a matter of fact, if you 16 were to see a plan of the existing conditions, you 17 would see that we have actually pulled buildings 18 back on the sidewalk so that the sidewalks are 19 actually wider to give a better pedestrian 20 experience going inland to the waterfront. That was 21 one of the criteria that was delineated in a number 22 of the early plans. 23 I should also mention here a concern 24 or an interest that's been asked about quite a bit, 25 and that is the fact that we are building 24 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 underground. We are looking to build a so-called 3 basement. If I mention the fact that the streets are 4 umimpeded and that we want to create pedestrian life 5 and activity, you might ask, well, where is the 6 parking, where are the loading docks? Where is the 7 mechanical systems? Where is all the stuff that 8 normally find in a big development, and that stuff 9 is now underground. 10 So, we've taken what my friends from 11 England called "all the nasty bits (sic), and we've 12 put those underground so that you can have a clear 13 and pedestrian-friendly activities above-ground. 14 We also will be putting underground, 15 if we get the approvals to do so, a lot of space 16 that doesn't need proximity to be open - lecture 17 halls, meeting rooms, et cetera. That means we can 18 build lower. By taking square footage and putting 19 it underground, we can build within the context of 20 the existing community. 21 Next slide, please. Here you see, and 22 time is short, you can see the many uses. I would 23 just point out here that this is foreseen as a 24 campus, as an integrated campus, not as a science 25 park or a lab park, but we're committed even in 25 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 phase 1 and what you see here is phase 1, to a 3 variety of uses, including the business school, 4 school of the arts, and CEPA (phonetic), the school 5 that Professor and Mayor Dinkins now teaches. 6 I also want to point out here, it's 7 hard to see, and it may be easier to see in a 8 subsequent slide, but across from the project area, 9 which is not an area that we're seeking rezoning, 10 but an area that will be part of the campus, there 11 is a public school. And that is a public school 12 we're committed, math, science and engineering high 13 school, a high school that we're committed to doing, 14 irregardless of these approvals. It's something that 15 we feel committed to, and with Councilman Jackson's 16 urging, we hope to do more in the educational arena, 17 in this area. 18 Next slide, please. Here you see the 19 first floor of Phase 1. It's as if you sliced 20 through the buildings and you've seen the first 21 floor. And what I would like to point out here is 22 the big idea, and the reasons the designers we hired 23 are as esteemed as they are; and that is the 24 question of how do you integrate a campus, a real 25 campus, with contiguous buildings that has all the 26 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 synergy you want of students being able to talk and 3 interrelate with each other, but still have a campus 4 that's open and friendly to the community. 5 And the big idea was in a way to 6 raise the campus up, so that on the first floor, 7 along the major streets, are all uses that are 8 accessible to the community. So, you have hamburger 9 joints and drycleaners, as well as 10 Columbia-sponsored activities, a discovery and 11 education center, in the Jerome Greene Center, 12 restaurants, book stores, everything along that 13 street level is accessible to the community, and 14 we've moved the classrooms and academic offices. 15 Next slide, please. 16 Here you see some of the historic 17 assets that we are preserving. There's lots of talk 18 about what we're not preserving. 19 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: If I can 20 interrupt? And I know we thought the 15 minutes 21 would be extremely optimistic, but you are almost at 22 the 15 minutes, and in the interest of fairplay to 23 the Community Board when they do their presentation, 24 I would ask that you sort of move it along a little 25 bit. 27 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 If we go over five minutes, then I'll 3 just extend the Community Board another five 4 minutes. 5 MS. GRIFFITH: Okay. 6 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: But in the 7 interest of being able for the public to hear your, 8 you know, presentation, but at the same time hear 9 from the over 90 people that have signed up to speak 10 so far. 11 MS. GRIFFITH: I hear you. 12 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Please be as 13 concise as possible. 14 MS. GRIFFITH: Next slide, please. 15 Next slide, please. 16 Here you just see some before and 17 after imagery about what we see this campus looking 18 like. This is 12th Avenue. 19 Next slide. Here you see the 20 buildings of the 12th Avenue viaduct and the 21 designers have pulled the buildings back so you can 22 encourage the street life. 23 Next slide. Here you have Floridita. 24 The back of Floridita on one side of the slide, and 25 parking lot on the other looking down to the 28 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 waterfront. 3 Next slide. And here you have again 4 an imagery of how that would look in the plan. 5 Next slide. I just want to mention, 6 environment and sustainability is a key element of 7 this plan. We are part of the Mayor's challenge, and 8 as you can see we're part of the LEED Green 9 Buildings Council. And not only do we agree to go 10 silver on all buildings, but we're part of a 11 neighborhood pilot project. 12 I would just mention here that we've 13 chosen, if we're lucky enough to get these 14 approvals, a great construction manager, but we've 15 also chosen a great firm to work with them, 16 McKissack and McKissack, a firm that is dear to my 17 heart, I've worked with them before, who are not 18 only minority construction managers, but committed 19 to minority participation. 20 Next slide. And this is the last 21 slide. Here you have an image of the open space. We 22 have a full-acre park that is planned for the center 23 of the campus, and, again, we believe this image is 24 iconic, because it shows a place that community and 25 campus can come together. 29 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Thank you for your indulgence. Thank 3 you very much. 4 MAYOR DINKINS: Honorable Council 5 members, friends, many of you know that I have 6 enjoyed the privilege of voicing my strong support 7 for Columbia's proposed expansion in Manhattanville 8 at two previous public hearings and on other, many 9 other occasions. I'm grateful for the opportunity to 10 do so before you today. 11 Some of you know me, and know that I 12 have some history of representing the Harlem 13 Morningside neighborhoods and trying to help to make 14 life better for people who live and work there. 15 I know that you on this Council share 16 common purpose in wanting to meet the needs of those 17 communities. I want you to know that I have studied 18 the University's Manhattanville proposal, and I am 19 convinced that it can and will be a good thing to 20 both the University and its Harlem neighbors. 21 The University's responsiveness 22 during this public engagement process has led to an 23 even better proposal going forward. In the early 24 1990s, when I was privileged to be Mayor of the 25 City, the City and the local community developed a 30 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 series of plans to attract responsible growth to 3 those on time industrial blocks between the Henry 4 Hudson Parkway and Broadway IRT viaduct. 5 Unfortunately, those plans didn't work out. 6 Since then, over my dozen years on 7 faculty at Columbia, I have seen firsthand how 8 essential it is to the City's future that we have 9 great urban universities as engines of not only 10 educational but economic opportunity. And I've seen 11 how today's leadership of Columbia takes very 12 seriously the fact that it is Columbia University in 13 the City of New York, and in the village of Harlem. 14 Of course, I know town-gown 15 partnerships are not always without stresses and 16 strains, and the relationship between the Harlem 17 community and Columbia University has not always 18 been good. 19 I was one of those picketing Columbia 20 back in 1960s, so I know the history and appreciate 21 the concerns that some Harlem residents may have 22 about the University. But we should give each other 23 credit where credit is due, and not lose sight of 24 just how much has changed since then and the ways in 25 which the partnership has benefitted the partners. 31 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 The hundreds of public health and 3 human service programs, the educational and cultural 4 exchanges, the workplace experiences and business 5 opportunities that are here because the University 6 and the community have worked together to make them 7 happen: 8 - from the Mailman School 9 partnerships with Geoffrey Canada's Harlem 10 Children's Zone to address childhood asthma and 11 obesity to Columbia University Medical Center's 12 staffing of Harlem Hospital. 13 - from Columbia's on-campus Double 14 Discovery Center, a program that has given 15 generations of local students a better chance to go 16 to college, to the creation of a new 17 Columbia-assisted local public school for math, 18 science and engineering. 19 - from cultural partnerships like the 20 Columbia-Harlem Jazz Project to the kind of 21 conversation on affirmative action that I was 22 privileged to moderate at the Schomburg Center this 23 spring, co-sponsored by Columbia and the NAACP Legal 24 Defense And Educational Fund. 25 - from the thousands of people who 32 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 live in the community and work at Columbia in good 3 jobs with good benefits to the millions of dollars 4 in University contracts that now go to local and 5 minority-owned businesses. 6 Of course, we're proud of the Nobel 7 Prize-winning researchers and great teachers who 8 make our City a center of knowledge and culture. But 9 the fact is that two-thirds of the people who make 10 Columbia work are the payroll administrators and lab 11 technicians, the trained electricians and master 12 carpenters, the clerical staff and dining managers. 13 A remarkable diversity of working New 14 Yorkers continue to find opportunity at places like 15 Columbia at a time when many such middle-income jobs 16 in the private sector are moving elsewhere. 17 Those are just a few of the many 18 connections that make good partners of the Harlem 19 community and Columbia. They are the kinds of 20 opportunities that I believe will grow, will only 21 grow with the 6,000 new University jobs in 22 Manhattanville. No commercial developer can 23 guarantee that. 24 I continue to see New York as "a 25 gorgeous mosaic" and believe that places like 33 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Columbia are important parts of what makes our City 3 unique. 4 If we're serious about preserving New 5 York as a place where a diversity of people can come 6 to pursue important ideas and find meaningful 7 economic opportunity, then we want to make a place 8 for Columbia to continue to be part of this 9 community, instead of taking its buildings projects, 10 and the economic opportunities that go with them, 11 somewhere else. 12 Columbia University could have no 13 better partner in this venture than the people of 14 Harlem, and it works the other way around, as well. 15 I thank you, again, for permitting me 16 this opportunity to add my words of support before 17 you today. Thank you. 18 MR. BOLLINGER: Thank you, Mayor. 19 And now whatever questions you want 20 to address, Robert Kasdin, Senior Executive Vice 21 President, will answer. 22 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Well, sometimes 23 the best laid plans, we still do not have a quorum 24 for Dan's Committee, so what we will -- we will 25 change the order of things, that the hour and 15 34 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 minutes that was going to be allotted for questions 3 of both the Community Board and Columbia will be 4 split in half. We assume by that time we will have 5 quorum for Dan's Committee. 6 So, we will take approximately 40 7 minutes of questions to Columbia, then we will go to 8 the Community Board, they will have their questions, 9 and then we will do the other 40 minutes of 10 questions. 11 So, at the end of the 40-minute 12 period, Columbia will be finished with the 13 questions. You know, we have to sometimes go with 14 the flow. 15 Joining me this morning, in addition 16 to Council members of my Committee that I already 17 announced, Council Member Seabrook and Sears and 18 Stewart. And Council Member Barron has also joined 19 us. 20 We will take questions from Committee 21 members first and we will go within that 40-minute 22 period, if time is allotted, and we have quorum, and 23 we hope we will that that time for the other 24 Committee. Then we will go to other Council members. 25 First we'll call on Council Member 35 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Robert Jackson, for the first question. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Well, first, 4 let me thank you, Tony Avella, and our colleague, 5 Dan Garodnick, both co-chairs of the Zoning and 6 Franchise Committee and the Planning and 7 Dispositions Committee, for holding this hearing. 8 And obviously you know the impact that this hearing 9 has on the community in which I represent in 10 Northern Manhattan. When I say "I," myself and Inez 11 Dickens, both as representatives of Community Board 12 9, which runs from 110th Street on the southern end, 13 to 155th Street on the most northern end. 14 And, obviously, in the process of 15 ULURP, this is one step going towards the end of 16 that process, which is expected to end in 17 mid-January of 2008. 18 But let me ask this question of 19 Columbia University, if you don't mind. Columbia 20 University, you have given your brief summary of 21 your 197-c plan here today, December 12th, 2007, in 22 front of both Subcommittees of the Land Use 23 Committee. Even though I know you did not have the 24 opportunity to fully explain the 197-c and I guess a 25 full detailed explanation would take hours, I do 36 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 know that there has been many community meetings 3 held by Columbia University, Community Board 9, the 4 West Harlem Local Development Corporation, 5 community-based organizations and many individual 6 and small meetings over the course of the past 7 several years. 8 And I know that you have heard from 9 those that agree with you and those that disagree 10 with you, but my question is this: what have you 11 done to consider the recommendations of those who 12 oppose the proposed 197-c and to foster a 13 relationship of community of consensus between the 14 academic community of Columbia University and the 15 residential community of West Harlem and the impact 16 that the expansion, if it goes forward, would have 17 on the surrounding communities of Central Harlem and 18 Hamilton Heights? 19 That's my question for you this 20 morning, since I only have one question. 21 MR. KASDIN: I will try to respond in 22 one answer, Council member. 23 My name is Robert Kasdin. I'm Senior 24 Executive Vice President of Columbia University. As 25 Council Member Jackson said, over the last four 37 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 years we've had hundreds of meetings with the 3 community. We started with a basic question of if we 4 were successful in purchasing this land, what are 5 the basic principals that are most important to the 6 community, as we would move forward? 7 Several principals emerged quickly. 8 One, no streets are to be closed. But not only are 9 they legally to be open, it's important that the 10 surrounding communities feel that the waterfront 11 park, for which they have waited so long, is 12 accessible. 13 As a result, we are committed that 14 all streets remain open. This will be an area with 15 no gates. We have taken extra setbacks on our 16 buildings, so that as people move through the area, 17 they feel welcomed. 18 We have committed, as Maxine Griffith 19 mentioned, to putting all of the back of the house 20 functions below grade so when members of the 21 community, members of Columbia move through this 22 area, it feels like a welcoming area as people move 23 to the waterfront park. 24 2) This is an area that historically 25 has been underserved with open space. The problem 38 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 goes back for decades. We have made a key part of 3 our plan the creation of open space, an acre plaza 4 in the middle of our area, open space along 125th 5 Street, and a large north/south corridor that will 6 allow the people of 3333 Broadway, the former 7 Mitchell-Lama Unit, come south, to come through the 8 area. 9 In the course of recent months, the 10 question was raised as to whether we would be 11 willing to pursue turning the Cotton Club into a 12 public park. We were asked to consider it, and 13 because we at that point felt that was consistent 14 with what we were hearing from the community, we 15 agreed we would pursue that. 16 At this point, after speaking with 17 elected officials, after speaking with the 18 community, after speaking with members of the LDC, 19 we have come to realize that's a mistake, that the 20 suggestion that we turn the Cotton Club site into a 21 park is not consistent. 22 So, here the first step was to create 23 a park, because we thought that was responsive, 24 we've now come to understand that is not responsive. 25 That is not, in fact, what the community wanted, so 39 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 that we have drawn that plan and we will be asking 3 the City Planning Commission, along with the Borough 4 President to do so. 5 So, from the very beginning the 6 underlying principles, more recently, because as, 7 Council Member Jackson, you mentioned, I've got to 8 pick examples, there are concerns with scale. 9 In the beginning, in the first plan 10 we showed we were going to have what is essentially 11 a tower, on the southwest corner of 125th Street and 12 Broadway. Very quickly, we realized the people in 13 Grant Houses became concerned about whether this 14 would be casting shadows, what the implications 15 would be for the quality of their life. That tower 16 disappeared immediately. 17 Furthermore, we made a commitment 18 that none of our buildings would be taller than 19 Manhattanville Houses or Grant Houses, or 3333. 20 Finally, a concern was articulated 21 with the scale as we moved to the northeast. So, in 22 the context of the City Planning Commission 23 deliberations, we agreed that the building that's to 24 be built on the east side of Broadway, the most 25 northern building, would be reduced dramatically in 40 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 scale, as would the building that would be built on 3 the east end of the bus depot block. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Could you 5 just respond to what are you doing with respects to 6 trying to reach a consensus with the community, 7 especially those that have expressed opposition, if 8 you don't mind finalizing that. 9 MR. KASDIN: Yes. 10 I've been advised by counsel that 11 this is not an appropriate forum to discuss non-land 12 use issues, like community benefits agreements, so 13 let me simply say that Columbia University has, and 14 is very committed, to resolving a written clear 15 community benefits agreement outside of the context 16 of the Land Use Planning. 17 One of our experiences was that 18 because historically things were not written down, 19 it led to misunderstandings. It led to people 20 remembering things differently. It is in the 21 community's interest, they have made clear, and I 22 believe in Columbia's interest, that if we're to 23 move on and continue to formulate partnerships, all 24 commitments be clearly codified. 25 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Thank you, 41 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Council Member Jackson. 3 The application also lies within 4 Council Member Inez Dickens's district, so she will 5 have the next question. 6 Then as the co-chairs of this 7 hearing, Dan and I will ask a question, and then we 8 will proceed to Council Member Katz, and then we 9 have a long list of questions beyond that. 10 Council Member Dickens. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you so 12 much, Chair. And thank you for, you and Council 13 Member Garodnick, for hosting and being a part and 14 knowing that the community has a right and 15 recognizing the community's right to come and 16 testify. 17 My question, and this is about 18 housing, what is Columbia going to do about housing 19 of their students? Because with the expansion of the 20 campus, if you were to be able to do it, that 21 possibly would increase the student body. 22 My concern is about the existing 23 housing that is affordable for the residents, and 24 whether they would be forced out of that. Or is 25 Columbia going to construct housing that would be 42 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 separate and apart that would house these students 3 so that the population that resides there now, so 4 that their families can continue to reside there, 5 would not at all be forced out. 6 MR. KASDIN: Affordable housing, the 7 sustenance, the creation of affordable housing is an 8 important, if not crucial problem across the City 9 and in Northern Manhattan. And we're following two 10 strategies to address the issue that you raised. 11 The first is, Columbia University is 12 committed to housing all of the people who will be 13 working for Columbia University who the studies have 14 said would be otherwise seeking housing in the 15 immediate area. 16 We're planning to build over 800 17 units of housing for, as you say, Columbia graduate 18 students and faculty. In the project area, we've 19 identified a place, a site on 172nd Street, where we 20 built another 200 units of graduate student housing. 21 We believe it's our responsibility to take the 22 number of people who the environmental study said 23 would otherwise be looking in the immediate area 24 around our project and provide housing in order to 25 reduce the demand in the immediate area. 43 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 We've gone further than that, 3 however. Because as this area changes, and its 4 change predates Columbia's expansion for sure, we 5 believe that it's crucially important that people in 6 the surrounding communities, who have lived there 7 through good times and bad, have an opportunity 8 stay. 9 As a result, we've committed $4 10 million on top of the programs that our law school 11 was currently doing to assist tenants, a $4 million 12 fund to fight unlawful harassment and eviction. We 13 have suggested and agreed and committed to setting 14 up and affordable housing fund and fund it with $20 15 million, which will be a revolving fund. It will be 16 supervised by people unaffiliated with Columbia 17 University, and we are told by the experts that will 18 preserve and create another 1,100 units. This is a 19 problem that we're committed and we're in discussion 20 with the Local Development Corporation as well. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Let me just 22 ask, and Chair, please? Is Columbia presently, are 23 you presently forcing families out in order to house 24 student and/or population and/or faculty? 25 MR. KASDIN: No. And let me take it a 44 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 step further. Under no conditions will Columbia 3 University seek eminent domain against any 4 residential properties. 5 There are two non-governmental 6 sponsors of affordable housing, and the City has two 7 buildings that are involved in the TIL program. 8 What we have said to the 9 non-governmental sponsors, to the City, is to tell 10 us what criteria that you would have for replacement 11 housing in the community that would give these 12 people housing that's equal to or better than the 13 housing they have now. 14 We have gone out, we have found 15 replacement sites. They are under contract. If we 16 can persuade, and we have not yet, discussions are 17 still young, the two non-governmental sponsoring 18 organizations, the TIL Tenants Associations, that by 19 moving their needs are served, as well as our own, 20 that would be a win/win. But under no condition will 21 Columbia University seek eminent domain with respect 22 to any of the residential properties. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you so 24 much. But I was not referring to eminent domain, I 25 was just referring to the fact of housing, faculty 45 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and student population, just the mere fact that you 3 were seeking additional housing would families be 4 forced out of their housing? 5 MR. KASDIN: No. No. We will not use 6 eviction to further our project. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you. 8 Thank you, Chair. 9 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Thank you. 10 I think you've seen some of the 11 public comments that I've made about your proposal, 12 and the use of eminent domain. And you know, I have 13 a philosophical issue with the use of eminent 14 domain, whether it's residential homes or private 15 businesses, when we take it to give it to another 16 private entity, in your case Columbia. 17 We're going to have to have a 18 follow-up conversation because I don't believe I've 19 heard anything that changes my mind on that issue 20 and how I vote on that issue. 21 But one question I have for you is, 22 the community board, I believe, will make a number 23 of recommendations in the community about some of 24 the properties that you have, or will obtain if this 25 goes ahead, that they'd like to seek landmark status 46 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 on. 3 Would you support the recommendation 4 of the community board and the communities in that 5 respect and work with them to get the Landmark 6 Preservation Commission to designate these 7 properties? 8 Even though I believe you've made a 9 commitment that you would restore them and keep them 10 as is, would you take that final step and go for 11 landmark status? 12 MR. KASDIN: I think your question 13 addresses a couple of buildings. We have committed 14 to preserving the Nash Building, the Studebaker 15 Building, the Prentis Building, and the interior of 16 this wonderful diner, the West Side Diner, and we 17 have worked with experts to identify what aspects of 18 these buildings are important to preserve and 19 maintain. Frankly, I need to talk to people who are 20 more expert than I am in landmark issues, but I'm 21 certainly willing to have that discussion. 22 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Well, there's a 23 difference between saying yes and willing to have 24 that discussion. 25 MR. KASDIN: No, I understand that, 47 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and I don't have the expertise to know, if I were to 3 say yes, what I'm committed to. So, we will get back 4 to you with an answer on that. 5 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Okay. 6 Council Member Garodnick. Chair 7 Garodnick. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 9 Chairman. 10 I have a couple of quick questions, 11 so I'm going to ask you to keep your responses brief 12 so I can get it in in my time, if you don't mind. 13 The first has to do with access to 14 public space. I know you have the, not insignificant 15 park in the middle, what I'm concerned about is 16 bringing people from the community into the center 17 of your area. 18 And it's a little difficult for me to 19 tell from the schematic that you put up before. It 20 looks like there is some sort of yellow 21 building-like obstacle on what is 125th Street, 22 which might act as some sort of an obstacle. I don't 23 know if it's just something which is appearing -- 24 there you go. If you go immediately west of the 25 first building on the intersection between 125th and 48 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Broadway, the little green space, it look like right 3 on 125th Street, at least on the thing that I have, 4 that it may have some sort of an obstacle there. Is 5 that just -- 6 MR. KASDIN: That's open space. 7 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: It's open. So, 8 what will you be doing to actually encourage? What 9 sort of design elements can you do to encourage 10 people to come in? What do you have in place? 11 MR. KASDIN: We have been working with 12 Community Board 9 and the Economic Development 13 Corporation on the streetscape of 125th Street. That 14 discussion has been going on for several years. We 15 really don't have a detailed design for this space 16 at this point, except committed to planting trees 17 and making it an area where people would want to 18 come and stay. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, well, 20 let me just say. 21 MR. KASDIN: No fences. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: No fences. 23 MR. KASDIN: No. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: It's extremely 25 important, obviously. 49 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MR. KASDIN: No fences. 3 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: And any 4 additional welcoming steps that can be taken, 5 because I think it's important to obviously 6 integrate this area into the rest of the community, 7 that certainly with the open public spaces is a way 8 to do that. 9 My other question is the percentage 10 of the area that is proposed to be rezoned, the 11 percentage that is today owned by Columbia is what 12 again? 13 MR. KASDIN: Just over 70 percent. 14 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Seventy 15 percent. 16 And I have heard some discussion 17 about the bathtub and the desire to build down, and 18 some have suggested in the community that perhaps 19 you should be thinking of a Rockefeller Center model 20 where you have the buildings connected through 21 corridors and other means, as opposed to say the 22 World Trade Center model where you have the full 23 bathtub. 24 I guess my question for you is, is 25 there any way for you to accomplish what you seek to 50 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 accomplish here without the use down the line of 3 eminent domain? 4 And if not, why not? 5 MR. KASDIN: Let me supplement the 6 answer I just gave. Seventy percent owned by 7 Columbia, approximately another 20 percent is owned 8 by State or the City. There are three commercial 9 property owners who own the remaining ten percent or 10 so. 11 We are committed, as Maxine Griffith 12 said, to take all of the back office functions and 13 move them below grade so that instead of having 20 14 curb cuts, all the trucks will go to a central 15 loading dock, all the parking will go below, all the 16 freight deliveries will go below. This cannot be 17 achieved without having a full contiguous basement. 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Explain to us 19 why that is the case. Why can't you do it without 20 pursing those additional problems. 21 MR. KASDIN: It's everything from the 22 engineering question to the turning radiuses for 18 23 and 20 wheelers, the actual absence of space. I have 24 slides but I'm worried that -- 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Well, if you 51 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 have one, put it up. Put it up. 3 MR. KASDIN: Why don't we keep talking 4 while they find the slide. 5 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay. My 6 question as the follow-up would be, it is not a 7 foregone conclusion that there would ever be eminent 8 domain here, so my question for you, because that's 9 not before us today, it's not an immediate matter, 10 but of course it is something that is surrounding, 11 it's a flavor of this discussion; how would Columbia 12 handle the situation, and how would your plans 13 change if there were never any eminent domain 14 against any of the existing properties that are not 15 today either owned by Columbia or in contract with 16 either MTA or Con Edison? 17 MR. KASDIN: So, let me answer both 18 parts of your question. 19 Columbia University has now 20 negotiated 37 agreements with property owners in 21 this project area, many of whom said Columbia deals 22 in bad faith, many of whom said they would never 23 talk to Columbia, many of whom have now given public 24 testimony both orally in writing, that Columbia went 25 out of its way to meet the business needs. Some 52 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 people wanted to cash out, some people wanted to 3 relocate, some people said they'd only relocate if 4 all of their employees were taken care of. Skyline 5 Windows, for example. 6 We believe that if we sit down with 7 the three remaining commercial property owners, we 8 will be able to arrive at win/win solutions in each 9 of the three cases. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay. So, 11 let's assume for a moment -- I'm going to just slip 12 it in at the buzzer -- let's assume that, you know, 13 you're not able to arrive at a negotiated solution 14 and there is never any eminent domain that is 15 granted or pursued. How will Columbia handle that 16 situation? I will leave that as my last question. 17 But I do think it's important if you have a slide 18 that could show anything that would shed light on 19 this. 20 MR. KASDIN: It's going to take 21 longer. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARDONICK: Okay. 23 MR. KASDIN: If we were not successful 24 in owning all of the property, we would only be able 25 to attain about 50 percent of our program needs, and 53 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 that would greatly diminish our opportunity to 3 remain a great university in the century. 4 We would have to take all of what 5 we're putting below grade, move it above grade. That 6 would take up about 2 million square feet of what 7 we're hoping to build, and the quality of life in 8 the surrounding, on the street level, would be 9 diminished greatly. 10 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Council Member 11 Katz. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: Thank you, Mr. 13 Chair. 14 Thank you to Columbia for your 15 testimony today. 16 I have two hopefully very quick and 17 factual questions that you will be able to answer in 18 the time allotted. 19 One is the control of the site. I'm 20 curious as to what percentage of the site Columbia 21 now controls after all the negotiations, including 22 the sites that now are controlled by MTA, Con Edison 23 and the sites that I guess you are considering using 24 eminent domain against. Keeping in mind that I have 25 to agree with the Subcommittee Chair Tony Avella 54 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 that when it comes to eminent domain, this Council 3 has looked upon it with great scrutiny in the past, 4 and will continue to look upon it with great 5 scrutiny. 6 But I'd like to know the status of 7 the negotiations of all of the businesses that you 8 have left, for eminent domain as well. So, control 9 of the site. 10 The second question, so someone can 11 be prepared, is the affordable housing component. 12 There is $20 million that Columbia is putting in 13 apparently to affordable housing, I'd like to know 14 how many units that calculation is, what the 15 community preference will be, will it only be 16 Community Board 9 and what's the AMI? 17 MR. KASDIN: Am I on? 18 We currently own or have under 19 contract approximately 70 percent of the project 20 area, three commercial property owners own 21 approximately ten percent. I don't have the exact 22 number. And the remainder is owned by City or State 23 or State agencies. 24 We are hoping to reach agreements 25 with the three remaining commercial property owners 55 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and have had a practice which has served us at times 3 well and at times ill, not to negotiate in the press 4 or publicly because we really are trying to get into 5 a win/win situation. 6 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: MTA and Con 7 Edison? 8 MR. KASDIN: Con Edison is included in 9 the 20 percent, I'm saying Con Edison is a private 10 corporation. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: Because clearly 12 if you can't get control of those sites, this 13 becomes a moot issue, right? 14 MR. KASDIN: Right. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: All right. So, 16 the other question would be the affordable housing 17 component? 18 MR. KASDIN: The affordable housing 19 component is targeted for Community Board 9. We are 20 not -- the experts who have been involved from 21 various sides looking at this fund believe that 22 conservatively 1,100 units of affordable housing 23 will be preserved or created with this fund, it will 24 be structured as a revolving fund, so that as people 25 pay it back it could be relent. It will not be run 56 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 by Columbia University. It will be administered by 3 experts in this field, Columbia is not particularly 4 good and doesn't have experience in affordable 5 housing. And it will have oversight by a board that 6 will be established by the community by elected 7 officials, still to be determined. 8 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: And the AMI? 9 MR. KASDIN: Not yet determined. That 10 will not be determined by us. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: The community 12 preference would be Board 9? 13 MR. KASDIN: Yes. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: All right, I'm 15 going to use my remaining one minute just to clarify 16 that on the advice of Council, to clarify that this 17 hearing is about the 197-a and 197-c plan. It is not 18 about the CBA. And we are here to hear testimony on 19 that and make decisions based on that. 20 MR. KASDIN: I understand completely. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: Mr. Chairs, I 22 thank you for your time. 23 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 24 Chair Katz. I'm going to take this opportunity to 25 welcome Council Member Sara Gonzalez and officially 57 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 gavel to order the Subcommittee on Planning, 3 Dispositions and Concessions, making this now a 4 formal joint hearing of Planning and Zoning 5 Subcommittees of Land Use. 6 Chairman Avella. 7 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Thank you. We 8 will still continue with this 40 minutes worth of 9 questioning and then we'll go to the Community 10 Board. 11 I have a number of Council members 12 that are signed up to speak. I am told we have 15 13 minutes left of that 40 minutes. We are cutting it 14 off at that 40 minutes. So, I ask the remaining 15 Council members not to use their full five minutes 16 so that we can get to everybody. And the one thing I 17 would say to my fellow colleagues is, we always have 18 the opportunity to call Columbia up and get a 19 question and answer. We have to hear from the public 20 and we do want to move this thing along. So, we ask 21 for everybody's cooperation. 22 Council Member Seabrook. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER SEABROOK: Thank you 24 very much, Mr. Chairman, and I don't think I will 25 take my five minutes, but I think it might take them 58 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 a little while to deal with it. 3 There is an issue and a concern that 4 I have and you've indicated it's a good issue but 5 it's not before this Committee, but it is before 6 this Committee. 7 Fifty-one percent of African-American 8 males in the City of New York is unemployed. And 9 that's catastrophic. This is going to be a major 10 development that is going to take place in this 11 City, that is of the magnitude in terms of jobs that 12 people need in this City and the community needs and 13 this City needs. 14 Our concern and my concern, and you 15 probably won't answer this question here, but I'm 16 going to say it on the record here, is that we have 17 been shut out of a construction industry in this 18 City. You are going to hire those entities within 19 this City to do this development, and they're going 20 to use the catch phrase cliche' about unions, and 21 our folks aren't getting jobs. This is private 22 development that goodwill and determination will 23 determine how best we are going to serve those who 24 are in need in this City, and I am saying to you 25 that there has to be a commitment from on top to 59 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 talk about something that's out of the box, as to 3 how we're going to hire those people who is not a 4 part of the construction trade and not a member of 5 the FBI, Family Brother and In-Law, who gets 6 employed, and they don't participate in any 7 contracts or any development. And I said this and I 8 told the Chairs that I will say this for the next 9 two years, and I'm here every time, someone coming 10 here that talks about development that don't have an 11 interest of dealing with making a dent in that 51 12 percent in an industry that Urban League has cited 13 recently that has been highlighted that has just 14 totally eliminated us, and we need to talk about 15 participation of those people in those communities 16 and also the entity that has been pointed out by the 17 Community Service Society as 51 percent that's 18 unemployed, that nobody cares about, is not doing 19 anything about an industry that comes in and say, 20 well, and under the cover, that this is a private 21 concern, and that the unions, and if the unions 22 can't hire, we're going to deal with them, too, but 23 you can deal with them because you make a contract 24 with them. And that's your duty, obligation and 25 responsibility to make this happen if you want it to 60 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 happen. 3 MR. KASDIN: Columbia University has a 4 longstanding commitment to hire 25 percent, to enter 5 into contracts on every construction job of 25 6 percent MWL. 7 Additionally, we have a commitment 8 that we have been meeting to have 40 percent of the 9 workforce on our jobs who are minority, women or 10 locals. This is a commitment we have met for years. 11 It wasn't created to get approvals. We are proud of 12 this commitment. We want to improve on this 13 commitment, because the problems of unemployment, 14 the problems you have alluded to are problems that 15 we believe are serious, and we need to have a part 16 in addressing. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER SEABROOK: Well, I 18 would hope that you would take the opportunity to 19 dust off the plan that Mayor Dinkins had for this 20 City, and have that plan implemented as a part of 21 what can take place in this City that we can 22 actually get this job done. 23 So, I'm going to be saying it, and 24 I've told you all that I'm going to say it as long 25 as I'm here for the next two years, that we've got 61 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 to deal with this issue and concern. 3 Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. 4 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: You saved one 5 minute of the five minutes. 6 We have about 11 minutes left and we 7 have a number of Council members, so I'm warning 8 everybody in 11 minutes it's getting cut off. 9 Council Member Stewart. 10 COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART: Thank you, 11 Mr. Chair. I think my question is very short. 12 Earlier someone said that you're committed to retain 13 the existing businesses. What's steps will you be 14 taking to protect these businesses? And how many 15 businesses are there right now that you are 16 protecting? 17 MR. KASDIN: Even recently when space 18 became available next to existing Floridita's, we 19 entered into an agreement with Floridita's so they 20 could expand and create a new line of business in 21 the then vacated space. 22 Having interim uses throughout the 23 development of this area is crucial, it's an 24 objective of ours. We have signed over 30 leases 25 with people who work in the area, work in buildings 62 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 that we bought, some of them never had leases, some 3 we've extended leases. Needless to say, there is 4 going to have to be relocation as we need to develop 5 the site as a building, but we want to keep as many 6 of the businesses that are vital parts of this 7 community in this project area going forward as we 8 can. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART: When you said 10 business, are you talking about the property owners, 11 or just the folks who have business in the area? 12 MS. KASDIN: It runs the ranges. The 13 businesses Maxine Griffith mentioned earlier are 14 businesses that are operating in Columbia-owned 15 buildings. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART: Thank you. 17 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Council Member 18 Vann. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: Thank you, Mr. 20 Chair. 21 Good morning. 22 My philosophy is to basically support 23 the leadership of the district within which the 24 product is under consideration. It's not always 25 reciprocal, but life is not fair. 63 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 From a Brooklyn perspective, I know 3 sometimes there is a disparity between a reality and 4 a perception. I'm curious as to what is Columbia's 5 perception of the primary issues that are being 6 espoused by the organized leadership from Harlem? 7 MR. KASDIN: Unless we were to enter 8 into discussions about our discussions with the 9 Local Development Corporation, which I think our 10 counsel -- we've been advised not to get into, I'm 11 not sure how to answer that question because that's 12 where many of the issues are being discussed. 13 MR. BOLLINGER: If I can just 14 supplement? If I could just take Robert's, all the 15 questions that he's answered on our behalf, and say 16 that they add up to, I believe, a sense that we have 17 established some trust between Columbia University 18 and the surrounding neighbors. 19 And this has been our -- 20 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: I remind 21 everybody, no hissing, no booing, no yelling out, no 22 applause. Every time that happens I will stop this 23 hearing. When you do it, it reflects on you. No 24 matter who is at the witness table, they're entitled 25 to give their testimony and their opinion. If you 64 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 want to say something, that's the appropriate place. 3 MR. BOLLINGER: And we are working and 4 we'll continue to work with the communities around 5 us to establish the mutual lives, shared lives that 6 benefit us. 7 We recognize that jobs and housing 8 are crucial, and we're doing everything we possibly 9 can to help on those fronts. 10 MR. KASDIN: That's right. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: If I understand 12 correctly, you seem to suggest that some of the 13 primary areas to be resolved is, one, a lack of 14 trust; two, housing, jobs, and some other issues 15 that you can't discuss because they're being a 16 confidentiality -- 17 MR. KASDIN: I think the issue, let me 18 refrain my answer in a way that I think we'll all 19 find acceptable. I think that, you may not agree 20 with it, but it will be acceptable in this context. 21 I think as President Bollinger said, the biggest 22 issue burning for people are jobs, education, health 23 care and housing. Those are the four issues that in 24 my experience of going round to community groups 25 over the last four years recur. 65 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: So, how does 3 your rezoning plan affect those issues? 4 MR. KASDIN: We will be creating 6,000 5 new University jobs, another thousand commercial and 6 retail jobs in the project area. At this moment, 30 7 percent of our administrative support workforce 8 lives in Northern Manhattan. We are going to find 9 ways to increase that pipeline. 10 Education. We have an extended array 11 of outreach programs that we do. We have committed 12 to a public high school for math, science and 13 engineering. 14 Housing, I think I mentioned in 15 response to an earlier question, can certainly 16 elaborate. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: And there are 18 opposition from the Harlem community around these 19 issues? 20 MR. KASDIN: Long ago I learned never 21 to characterize the views of people who disagree 22 with me, but I suspect in the course of the day they 23 will articulate it. I think it's different 24 perceptions of these issues. 25 MS. GRIFFITH: If I may, let me just 66 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 add, some of the questions that have already been 3 asked and answered around these issues are also the 4 questions that the community has asked. For 5 instance, why do you need the basement? There has 6 been a lot of concern about the area underground, 7 why we need it, what's going to happen there. That's 8 one issue I think we continue to try to address. 9 Another concern has been how open is 10 the campus really going to be to the people of 11 Harlem? We continue to say no gate. We continue to 12 say open streets, but this I think speaks to the 13 trust issue. As it is codified in this process and 14 as it is rooted in the zoning regulations, I think 15 that will be helpful in assuring the folks in 16 surrounding areas, this is not going to be a closed 17 campus, it is going to be open. 18 Another question has been 19 entrepreneurship. We keep saying that we're going to 20 have these shops on the ground floor, folks are 21 asking are they going to be for us? 22 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: Thank you. Thank 23 you very much. 24 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: We are just about 25 at the time limit. Council Member Felder, who is 67 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 actually the last member of the two committees, will 3 have the last question. And Council Member sears has 4 actually waved her opportunity for a question, and 5 in recognition of the fact that as Council members, 6 any one of us can call Columbia at any time and ask 7 them a question. 8 I apologize, but we did set the time 9 limit from the beginning. 10 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: But we have a 11 right, Tony, even if you set time limits, we have a 12 right to question. 13 We have a right to question. And I'm 14 trying to cooperate -- 15 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Council Member, 16 you remember what I said at the beginning. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: I know what 18 you said, but -- 19 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Council member, 20 will you be here -- 21 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: I didn't -- 22 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Let me finish. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: I didn't even 24 finish what I was saying. 25 I hear what you said but that doesn't 68 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 mean that's how it has to go. 3 I mean, we can ask a question. As a 4 matter of fact, I have a short little 30-second 5 statement, I won't even ask the question. I could 6 have made it by now. 7 Can I just do that real quick? 8 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: No, because 9 you're not next anyway. 10 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: All right. I 11 just want to say my little piece and I'll leave and 12 you all could ask the questions. 13 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Actually, due to 14 the consideration and courtesy of Council Member 15 Simcha Felder, he's just waived his question so you 16 can ask your question. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: Thank you. 18 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Jessica, you will 19 be the last one then. But, please, I mean we're here 20 to hear from the public, too. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: Gotch ya. 22 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: And at any time 23 we can call Columbia, but this hearing will be going 24 on for maybe six hours. These people have taken a 25 day off to come and testify. The whole purpose of a 69 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 public hearing is to hear from the public. And, 3 again, we have the opportunity to reach out to the 4 community board, and Columbia at any time, okay? 5 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: Got it. 6 Well, my question wasn't really for 7 Columbia. I wanted to make a 30-second statement to 8 the public, don't trust Columbia University. And the 9 reason being, because of the history. And we have a 10 history in Brooklyn with developers. They always 11 promise us affordable housing jobs, contracts, and 12 all of that. Be vigilant in this process. The way 13 the leanings are going right now, don't trust 14 anyone. 15 I think we should be vigilant to make 16 sure things happen and with my respects to David 17 Dinkins and my long-time friend, I want to say to 18 him that I'll still always be his friend, and I'm 19 just going to be on the other side of this one. But 20 in all due respect, I think the history has shown 21 they cannot be trusted. 22 Harlem has been gentrified and Harlem 23 is in trouble, if we continue to let developers 24 seduce us with housing and jobs, those things you 25 can get out of a 190-a plan just as well. 70 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Thank you very much. 197-a. 3 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: If you applaud, 4 then we have to allow the boos, and then, you know 5 something? We're going to have chaos. I'm not going 6 to say this again. 7 Council Member Lappin. 8 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: Thank you, Mr. 9 Chairman. I appreciate this because the response to 10 a private question and a closed door phone 11 conversation is different than a response to a 12 question in a community hearing in front of hundreds 13 of people who live in the neighborhood. 14 I wanted to ask about affordable 15 housing, the 1,100 units that are going to be either 16 created or preserved. One, this is the community 17 that's going to endure the disruption of quality of 18 life and the changes in terms of their 19 infrastructure as a result of this project. 20 I'd like to know what percentage will 21 be set aside for residents of Community Board 9. I 22 would also like to know how many you are preserving 23 versus creating? 24 MR. KASDIN: The entire fund will be 25 primarily focused on Community Board 9. The elected 71 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and community leaders of West Harlem will identify 3 who should make the decisions, it will not be 4 Columbia, as to how the money is invested over time, 5 between preserving creating, how one would preserve 6 and how one would create. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: So, 100 8 percent of the money dedicated in this fund will go 9 to affordable housing for community residents; is 10 that correct? 11 MR. KASDIN: Yes. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: My last 13 question is the public high school that you 14 mentioned, since I chair the Land Use Subcommittee, 15 that sites public schools. What size and who is 16 paying for the construction for the facility, and 17 who owned the land? 18 MR. KASDIN: We are entering into a $1 19 a year very long-term lease, I don't remember how 20 many decades, with the Department of Education. It 21 is a public school. It will be built by the school 22 building authority, School Construction Authority. 23 Columbia University has made a number of 24 commitments. Our faculty, we will work with the 25 faculty to develop curriculum. The students at that 72 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 school will be integrated wherever possible into the 3 broader life of the University. 4 Those are really the two very big 5 commitments. 6 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: Who is paying 7 to construct the school, SCA or Columbia? 8 MR. KASDIN: SCA, it is a public 9 school. 10 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: So, the City 11 of New York is going to pay to construct the school, 12 will lease the land for a dollar a year. 13 MR. KASDIN: Yes. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: Do we know 15 what size the public school will be? 16 MR. KASDIN: I think at the time it 17 was announced, it was 650 students between the 18 middle school and the high school. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: Okay. Thank 20 you, Mr. Chairman. 21 MR. KASDIN: Sure. 22 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: I want to thank 23 Columbia, and especially former Mayor Dinkins for 24 coming. I will now turn the next part of the meeting 25 over to my Co-Chair, Council Member Garodnick. 73 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. As 3 we transition, we would like to welcome the 4 Community Board up to make their presentation. So as 5 soon as we're settled here we will get started to 6 hear the presentation from Community Board 9 about 7 197-a plans. 8 And just to reiterate, we're going to 9 hear from the Community Board for 20 minutes. We're 10 going to extend their presentation time as we did 11 for Columbia an additional five minutes, and then we 12 will similarly have 40 minutes of question time for 13 the community board. 14 So, we would like to ask you to, 15 please, if you don't mind, take your seats. We'd 16 like to move this along. 17 Signal to me when you're ready. 18 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: Good morning. 19 I'm Jordi Reyes-Montblanc, Chairman 20 of Community Board 9. Technical difficulties. 21 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Wait til 22 you're set up. That's okay. We're not starting your 23 time until you're ready. 24 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Sergeant-At-Arms, 25 can we help? They seem to be having a technical 74 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 problem. 3 Don't worry, we won't take this away 4 from your 20 minutes. 5 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: Thank you. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: That looks 7 like progress. 8 Great. So, welcome, Jordi. 9 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: Now we're 10 cooking. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Go right 12 ahead. 13 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: I'm Jordi 14 Reyes-Montblanc, Chairman of Community Board 9. I 15 would like to thank the members of the City Council, 16 particularly Council Members Jackson, Dickson, 17 Avella, Katz and Garodnick, for giving us the 18 opportunity to present our 197-a plan. 19 In particularly, I would like to 20 thank our Council Members Jackson and Dickens, for 21 the over $200,000 that they provided Community Board 22 9 in order to finalize the 197-a. This have been a 23 great help to our community. 24 I would also like to take the 25 opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and support 75 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 of the staff of the Department of City Planning, in 3 particular, Betty Mackintosh and Edwin Marshall. 4 However, I must say that in the end the City 5 Planning Department and the Commission failed to 6 meet the standard objective of trying to reconcile 7 the needs of the community and those of Columbia 8 University. 9 In the time allotted us, we will 10 attempt to explain why. 11 I want to take a few seconds to 12 introduce my colleague Patricia Jones, the Board 13 197-a Plan Committee Chair, and my Co-Chair in the 14 Manhattanville Rezoning Task Force and the next 15 Chair of Community Board 9; and Ron Shiffman, 16 consultant to the Board and to the Pratt Center, 17 which assisted the community in preparing the CB 9 18 plan. 19 At this point, I would like to hand 20 over the mike to Pat. 21 MS. JONES: Good morning, and thank 22 you for this opportunity. Community District 9 is 23 comprised of three distinct, yet complimentary 24 neighborhoods - Hamilton Heights to the north, 25 Manhattanville in the center, and Morningside 76 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Heights in the South. 3 Next slide. 4 The 197-a plan was prepared in 5 consultation with residents from every part of the 6 district, local business owners, workers, as well as 7 students, faculty and staff of the various 8 institutions located in the area. 9 As was stated, while much of the 10 focus has been on 35 acres located in West 11 Manhattanville, 17 of which are to be developed by 12 Columbia, the 197-a plan expresses the collective 13 vision for development across the entire 964 acres 14 for the district. 15 A bit of history with respect to the 16 development of the 197-a. CB 9 officially started 17 its planning process in 1991, with technical 18 assistance from a Professor of Urban Planning at 19 Columbia University. 20 Over the following decade, with the 21 assistance of several consultants, and the Manhattan 22 Borough President's Office, a comprehensive draft 23 plan was produced. 24 After feedback from the Department of 25 City Planning, the Board began work to revise and 77 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 update the plan in 2003, with the assistance of 3 planners from the Pratt Center and their 4 consultants. Three months into the development of 5 the updated plan, Columbia announced its intention 6 to expand into Manhattanville. As such, the 197-a 7 plan recommendations were framed with an eye towards 8 accommodating such expansion. In 2005, after close 9 to 200 public meetings and forums to help inform the 10 plan's recommendations, CB 9 voted unanimously to 11 approve submission to City Planning. 12 In October '05, the City Planning 13 Commission voted unanimously that the plan met 14 threshold review for sound planning policy. 15 Through the dissemination of over 16 50,000 newsletters and posting on both the CB 9 and 17 Pratt websites, the plan has been widely circulated 18 to the public. 19 In July '07, after a public hearing 20 attended by over 350 area residents representing 21 every corner of the district, and after 52 people 22 spoke, all in favor of the plan, the ULURP Committee 23 of the Board voted unanimously to approve it. The 24 full Board of CB 9 also voted unanimously in support 25 of the plan in August '07. 78 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 It should be pointed out that while 3 the 197-a met the threshold review standards in 4 October 2005, the plan was held up for public review 5 until June of this year when Columbia's 197-c 6 application was certified and deemed ready for 7 ULURP. 8 The underlying goals of the 9 community's plans are to maintain the community's 10 identity. We can allow for future growth without 11 destruction of the existing and historic community 12 character, to build on the strong, social, economic 13 and cultural base of West Harlem, to develop a 14 sustainable agenda that would recognize, reinforce 15 and reinvigorate this ethnically and culturally 16 diverse community. We also envision diversity in 17 terms of the drivers of the district's economy. 18 In addition, the plan seeks to 19 address creation of conditions to generate good jobs 20 for our residents, provision of housing and services 21 that are affordable to the community, and achieving 22 future development without displacement of existing 23 residents. 24 We sought to develop a plan that is 25 also environmentally sustainable, proposing many of 79 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the elements of PlaNYC 2030, years before the Mayor 3 announced his groundbreaking plan. 4 In preparation of the plan, we were 5 also aware of the needs of area institutions to 6 expand. On the slides, you see the key elements of 7 an academic mixed use model, which is Columbia's 8 selection for an institution's expansion. Single 9 ownership, an environment where community members 10 are guests, exclusivity, unified architecture and 11 streetscape, mixed institutional functions and real 12 or perceived barriers to entry. 13 However, the community board also 14 acknowledged the needs of the community and sought 15 to reconcile the two. 16 We felt that it was possible for 17 Columbia to meet some of its space needs while 18 expanding into the community, primarily on its own 19 land, rather than transforming the community into 20 the institution. 21 The issue was never whether or not 22 Columbia should expand, but how they chose to 23 expand. 24 After some analysis and discussion, 25 we opted for a mixed use, mixed ownership model. If 80 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 a large institution needed additional space, they 3 could adopt the approach of others, such as NYU and 4 the new school who weave their academic buildings 5 into their adjoining neighborhoods. 6 Although these approaches are not 7 without conflict, the benefits can include, 8 inclusivity of all residents, a variety of 9 architectural urban streetscapes, mixing old and new 10 with a variety of scales, as individual owners make 11 individual decisions, on a more dynamic urban 12 context, thereby reducing adverse impacts of 13 expansion. 14 Notwithstanding the Community Board's 15 attempt to make changes to its plan to better 16 accommodate Columbia's stated expansion needs, the 17 decision was made to favor the Columbia academic 18 mixed use model resulting in significant 19 modification for the 197-a. 20 The plan, as now modified, destroyed 21 much of the essence of the original plan. The 22 central business district of CB 9 will be lost. 23 1,500 local jobs held by local residents lost. 24 Potential for expansion of industrial jobs sorely 25 diminished, loss of affordable housing incentives, 81 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and the loss of the value of City property below 3 grade. 4 As such, Community Board 9 challenges 5 the City Council to help us meet the need for 6 long-term affordable housing for our residents based 7 on affordability defined by CB 9 median incomes. An 8 appropriate starting point would be to reinstate 9 voluntary inclusionary zone recommendations to the 10 197-a plan. 11 In addition, voluntary inclusionary 12 zoning should be included in Columbia Club District 13 C and subdistrict other area east of Broadway as a 14 start toward a more comprehensive solution to the 15 issue of affordable housing based on the needs of CB 16 9 residents. 17 The modified 197-a plan calls for the 18 "preservation of historic resources, as have been 19 designated for landmark or historic district 20 designation status." 21 Our plan should look to the future, 22 which is why we called for the expansion of 23 landmarks and historic district designations that 24 can also serve as a catalyst for new and continued 25 development of the highest architectural and 82 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 construction quality across the district. 3 We identified over 50 potential 4 designations. We would start with those listed on 5 this slide. 6 In the interest of environmental 7 justice for a community with an overabundance of 8 environmentally threatening facilities, we would 9 like to see reinstatement of the recognition that 10 the Amsterdam Avenue Municipal Diesel Bus Depot be 11 studied for conversion for a mixed use facility. 12 Modifications have also removed an 13 extremely important 197-a plan recommendation, 14 reflecting the Board's strong opposition to the use 15 of eminent domain for conveyance of private property 16 to a private party. 17 As such, we seek at a bare minimum an 18 unambiguous and strong statement from the Council 19 opposing such abuse. 20 Further, we cannot support the 21 disposal of City-owned property, including 22 below-grade property, that bypasses the ULURP 23 process, which is meant to include appropriate 24 economic and environmental justice analyses. 25 With regard to the New Amsterdam 83 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 mixed use district known as Subdistrict 3 in the 3 197-a plan, while City Planning plans to include 4 consideration of our recommendations for rezoning, 5 in conjunction with a future rezoning study, we at 6 CB 9 recommend inclusion of this special district in 7 the 125th Street rezoning action currently in ULURP. 8 Such action is consistent with the 9 Board's resolution passed on December 5th. 10 CB 9 is looking at the development of 11 a significant community facility in the middle of 12 our community. At a minimum, the new campus and its 13 resources should be open to the community, 14 meaningful commitments to local residents and 15 businesses must be made and significant action 16 beyond mitigations identified must be achieved. 17 At this point I'd like to turn the 18 close over to the Chair of CB 9. 19 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: CB 9 is looking 20 for the development of a significant community 21 facility. In summary, we would appropriate to end 22 our presentation with a resolution passed by the 23 Board in August 2007 in opposition to the Columbia 24 University 197-c rezoning application, which stated: 25 Whereas: Manhattan Community Board 9, 84 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CB 9, has developed a comprehensive plan for 3 Community District 9, under Section 197-a of the New 4 York City Charter, including the Manhattanville area 5 that is the subject of Columbia University's 6 proposal 197-c Rezoning Action and Academic Mixed 7 Use Development Plan; and 8 Whereas: Columbia's 197-c proposal is 9 not consistent with the goals, objectives and 10 recommendations set forth in CB 9's 197-a plan; and 11 Whereas: Columbia's 197-c proposal 12 would lead to the displacement of CB 9's low-, 13 moderate- and middle-income African-American and 14 Hispanic residents, resulting in significant and 15 adverse impact on the community, among other 16 significant and adverse impacts; and 17 Whereas: The viability of Columbia 18 proposed seven-story contiguous upgrade construction 19 is in serious question, due to the risk of storm, 20 seismic events and other environmental threats; 21 Whereas: The majority of historic 22 properties identified in CB 9 plan are not afforded 23 historic landmark protection under Columbia's 197-c; 24 and 25 Whereas: The neighborhood dynamics 85 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 richly lay a historic, ethnic and cultural character 3 that would be preserved under the 197-a plan would 4 be eliminated under Columbia's 197-c proposals; and 5 Whereas: CB 9 is an environmental 6 justice community due to the existing high level of 7 environmental burdens in the area; and 8 Whereas: The questionable use of 9 eminent domain, demolition and fire will exist in 10 building massive earth removal requiring over 98,000 11 trucks, displacement of low- and moderate-income 12 residents, particularly people of color, development 13 of two power plants and relocation of the bus 14 terminal below grade and New York City Office of 15 Emergency Management and so on (sic), high density 16 development of the equivalent FAR of 9 in an area 17 where context FAR 6, disregard the flood and seismic 18 conditions and hydrostatic pressure through the 19 bedrock and non-participatory planning all argue 20 against Columbia proposed Academic Mixed Use 21 development plan being socioeconomically and 22 environmental sustainable; and 23 Whereas: Columbia has not entered 24 into a respectful good faith collaboration with the 25 community in development of this proposal and 86 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 evaluation, and alternative development scenario 3 under the 197-a plan; and 4 Whereas: CB 9 welcomes Columbia into 5 the community as part of a sustainable mixed use, 6 mixed academic development scenario that includes 7 commercial, environmental, academic and residential 8 uses, is compatible with the existing neighborhood 9 character, avoids residential and business 10 displacement, provides a diverse and wide range of 11 employment opportunities for local residents and 12 promotes the development of affordable housing as 13 set forth in the 197-a plan. 14 Whereas: Public hearing was conducted 15 by Community Board 9 on August 15, 2007 to solicit 16 public testimony on the Columbia proposed 197-c 17 rezoning action and academic mixed use development 18 plan; and 19 Whereas, such public testimony 20 opposed by an overwhelming margin, opposed 197-c 21 rezoning action and Academic mixed use plan in its 22 current form; and 23 Whereas: The ULURP committee of 24 Community Board 9 voted to oppose by a vote of 17 to 25 1, 0, Columbia proposed 197-c action and Academic 87 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Mixed Use Plan in its current and immediately after 3 the public hearing; now, therefore 4 Be it resolved, that Community Board 5 9 vote to oppose Columbia's proposed rezoning and 6 Academic Mixed Use Plan, unless Columbia agrees to: 7 1) Withdraw the proposal on eminent 8 domain; cease the use of threat of eminent domain to 9 intimidate owners to sell; and abandon the process 10 of imposing gag orders on those that have entered 11 into an agreement to sell. 12 Withdraw the propose to build 13 seven-story below grade structure, and to request to 14 build under the City street, and convey the area 15 below grade to the University. 16 3) Build only the property owned by 17 the University and obtained through negotiations 18 with the owners without coercion and without the 19 threat of eminent domain. 20 4) Guarantee that all housing 21 developed directly by Columbia as a result of 22 proposed actions would meet the inclusionary housing 23 requirements of the 197-a plan, and that in all 24 Columbia development and owned housing, an equal 25 amount of housing for the University and the 88 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 community would be created both on-site and 3 off-site, and that no direct displacement would 4 occur in the 17 acres area. 5 5) Columbia must immediately develop 6 and hereafter permanently implement and carry out an 7 effective housing anti-displacement program, commit 8 not by itself or through any affiliates to purchase 9 or lease or net lease any residential units in CB 9 10 above 125th Street, and provide sufficient 11 additional housing in areas outside CB 9 to house 12 all of the students and employees expected to use 13 the proposed campus, and further, not interfere with 14 the transfer of the units from HPD to the residents, 15 and those units are previously agreed to by the 16 City. 17 6) Pursue State and National listing 18 for any properties within the proposed mixed use 19 development area found eligible by New York State 20 Historic Preservation Office and not oppose LPC 21 landmarking designation of any site therein. Also, 22 preserve buildings of historic and cultural 23 character throughout the proposed special 24 Manhattanville mixed use zoning district and in CB 9 25 as a whole as listed in the 197-a plan. 89 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 7) Not build pollution emitting power 3 sources -- 4 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Jordi, we're 5 on your last minute and a half, just so you know. 6 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: I'm almost done. 7 Such as power plants and cogeneration 8 facilities or research facilities above bio safety 9 level 2, or other noxious installations that 10 contribute to the already high environmental burdens 11 of this community. 12 Engage in sustainable design and 13 construction practices that result in LEED Platinum 14 designations by US Green Buildings rating system 15 prior to the commencement of construction. 16 9) Engage in good faith negotiation 17 with CB 9 to achieve the mutually beneficial land 18 use compromise that would permit the construction of 19 Academic facilities needed by Columbia on properties 20 owned by the University through technical amendments 21 to the 197-a plan in a manner that is consistent 22 with the underlying principles and goals of the 23 197-a; and 24 10), otherwise meet the goals and 25 objectives outlined in the 197-a plan, included but 90 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 not limited to, mitigating all direct and indirect 3 adverse impact with respect to job creation for 4 local residents, economic development, socioeconomic 5 conditions, environmental protection and sustainable 6 development, public transit, neighborhood character, 7 public open space and other impact areas as 8 delineated in CB 9's 197-a plan. 9 Thank you. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 11 much. 12 Before we move to questions, I wanted 13 to do two things. First, I wanted to recognize we've 14 been joined by Council Members Joel Rivera and Vince 15 Ignizio, and I wanted to just make a statement about 16 the complexity of the 197-a procedure and how much 17 work goes into this. This is in the two years that 18 I've chaired the Planning Subcommittee of Land Use, 19 this is only the second one that has made it to this 20 point, so I want to congratulate you, of course Pat 21 Jones, for all of your hard work, and, of course, 22 your local Council members for supporting you in 23 this effort, because it is extraordinarily 24 difficult. It's a very hard thing to accomplish and 25 I want to congratulate you for that. 91 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Let me turn first to Council Member 3 Jackson for questions, and, again, we're going to be 4 on the time frame of 40 minutes, so we just ask our 5 colleagues to limit themselves to be on the clock 6 for five minutes. Thanks. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Well, let me 8 just thanks the Community Board 9 leadership, Jodi 9 Reyes-Montblanc, and Pat Jones, for coming in, 10 representing Community Board 9, and its total of 50 11 members of the community that either live in and/or 12 work in the geographical area of Community Board 9, 13 from 110th Street to 155th Street. 14 I must say that under your 15 leadership, Jordi, and under Pat's leadership with 16 respects to not only as a member of the Board, but 17 also wearing another hat as the Chair or leader of 18 the West Harlem Local Development Corp, you guys are 19 doing a yeoman's job. I have told Pat that she is a 20 hero, considering that the number, the thousands of 21 hours that she has put in in order to try to bring 22 about a relationship between Columbia University and 23 a community that we all can be proud of, and that I 24 just, I think the entire community owes her so much 25 gratitude and thanks that will last a lifetime. Let 92 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 me just tell you that, as far as I'm concerned. 3 But I do have a question, or one or 4 two questions within the five minutes that I have, 5 and, one, you, both of you sat through and heard 6 Columbia University's presentation, and their 7 responses to questions from Council members, and one 8 of the things that I would like to ask, if I was 9 asking them, and I'm asking you because the 10 Community Board is clearly a partner in this 11 particular matter, is how is Community Board 9, 12 and/or, in your opinion, how is Columbia University 13 attempting to sink the 197-c and 197-a so it is one 14 document or one agreement that everyone can live 15 with? That's one question that I have with respects 16 to. 17 And number two, as far as, you talked 18 about voluntary inclusionary zoning for affordable 19 housing, and you heard Columbia University respond 20 to that there is a $20 million revolving fund that 21 they have agreed to. My understanding, that's not 22 what an agreement with the community has been, and 23 that 1,100 units of affordable housing, either new 24 construction and/or preservation, is that the number 25 that was agreed to by the community, as far as 93 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Community Board 9, and/or the West Harlem LDC? 3 So, what recommendations do you have 4 for us to consider some issues concerning voluntary 5 inclusionary zoning for affordable housing within 6 Community Board 9, and the impact it will have, not 7 only on Board 9, but also the surrounding boards. 8 And then, more specifically, about the landmarking, 9 do you have any specific recommendations about 10 preservation of buildings, other than the one you 11 cited up there, as far as landmark status? 12 So, those are several questions 13 within one. 14 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: Thank you, 15 Robert. Thank you for the accolades. The fact is 16 that I don't like to take credit what is not due. 17 And anything that has been accomplished during my 18 four years as Chair of Community Board 9 has been 19 accomplished because of people like Pat Jones 20 putting in and innumerable number of hours and hard 21 work into the effort, and Walter South and all the 22 chairs of our committees and so forth. It has not 23 been a one-man type of job. I get too much press 24 sometimes. 25 To address your question, the 94 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 question of what are we doing in regards to 3 reconciling the two plans with Columbia University, 4 this is where we mentioned before a failure from 5 City Planning. 6 We had the expectation that some time 7 during this period we were going to have certain 8 discrepancies within Columbia University and us, and 9 that we would sit down with City Planning and work 10 them out. 11 We have tried on, I don't know how 12 many occasions, maybe Pat has a better memory than I 13 do, but we have tried several times with City 14 Planning to do exactly that and we have been 15 rebuffed every time. 16 So, we really have never, other than 17 a period that we had that we sat with Columbia, and 18 actually Columbia had a number of people sit with 19 our people and go identify every area where there 20 was coincidence or diverse, or a diversion in the 21 plan. And we did that. That was done. That was done 22 in a collaborative effort between Columbia 23 University and the Community Board. But we could 24 never get past that point because of the expectation 25 that we had, I don't know whether Columbia had the 95 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 same expectation or not, but we had the expectation, 3 that we were going to sit with City Planning and 4 work out, hatch out the differences, and we never 5 did. 6 What was the other question? 7 MS. JONES: Voluntary inclusionary 8 zoning. 9 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: The voluntary 10 inclusionary zoning that Columbia is proposing, we 11 would like to see it as part of our 197-a. It's a 12 recommendation that a community has demonstrated for 13 four years the interest that this be looked at, and 14 be considered by any future developers. And if it is 15 not in the 197-a as a recommendation, then nobody is 16 going to look at it in the future. 17 So, we really ask this body to 18 consider the reinstatement of that recommendation in 19 the plan. 20 MR. SHIFFMAN: Let me address the 21 issue of the $20 million. I think that much has been 22 said about it. If you divide that by 1,100 units, 23 it's $18,000 per unit. Anyone who knows that level 24 of subsidy, that is not New York City that will 25 produce that level of subsidy, particularly if it's 96 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 a revolving loan fund. Housing affordability in New 3 York City is a multiplier of that by almost ten, so 4 that the number of 1,100, if it's to make any sense, 5 must be at an AMI that far exceeds the ability of 6 residents of Community Board 9 to afford. 7 So, any housing trust fund that's 8 established has to be considerably larger than $20 9 million to be effective in this community district. 10 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: And the 11 expectation that I personally have been expressing 12 quite a number of times is that there should be an 13 amount that can be leveraged to between 500 and 700 14 million dollars, in order to begin to address the 15 housing shortages in our community. 16 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 17 much. Let me interject with a couple of quick 18 questions, and you can start my time, too. 19 The first one I have for you all is, 20 the 197-a plan proposes separate special mixed use 21 districts for Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues. If you 22 could just flesh out a little bit what the 23 differences are between those two mixed use 24 districts as the 197-a would anticipate? 25 MS. JONES: Those two special 97 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 districts before modification, one is obviously just 3 location. The Special Amsterdam District is located 4 east of Amsterdam Avenue, between Amsterdam and 5 Convent, it's north of 125th Street. The goal there 6 is to encourage a balance of mixed uses, commercial, 7 residential, and we envision that sort of like an 8 arts center with the possibility of loft-type 9 arrangements. 10 It differs from the Broadway Special 11 Purpose District, in that the Broadway District 12 contemplated academic uses. However, academic uses 13 co-exist (sic) with commercial, industrial, retail 14 and residential. 15 CHAIRPERSON GARDONICK: Thank you. 16 One other point that you made in the 17 presentation was, among the challenges to the City 18 Council, was the environmental point about 19 converting the Amsterdam Avenue Municipal Diesel Bus 20 Depot. If you can say a little bit more about what 21 exactly the goal and desire is there, convert it to 22 what? What exactly are you suggesting. 23 MS. JONES: The goal there, clearly we 24 are a community district that is environmentally 25 challenged and dare say assaulted with the number of 98 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 facilities in our district. With regard to the 3 Amsterdam Bus Depot, it is now used more, I guess 4 they call it storage, although buses do move in and 5 do move out on a daily basis, what we'd like to see 6 is that it be permanently closed as a bus depot and 7 appropriate environmental studies and such performed 8 to determine whether or not this could be a mixed 9 use facility, whether it could be for commercial 10 use, could it be used as a school? Just really as a 11 rigorous study to determine alternative sources for 12 that site. 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 14 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: Just a 15 clarification. I just happened, and obviously Pat is 16 not aware of it, but the depot is being reactivated? 17 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: The depot is 18 being reactivated? 19 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: It's being 20 reactivated. There is construction going on in 21 another depot, and that facility is being moved, 22 supposedly temporarily, to the Amsterdam depot. 23 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: This is, just 24 to be clear, we're talking about the same depot that 25 Columbia University has put in their -- 99 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: No. 3 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: It's not. This 4 is a separate facility. 5 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: This is the 6 Amsterdam Depot. The other one is the Manhattan 7 building. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, got it. 9 MR. SHIFFMAN: There are two depots in 10 the area. The other issue is, if this is not reused, 11 then during the construction period that Columbia 12 University is going to be building their sub, their 13 below-grade facility, they'll probably move the MTA 14 bus facility that is now on 12th Avenue into this, 15 the interim use of this site will probably be for a 16 decade or more. 17 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: The last 18 question for you all is, again on that subject, you 19 brought it up, the subject of eminent domain, I 20 asked this question of Columbia University as well, 21 which is, whether you believe that Columbia's 22 proposal could accommodate the existing businesses 23 that are there without the use of eminent domain and 24 how they might be able to do that, so if you could 25 just address that issue as well. 100 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: I think that I 3 have said on numerous occasion that eminent domain 4 is a no. That Columbia can have 17 acres, any 17 5 acres out of our 964 that they're able to purchase 6 through negotiated efforts, but not one square inch 7 through eminent domain. 8 I think that that reflects the 9 feeling of the community at large. 10 MR. SHIFFMAN: Columbia University has 11 hired some of the most talented urban designers and 12 architects to work on this project. If they can't 13 figure out how to X out the additional sites that 14 are now, that don't want it, and aren't ready to go 15 into an arm's length deal with Columbia University, 16 I'd really be surprised. 17 I think the creativity is there and 18 the ability is there if they want to do that. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, thank 20 you very much. 21 I'm now going to turn to Chairman 22 Avella for questions, and then we have a couple of 23 other colleagues. 24 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: I'm actually not 25 going to ask a question, because, again, I could 101 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 probably call you at any time and ask questions. 3 But I do have a general statement. 4 First of all, I want to congratulate you on the 5 197-a plan. I know it's been many, many years to put 6 this together and you've done a great job. It just 7 is a shame that once we get to this point and 8 approve it, and I know we will, that the City 9 doesn't follow it, that it's only advisory. 10 Rest assured that I stand with you 11 and the community on this issue. I've always felt 12 that even though institutions like Columbia, NYU and 13 the major hospitals and other community facilities 14 provide an important service, they should not be 15 allowed to destroy the very fabric of the community 16 they're supposed to be serving. 17 When I say no applause, that includes 18 me, too. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Yes, even for 20 Chairman Avella. So, thank you. 21 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: So, I think the 22 recommendations you've come up with are excellent, 23 and I stand with you. And I'm not going to vote for 24 the Columbia Plan unless they address your concerns 25 and do away with any sort of eminent domain. 102 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 3 Chairman Avella. 4 Please, folks. 5 We're going to have questions from 6 Chair Katz, and then I will follow-up with a couple 7 more myself. 8 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: Just very 9 quickly. Can you, I was just having this discussion 10 with Council Member Jackson and asking him, can you 11 just go over the landmarking issues and what the 12 status is of preserving some of the properties that 13 make up the fabric of the area up there and what 14 your position is on that, and what the status is of 15 the conversations that you had, either with the 16 agencies or with Columbia, regarding those? 17 MS. JONES: From an overall 18 perspective in the unmodified 197-a plan, we 19 identified over 50 sites for study with a view 20 toward designation. 21 We have a very rigorous, dare say 22 intense Parks and Landmarks Committee at Community 23 Board 9 extremely active and extremely concerned 24 about the preservation of our historic, as well as 25 cultural resources. 103 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 The original plan, as I indicated, 3 set forth those areas that we felt, whether it be a 4 structure or whether it be potential historic 5 district that should be studied. 6 As I indicated in my earlier remarks, 7 the current version of the 197-a that you're being 8 asked to consider has replaced those specific 9 locations with wording that says preservation up, 10 essentially designated landmarks and historic 11 districts, which would arguably state that there 12 leaves no room for future consideration, which is 13 the first objection. 14 We would like to see the 15 reinstatement of all of those sites in the 197-a 16 approval. 17 To cite just as an example, one of 18 the locations that we identified in the slide, which 19 was Colvent Gardens Apartments. Why Colvent Gardens 20 Apartments as a priority? These apartments are 21 currently being considered for designation as a 22 historic district by Landmarks Preservation 23 Commission. 24 These properties have been found 25 eligible for listing on the State and national 104 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 registers of historic places. LPC began its review 3 of 41 Convent Avenue as a result of CB 9's 4 nomination in 1991. And subsequently expanded its 5 scope to the entire Convent Garden -- Colvent, 6 sorry, Garden Apartments in 2001. So, we feel that 7 is an instance where a very high priority should be 8 given. 9 With regard to properties that 10 Columbia owns or properties that rest in the 11 footprint, notably Sheffield Farms is the one that 12 we've highlighted, for those properties that 13 Columbia owns, they are significant in terms of 14 nature, in terms of the nature of the property 15 itself. We can look at architecture, we could look 16 at historical significance. We do not trust that a 17 commitment to preserve a property, views change, 18 potential uses change, administrations change, so we 19 feel that it is best that official designation take 20 place. 21 With regard to Sheffield Farms, 22 although Columbia does not own it, it clearly is a 23 property that has an enormous and very meaningful 24 history with regard to Manhattanville, regardless of 25 ownership it should be landmarked. 105 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: My understanding 3 of the present status of that is right now those 4 properties that are in the footprint of Columbia, 5 all you have really is an agreement by Columbia to 6 preserve it. There is no agency landmarking and all 7 that. 8 MS. JONES: I'm not sure if you would 9 call it an agreement or I'm not sure if it passes 10 the test of a gentleman's agreement. 11 MR. SHIFFMAN: In reality, the 12 Sheffield Farm Stable, which they seem to acquire 13 through eminent domain, which is on the national and 14 State registry, would be demolished under Columbia's 15 plan. So, they do plan to demolish that building, 16 and it's one of the statements that they make in 17 their EIS, that they can't, while it's significant, 18 they can't mitigate it, and so as a result they plan 19 to demolish it. 20 CHAIRPERSON KATZ: All right. Thank 21 you. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 23 Chair Katz. 24 We're going to move in a moment to 25 Council Member Dickens. Before we do, I just want to 106 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 say that we are going to move after this panel to 3 the public session, and as you heard before, there 4 are 90 some odd people waiting to testify. 5 We also understand that there is a 6 group of disabled residents of the neighborhood who 7 have come down and have to be back on a bus at 1:00. 8 So, we're going to ask them to identify themselves, 9 the gentleman who is waving over there, just so we 10 know who you are. 11 But before we do that, Council Member 12 Dickens. 13 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you so 14 much, Chair, and I, too, want to commend Jordi and 15 the Community Board 9 and Ms. Jones for the many, 16 many, many hours that you have put in, the love that 17 you have shown for the community, and the devotion 18 to protect the community. 19 I also want to commend you for 20 fighting to preserve the residential apartments, 21 that they would be protected against eminent domain, 22 because that is primarily my concern is about 23 eminent domain being used against residential. 24 That's because tenants do not have the opportunity 25 nor the wherewithal to hire attorneys, or to have 107 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 lobbyists to protect them, and it is the obligation 3 of the City to protect the residentials, and so I 4 commend you for protecting them to see to it that 5 they can remain in their homes, and in order to see 6 to it that we do have affordability based upon the 7 area median income. 8 I have lived in a home with my 9 grandmother where eminent domain was used in a home, 10 not in a commercial, and it was very difficult, we 11 had to relocate to an apartment where my grandmother 12 and I had to share one bedroom. So, it's very, very 13 difficult for residential. And, so, I commend you, 14 because that's where my priorities lie, with the 15 residential portion of it, so I just wanted to say 16 thank you. 17 MR. SHIFFMAN: I think one has to be 18 concerned, and I think your point is very well taken 19 that the tenants should be spoken to. Some of us 20 fear that it is the housing companies and the City 21 that's negotiating on behalf of the tenants rather 22 than the direct involvement of the tenants who 23 reside there. So, with your help and others, I think 24 it's critically important to make sure there's a 25 consent of each and every one of the tenants before 108 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 they're moved out, that it not be third-parties who 3 agree to their moving out. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you so 5 much. I'm not as concerned about the commercial, 6 I'll admit it, I'm not. But I am for the 7 residential, for the apartment dwellers, and the 8 families that live there, because they're the ones 9 that make up the community. So, thank you for that 10 hard work. 11 Thank you, Chair. 12 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: Absolutely. 13 Our position has been that we will 14 back whatever position the tenants take. If they are 15 made a tremendously good offer, and they decide to 16 take it, we will support that. If they are made the 17 same tremendously good offer and they refuse it, we 18 will stand with them. We know we can count on you. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Well, thank 20 you, Jordi. 21 I also am very happy to say that 22 Columbia agreed to that, to see to it that they 23 would not use it against the residential. So, thank 24 you. 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 109 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 much. 3 That concludes the questions that we 4 have from Council members. So, we thank you for your 5 presentation, and for being here today, of course, 6 and for all of your hard work. We are going to now 7 move to the public session and we are going to 8 invite our first panel up in a moment. So, thank 9 you. 10 MR. REYES-MONTBLANC: Thank you. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: And what we 12 will do is, we're going to be alternating panels. 13 We're going to o a panel in opposition, followed by 14 a panel in favor and just continue that process. You 15 know there are a lot of people who are here to 16 testify, we're setting the clock at three minutes. 17 We're asking you to try to bring it under, if you 18 can. But let me just call the first panel, Miss Nome 19 Grey, Dr. Gholson and Gloria Allen and Walter South. 20 So, if you all could come up and have a seat, we 21 will get started. 22 Okay, we should have four people. 23 Gloria Allen, Nome Grey, Dr. Gholson and Walter 24 South. Okay, there they are. Great. 25 Why don't we start from this side 110 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 over here, if you can identify yourself and go ahead 3 and get started and welcome to the City Council. You 4 should hit the button on the microphone. 5 MS. GREY: Good afternoon. My name is 6 Noma Grey, and I'm a resident of West Harlem and 7 have been since 1976. As a parent and a community 8 volunteer, and living in a building that within the 9 last two years, and the exact address is 3333 10 Broadway, has radically changed. My concerns are two 11 things: Simply where people with moderate to low 12 incomes, fixed incomes will live as these changes 13 occur. 14 My other concern is for those of us 15 who have children and grandchildren who have lived 16 and worked and truly acquired valuable relationships 17 with the community, that this plan will displace us. 18 And at that time where will we go? And who will 19 answer? Because I don't see families coming up. I 20 see a lot of things that simply don't put employment 21 in our community. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 23 much. As soon as you're ready. 24 MS. ALLEN: Hi. My name is Gloria 25 Allen, and I'm a First Vice President of General 111 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Grant Residents Association. I've been living in the 3 area since 1965. I'm also a member of the 4 Morningside Heights West Harlem Sanitation 5 Coalition. 6 I'm concerned that Columbia's 7 Expansion Plan will have an effect on my community - 8 jobs, housing, environment, public safety, public 9 health, transportation, schools, and the 10 neighborhood character. 11 The Columbia University expansion 12 will far impact on the community, they will destroy 13 the historical character, the housing, schools and 14 jobs, displacement of residents and the environment. 15 As a result, I'm asking that Columbia 16 take a close look at how it plans, how its plans 17 would disrupt our life and the lives of the 18 residents and businesses in this community. And I am 19 asking that they identify ways to eliminate those 20 impacts on the community. I'm suggesting that the 21 University do the following to reduce the impact on 22 the community. 23 The biotech lab. This takes great 24 consideration. In that area there is a fault there, 25 and I'm sure there would be a very dangerous 112 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 situation for them to dig, in other words have the 3 tub effect (sic). 4 The eminent domain. They should 5 soften their ways on the eminent domain and public 6 health. 7 I am part of the Manhattanville 8 environment and given the public's interest at stake 9 and the rezoning of the major portions of West 10 Harlem, the City should demand that Columbia perform 11 the necessary analysis with their legally required 12 level of detail and specify. 13 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Thank you. 14 Next speaker. 15 MR. SOUTH: My name is Walter South. 16 I'm frankly very reluctant to testify today because 17 we have testified again and again and again and 18 again to this process, and frankly, not one damn 19 significant change has taken place in this 197-c. 20 So, I have only three minutes so I'm going to make 21 it very simple: The key to understanding this 22 application is an article which appeared in the Wall 23 Street Journal last October. 24 The article reported that Yale, in 25 last fiscal year, made $4.5 billion on their 113 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 endowment fund. Yale's profit on their endowment 3 fund almost exceeds Columbia's total endowment. 4 Columbia was rated number 9 among the 5 leading colleges of this country, behind Princeton, 6 Harvard, Yale and even Duke, but Columbia wants to 7 belly up to the table with the big boys. The only 8 one problem they have is they can't afford to pay 9 the tab. So, what they've done is they've called for 10 a hale Mary play. They're going to let the 11 government pick up the tab so that they can score an 12 end run. 13 This is kind of a socialism for the 14 well-connected. Let the City rezone 17 acres for 15 their exclusive use, let the City pick up the 16 infrastructure expenses, let the State grab the land 17 by eminent domain, and then fund the buildings by 18 the State Dormitory Authority and then they're going 19 to go get federal research grants to pay off the 20 State tax exempt bonds, and they're going to call 21 their project an academic expansion or a new campus 22 so that they can befuddle the City with a smoke 23 screen. 24 What's in this for Columbia? They get 25 17 acres on the cheap, plus all the land under all 114 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the streets and sidewalks for free, and furthermore, 3 they get to keep all the money from future patents 4 that result from research on this site. 5 What's in it for New York City? 6 They're going to pay no property taxes. They're 7 going to pay no expenses for the police, fire or 8 sewage. Columbia has made, for example, future 9 claims about several jobs. Sometimes they claim it's 10 6,000, sometimes it's 7, sometimes it's 9. Is this 11 in writing? Do we have any guarantee that there is 12 going to be one job there? No, it's puffery. 13 Are these jobs for auto mechanics or 14 warehouse employees that are being displaced? No. At 15 present Columbia has about 14,000 employees. If they 16 create 6,000 jobs, this means they have to increase 17 their payroll 43 percent. How are they going to pay 18 for this? Is this going to be before they have more 19 students? No. It's because they're setting up a 20 business park on the 17 acres. 21 At present, 27 percent of Columbia 22 students are foreign students. This is the largest 23 percentage of any foreign students of any college in 24 this country, save one. Columbia's education is to 25 educate the elite of the world, not our kids. Would 115 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the same amount of money being spent for City 3 College be better spent by this City? I think so. 4 Lastly, Columbia is trying to justify 5 this exclusive office park by claiming they need to 6 build a seven-story deep, 17 acre bath tub in a 7 known geological fault. Of course, this bath tub is 8 a complete fantasy. When the bill for this tub comes 9 in -- 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 11 up. 12 MR. SOUTH: When the logistics for 13 moving 100,000 trucks of this dirty dirt are figured 14 out, it will never be built. 15 The use of eminent domain for this 16 project is immoral, unjust, unethical and contrary 17 to the Bill of Rights and the constitution of this 18 country. If they want to expand, let them expand, 19 we're in favor of it, but let it be a level playing 20 field. 21 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 22 MR. SOUTH: Let them buy the land on 23 the open market. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 25 much. 116 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Go right ahead. 3 DR. GHOLSON: Yes. Dr. Vicki Gholson. 4 I'm a resident of Harlem. I am the Founder of Design 5 Environment for Experiential Learning, which was 6 founded in 1994 because of the drug situation that 7 had taken place between Washington Heights and West 8 Harlem. 9 The residents of the community waged 10 an honorable fight at that point and now are engaged 11 in fighting major developers. 12 I mention this because it shows the 13 pervasive attitude that people have come into our 14 community who think that they can acquire property 15 and they can acquire a legacy and a history of a 16 community that they have not taken the time to find 17 out about. 18 Columbia's history shows that it has 19 not done the research to be able to reach out to the 20 community to give us the best design possible. 21 Columbia University should be setting the trend 22 amongst the collegiate expansions. It should not be 23 following, it should not be in a reactionary 24 position. 25 People who are engaged in this 117 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 process, like community board members and community 3 members have been for over 15 years, need to be able 4 to see from each level of the City, State and 5 federal government that their work is being 6 respected. And in order to do that, we cannot afford 7 to make assumptions. 8 The dollar factor behind education in 9 Harlem must be on paper and it has to be placed and 10 designed so that it undergirds the needs of that 11 community as it has existed in the past, as it 12 exists now, and as it will exist in the future. 13 When we talk about jobs we should not 14 just talk about construction. We should be talking 15 about formidable jobs which enhance the mission that 16 any educational institution has, and that is to lead 17 a society in the most intelligent manner possible. 18 At this point all of us have 19 difficulty being able to demonstrate that we have 20 acted in the most intelligent manner possible, for 21 seniors are fearful of losing their homes, they are 22 fearful of Harlem as they know it, and how it should 23 naturally develop and progress. And I am asking 24 every elected official, whether it is your area or 25 not, understand that there is a responsibility that 118 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 comes with privilege. And in that responsibility, 3 you must formulate new policy to be able to deal 4 with what the community has told you today, and will 5 tell you the rest of this afternoon, we need to be 6 protected, we need to feel secure, and we need to 7 know that our tax dollars are not being mismanaged. 8 We need to know that when people come 9 before you with manipulated information -- 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 11 up. 12 DR. GHOLSON: -- And when they 13 vulgarly manipulate the process, that you will stand 14 in their way -- 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 16 DR. GHOLSON: You will not join them. 17 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 18 much. 19 Thank you to the first panel. We 20 appreciate it. We're going to call our next panel, 21 which is Hazel Dukes, Lee Goldman, Reverend 22 Williams, and John Stage, if you could come join us. 23 And let me just let the next panel 24 know so you can be ready, we're going to try to move 25 it along. Cynthia Doty, Tom Kappner, Joan Levine and 119 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Julie Lawrence will be next. 3 But again, we're starting now with 4 John Stage, Hazel Dukes, Lee Goldman and Reverend 5 Williams. 6 I see they are all here it looks 7 like. Welcome. Hello. 8 Why don't we get started right over 9 here. Thank you. 10 REVEREND WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. 11 Chairman. And I appreciate this opportunity to come 12 before these joint committees to talk about my 13 support for the Columbia expansion. 14 My name is Reverend Reginold Williams 15 and I live and work in Harlem and I do so by 16 deliberate choice. 17 I'm of the opinion that whatever you 18 tolerate, you will not change. And I think there is 19 a general consensus of residents in our communities 20 that that area of need should change and needs to be 21 improved. We would rather deal with a private 22 institutional neighbor like Columbia, where we can 23 extract community benefits and rather than dealing 24 with private developers who come in and build luxury 25 condo houses, and don't consult us at all. 120 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 The issue of jobs is very important 3 to our community. The 6,000 jobs are not just 4 construction jobs, they are jobs that the University 5 will be making available to people who are under- 6 and unemployed. The issue of having access for 7 increased entrepreneur skills, opportunities are 8 important, and we look forward to the expansion, 9 bringing new development opportunities, economic 10 opportunities for small business owners in our 11 community and those who want to go into entrepreneur 12 businesses. 13 And then housing, affordable housing 14 is very important. We have made an effort to work 15 with Columbia and they have already committed the 16 $20 million, which in the words of our Congressman, 17 is a good starting point. But that $20 million can 18 be leveraged at least ten times, and to provide 19 housing that's needed, they tried to minimize the 20 impact of having additional graduate and 21 undergraduate students come on into the area. 22 And, secondly, I would just like to 23 point out that the issue of imminent domain has not 24 been an issue for any resident issues in our 25 community. No one has lost their property as a 121 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 result of imminent domain. They have been the result 3 of contractual agreements signed off to the mutual 4 benefit of both the owner, previous owner, and 5 Columbia. 6 We think that if we can continue to 7 work together -- 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Let me 9 interrupt you for a second. Let me just address the 10 distraction that is going on in the audience. 11 If you want to hold up a sign, you're 12 welcome to, if it's small. But do not wave anything 13 around. It is distracting. So, I'm going to give you 14 a warning now. Sir, I see you continue to wave it 15 around. It's distracting to people who are 16 testifying. It is distracting me, and we have to 17 hear from everybody, members of the public, so, 18 please, I just ask that you stop the waving. You can 19 hold it, if you like. That's fine. Thank you. 20 Go right ahead. I'm sorry to 21 interrupt you. 22 REVEREND WILLIAMS: Mr. Chair, I hope 23 that you will give me my time back so I can 24 continue. 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: You lost 15, 122 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 20 seconds, and we'll make sure you get it back. 3 REVEREND WILLIAMS: Thank you. 4 We believe that we can sit down and 5 work together, there is enough room in our tent to 6 have difference of opinions, be disagreeable about 7 some of the issues and do it in a way without being 8 disagreeable. At the end of the day we're all going 9 to be neighbors, we're all going to live in that 10 area, and we look forward to your support, along 11 with that of our Borough President, along with the 12 City Planning, along with that of our Congressman, 13 and many people who are not as vocal and sometimes 14 not as rude, as oppositions of various views. But 15 there is a large, large number of organizations that 16 look forward to this economic opportunity, and 17 becoming stakeholders in this venture. 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 19 much. 20 REVEREND WILLIAMS: Thank you. 21 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Go right 22 ahead. 23 MS. DUKES: Good morning, 24 distinguished members of the City Council, ladies 25 and gentlemen of the gallery. My name is Hazel 123 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Dukes. I'm President of New York State Conference's 3 Chapter of National Association for the Advancement 4 of Colored People, and a member of the National 5 Board, and I have had the opportunity to work in 6 projects like this and been a part of the Harvard 7 University expansion, where I served as an advisor 8 and an advocate. 9 I'm here to express my support of 10 proposed Columbia University expansion, which you 11 are considering today in the Subcommittee of the 12 Council Land Use Committee. 13 This proposed campus expansion is 14 important to West Harlem because of the myriad of 15 economic and social benefit it will offer Harlem as 16 a whole. 17 As a resident of Central Harlem, I 18 know the undergoings that we're going through and I 19 serve on Community Board 10. So, today I believe 20 that we can look at the plan of 197-c and 197-a and 21 get Columbia and Community Board 9 to work together 22 so this plan can go forward. 23 Columbia University is committed to 24 working with the local community where I've had 25 several meetings with them to make sure that I was 124 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 sure of what I would be saying here today, to 3 address issues such as health care, affordable 4 housing, job creation and increasing education 5 opportunities for the children of Harlem. 6 While no one institution can solve 7 the problems of any community of itself, Columbia 8 University is committed to being a part of the 9 solution. Columbia University have said in my 10 presence on many meetings that they would not seek 11 eminent domain. I'm here today again as one of the 12 advocates for this program to make sure that no 13 tenant, no tenant, resident or owner, will have 14 eminent domain against them at any time. 15 Now, I can't say that for the City of 16 New York, for HPD, but I can say that I have it on 17 record from Columbia University. 18 The proposal before the City Council 19 and the Community Benefit Agreement being negotiated 20 by the West Harlem Local Development Corporation 21 provide a wonderful roadmap to a vision of Harlem 22 where a great university flourish alongside with a 23 vibrant community, not simply as neighbors, but as 24 partners. 25 So, I strongly urge you, after you 125 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 hear from both sides, opponents and those who want 3 this plan approved, that you see that the plan of 4 197-a and 197-c can somehow be merged together so we 5 can get on with making Harlem, not only West Harlem, 6 not only Harlem, but New York City, affordable place 7 for all of us. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Ms. 9 Dukes. 10 Please. 11 MS. HARRIS: Hi. My name is Sandra 12 Harris, and I'm speaking for Dr. Goldman, who 13 unfortunately had to leave to the hospital to take 14 care of some emergency. 15 My name is Lee Golden, and I am the 16 Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Executive Vice 17 President for Columbia University Medical Center. I 18 represent over 1,000 doctors, nurses, public health 19 professionals at Columbia University Medical Center, 20 New York Presbyterian Hospital, Harlem Hospital and 21 St. Lukes. 22 We have four goals: Clinical care of 23 people who can choose to go anywhere in the world, 24 and people who cannot. 25 We deliver every baby in Harlem. We 126 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 have numerous outreach programs on diabetes, dental 3 care, maternal health and asthma education, as part 4 of our second goal, which is community service. 5 Our third is education. We're unique 6 among leading schools, top academic selection, and a 7 diverse student body. 8 Our fourth goal is research. We are 9 committed to advanced knowledge, benefit patients, 10 we bring hundreds of millions of federal dollars to 11 New York and serve as the basis for growing 12 biotechnology in New York City. 13 However, our main concern is space. 14 My faculty tells me that they can't continue to 15 build new programs or remain with us because of 16 space. Our main challenge is space, space, space. 17 Please help us with space so that we can continue 18 our mission of advancing science and education. As a 19 world renown medical center, we are committed to 20 improve quality of life in New York for all New York 21 City residents. 22 Thank you. 23 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 24 Mr. Stage. 25 MR. STAGE: My name is John Stage and 127 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 I am the owner of Dinosaur Barbecue. We're located 3 at the corner of 12th Avenue and 131st Street -- 4 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Can you move 5 closer to the mic? 6 MR. STAGE: Sure. 7 We're located at the corner of 131st 8 Street and 12th Avenue, right smack in the middle of 9 Columbia's expansion. 10 We're going on four years now and 11 employ about nine people. The majority of my 12 employees, including myself, live in Harlem or Upper 13 Manhattan. 14 When I found out that we were in the 15 first phase of construction, I became very 16 concerned. Concerned about our future, because I 17 love the neighborhood. Business is good and I'm 18 responsible for a lot of people's livelihoods. So, I 19 was a little bit nervous. 20 Columbia has recently become my 21 landlord, so I asked for a meeting to see where I 22 stood and what could be done. 23 They assured me that they wanted me 24 to stay in the neighborhood, but I just wanted to 25 really know what that meant. 128 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Since that meeting we have come very 3 far in solidifying Dinosaur staying in the 4 neighborhood. My dealings with Columbia have been 5 very respectful, progressive and in good faith. 6 Their actions exceeded more than their words. 7 So, I look forward to staying in the 8 neighborhood and being a part of this project and 9 future. Thank you. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 11 much. And thank you to all of you for being here. 12 I'm going to call the next panel, 13 which is Cynthia Doty, Tom Kappner, Joan Levine and 14 Julie Lawrence, and as they make their way up, the 15 panel after this group will be Daniel Perez, Jim 16 Coletti, Paul Fernandez and Janice Berthow. Sorry if 17 I'm butchering your names. 18 Ms. Doty, when ever you're ready. 19 MS. DOTY: Okay, thank you very much, 20 Council members. My name is Cynthia Doty, and I am 21 here as a representative of the Coalition to 22 Preserve Community. I'm here asking the Council to 23 vote for community-based planning and to vote no on 24 Columbia's 197-c in its current form, as it does not 25 comply with the Community Board 9's ten points, 129 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 which was included in their vote against the 197-c. 3 City government recognized the 4 importance for community to have a voice in planning 5 for their neighborhood, and therefore created the 6 ability and the process of 197-a. 7 Too often planning in this City has 8 been dominated by big money developers and heavily 9 financed real estate industry, real estate 10 interests. This was an opportunity through a 197-a 11 for a community to think about their neighborhood to 12 create a vision to work together and to put a 13 blueprint plan for how they saw the future for their 14 community. 15 Community Board 9, as you heard, took 16 this very seriously. They spent years working on 17 this plan. The first few years were sort of a lot of 18 endless talking sessions, but they did a thorough 19 assessment of the current needs, especially of 20 Manhattanville, and also thought about what they 21 would like the area to be like for them in the 22 future. 23 As they realized Manhattanville was 24 one of the last sections of Manhattan, it became a 25 prime real estate target for developers from 130 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 downtown especially, as well as from Columbia. So, 3 as a community board, they took this even more 4 seriously and they developed a consensus. 5 And they ended up voting unanimously 6 for the 197-a plan, or overwhelmingly for the 197-a 7 plan. 8 There was very little divisiveness 9 during that process, unlike the divisiveness that 10 started occurring the minute that Columbia put forth 11 their 197-c. There was a consensus, and this is a 12 community with tremendous diversity, lots of 13 factions. They came together for their vision for 14 their neighborhood. There was no divisiveness. The 15 divisiveness came up after Columbia put forth their 16 197-c. 17 City Planning insisted on reviewing 18 both plans at the same time, which I think was a 19 slap in the face with community planning. That 20 shouldn't have happened. The blueprint of the 197-a 21 should have been passed first, and then any 22 developer, Columbia especially, but any other 23 developer should have put in their 197-c afterwards. 24 But City Planning changed that. In fact, City 25 Planning then, when both plans were in front of 131 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 them, adapted, City Planning modified the 197-a 3 plan, not Community Board 9, City Planning modified 4 the plan, so that Columbia would be enabled to do 5 their project. 6 In fact, Commissioner Burden said, 7 the Community Board's 197-a does not meet the needs 8 of Columbia University, therefore we are changing 9 it. The developer, again, got priority, not the 10 community. Absolutely the worst way to do good urban 11 planning in this City. 12 So, we're here today to ask you to 13 respect the Community Board's plan, send, ask 14 Columbia University to go back to the drawing board 15 and plan alongside the community. There is room for 16 them to expand. There is a threat by Columbia, that 17 if they don't do it this way, they will go to the 18 State. That's unacceptable blackmail. It does not 19 have to be that way. We said no to the West Side 20 Stadium, which was a bad idea for community 21 planning. That area is still a prime resource -- 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Ms. Doty, I'm 23 going to have to ask you -- 24 MS. DOTY: -- We should do that with 25 the Manhattanville expansion area. 132 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 3 much. 4 MS. LEVINE: Good afternoon. My name 5 is Joan Levine. I'm a retired educator, Chair of the 6 Morningside Gardens Community Relations Committee, 7 Co-chair of the Morningside Heights West Harlem 8 Sanitation Coalition, and a member of the West 9 Harlem Local Development Corporation. 10 I have worked hard as Co-chair of an 11 LDC Committee, and I'm passionate about the need for 12 our asks. 13 Nevertheless, as a 50-year resident 14 of West Harlem, I don't want my Council Member 15 Robert Jackson to give Columbia the green light on 16 the backs of our neighbors. 17 The real test for allowing Columbia's 18 197-c plan to be passed is not just the Community 19 Benefits Agreement but the following concessions as 20 well, concessions which we've been asking for since 21 the very beginning: 22 Number 1. No use of eminent domain. 23 2. No forced removal of tenants in 24 the expansion zone. 25 3. No level 3 biotech labs in the 133 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 expansion area. 3 4. No seven-story bathtub. 4 This foolish engineering gambit will 5 affect us all, as it is in a flood plain, as well as 6 an earthquake fault. 7 Throughout this entire ULURP process, 8 the overwhelming mass of people in Community Board 9 9 area have urged Columbia to change its plans in the 10 ways just mentioned, but it has not budged. 11 Therefore in the strongest way I know, I demand that 12 the Council vote no to Columbia, a CBA is not 13 enough. Columbia must make concessions, the 14 concessions that I have stated if the Council is to 15 give its approval. Thank you. 16 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 17 much. 18 Sir. 19 MR. KAPPNER: Tom Kappner, with the 20 Coalition to Preserve Community. 21 Let's get real for the next three 22 minutes. Beyond all the technical jargon of zoning 23 and zoning and ULURP, you do have a real choice to 24 make. Will you carry out your responsibilities as 25 the elected representatives of the people, or will 134 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 you essentially ratify a fundamentally flawed 3 process? 4 Determined to prevent the disastrous 5 impact of previous Columbia expansions, the 6 community crafted a 197-a plan that provided for all 7 of Columbia's stated needs, while also promoting the 8 development meeting the community's needs. 9 In a decade of the most inclusive and 10 intensive process of consultation, every segment and 11 all constituencies participated and their concerns 12 were incorporated. It was the most democratic 13 example of community planning in New York's history. 14 Community Board 9 unanimously adopted the 197-a last 15 August. 16 Because it made absolutely no effort 17 to reconcile its plans with the community, Community 18 Board 9 overwhelmingly rejected Columbia's plans, 19 unless ten conditions summarizing the essence of the 20 197-a were incorporated. 21 We do not need a plan that has the 22 destruction of existing community at its core that 23 will continue to diminish housing for our people, 24 create fewer jobs for residents than it eliminates, 25 bring us potential environmental hazards, 135 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 irreversibly alter our richly diverse socioeconomic 3 fabric, disrespect our historical and architectural 4 integrity. 5 The truth is that our community has 6 played by the rules and done everything right, yet, 7 at every step along the way the rules were changed 8 or redefined whenever the outcome did not favor 9 those with money and political influence. 10 Most recently the West Harlem Local 11 Development Corporation has rigged the process of 12 negotiating a community benefits agreement, ignoring 13 the overwhelming public sentiment opposing a 14 glorified slush fund. 15 A pot of money and promises to 16 replace what is lost some time in the future is no 17 substitute for the protection of housing and jobs 18 that already exist. 19 The Columbia 197-c and the 20 community's 197-a should be sent back to City 21 Planning with instructions to use Community Board 22 9's resolution as a basis for an honest dialogue, 23 leading to some real compromises. 24 We call upon you to put an end to 25 this sham of democratic process when it comes to 136 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 planning for New York City's future. 3 Stop the systematic favoring of mega 4 development that only benefit the wealthy and 5 destroy the socioeconomic fabric that has made New 6 York City great. 7 Stop the undemocratic enforcement of 8 policies that produce an ever larger gap between the 9 haves and have-nots. Why not a City in which we all 10 have a stake in our future? 11 Thank you. 12 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 13 Kappner. In well time, to. 14 Ms. Lawrence. 15 MS. LAWRENCE: Good morning. My name 16 is Julie Lawrence, and I'm a member of the 17 community-based planning task force. I am also a 18 resident of the Greenpoint Williamsburg community, 19 which went through this process. I personally spent 20 ten years, and I know other people spent 15 and 20 21 years, so, this is a very passionate subject to me, 22 although primarily I'm testifying for the task 23 force. 24 The Task Force is a coalition of 25 environmental justice groups, community boards, 137 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 community-based organizations, civic groups, 3 academic and planning practitioners, that works 4 toward creating a more meaningful role for New 5 Yorkers and local planning and development 6 decisions. 7 We acknowledge the support and 8 leadership that members of the Council have brought 9 to our efforts to make the City's Planning process 10 more responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers. 11 We're here today to testify in strong support of 12 Manhattan Community Board 9's 197-a plan and against 13 Columbia's 197-c in its current form. 14 The broad goals of the task force are 15 to ensure that the communities have the resources to 16 plan, ensure the planning processes are fully 17 participatory and representative of the community, 18 and to ensure that community-based planning 19 recommendations are implemented as part of the 20 City's overall planning process. 21 We look toward the experiences of 22 other cities that have partnered with communities to 23 do so. 24 Part of our campaign revolves around 25 making the 197-a process as effective a planning 138 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 tool as possible, and finding ways to strengthen the 3 role of 197-a plans in the City's overall planning 4 process. 5 I appreciate Council Member Avella's 6 acknowledgment earlier that 197-a needs to be 7 strengthened and we feel that that's very true. 8 The best way to ensure that the 9 growth proceeds in an orderly fashion that responds 10 to communities' needs is for the City to take the 11 reins, partner with the neighborhood and embrace 12 community-driven plans for where that growth should 13 take place and how. 14 The City, together with community 15 residents, not private developers, must plan for 16 growth. Private development, including the extremely 17 important and valuable contributions that Columbia 18 University makes to the City and can bring to this 19 neighborhood, needs to be interwoven with existing 20 neighborhood fabric. 21 The City has a planning process in 22 place to ensure that this can happen. Approving the 23 197-a plan. Requiring Columbia to build on land that 24 it owns, using the ULURP process to dispose of 25 publicly owned land under City streets and using 139 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 State and local tools for designation of historic 3 resources. 4 The members of Community Board 9 and 5 the residents and workers of West Harlem have taken 6 the City Charter at face value, spent years at the 7 table planning for the future of their neighborhood 8 and created a plan for sustainable growth. Our 9 community did that, too, and our community has been 10 devastated because of what has happened. 11 When the Committee votes next week, 12 please send a message to New York's many communities 13 that the 197-a process is alive and well and New 14 Yorkers can count on their voices being heard in the 15 democratic process that embraces communities, plans 16 and blueprints for growth. 17 The task force urges the City Council 18 to adopt the 197-a plan in its entirety and uphold 19 its commitment to the community planning process. 20 We cannot lose Harlem the way we have 21 lost Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Thank you. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 23 much. 24 One thing I would like to note, Ms. 25 Lawrence, is that we have not yet scheduled the 140 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 vote. You made mention to the vote next week, it's 3 not yet scheduled. 4 MS. LAWRENCE: Thank you. Okay. 5 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: But we thank 6 you all for your testimony and I'd like to call the 7 next panel. 8 Daniel Perez, Jim Coletti, Paul 9 Fernandez, and Janice Berthow. 10 The panel after that will be, Norman 11 Siegel, Nick Sprayregen, Ann Whitman and Richard 12 Lipsky. 13 So, if you call just be ready. I see 14 you are ready over there. Okay. 15 So, whenever you are ready. I see 16 we're missing. Who are we missing here? Is Janice 17 Berthow here? She is not here. Okay, so I'm going to 18 go to the next. Hope Knight, if you can come down 19 and fill this panel. Hope Knight, are you here? No 20 Hope Knight, okay. Lionel McIntyre, are you here? 21 Lionel McIntyre. Lloyd Douglas. 22 Mr. Douglas, if you can come and fill 23 this panel, we would appreciate it. 24 MR. PEREZ: Hello. My name is Daniel 25 Perez. I'm representing Civitas today. I was asked 141 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 to read a letter that was sent to Columbia. The 3 letter was sent to a Mrs. Victoria Mason-Ailey, 4 Assistant Vice President for Planning and Project. 5 Coordinator. 6 Dear Ms. Mason-Ailey: 7 CIVITAS Citizens, Incorporated, 8 supports the proposed Columbia University campus 9 expansion plans in Manhattanville, conditioned on 10 the University's adherence to the following: 11 Sustainable Design. Reuse existing 12 distinctive buildings to the maximum extent 13 possible, preservation being the ultimate in 14 recycling and sustainability. 15 B. Urban Design Context. Maintain the 16 ground floor of its campus buildings open and 17 available to the community, encouraging ground floor 18 uses to promote street activity and safety and 19 preserving ready access to the river and park. 20 C. Indirect Neighborhood 21 Displacement. Prepare a strategic plan to provide 22 more affordable housing to mitigate the direct and 23 indirect displacement of households within the 24 surrounding community. 25 D. CB 9 197-a Plan. Support the goals 142 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 of the local community board's 197-a Plan in 3 negotiated community benefits agreement. 4 And that's the letter that I was 5 asked to read. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 7 much. We appreciate it. 8 Sir, go right ahead. 9 MR. COLETTI: Good afternoon. My name 10 is James Coletti, and I am the Assistant Vice 11 President of the Builders Trades Employers' 12 Association. I am here on behalf in support of 13 Columbia University's proposed Manhattanville 14 project. We are America's largest association of 15 union construction contractors, including 26 16 individual trade associations, and 1,200 17 construction managers, general contractors and 18 subcontractors. 19 Our members range in size from 20 multi-billion dollar international corporations to 21 mid-size and small firms. 22 It is certain that Columbia 23 University exists as a world class institute of 24 higher learning. In order to continue to hold its 25 place among the world's great diversities, Columbia 143 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 must have an ability to grow and expand. Columbia's 3 proposed long-term growth in Manhattanville in West 4 Harlem will create the academic space needed to 5 maintain this status. 6 With this project will come the 7 creation of additional local jobs, as well as 8 cultural and community benefits. The proposed 9 17-acre Manhattanville redevelopment would 10 undoubtedly provide a boost to the local economy. 11 Full construction as proposed under the 12 revitalization plan would generate an average of 13 1,200 construction-related jobs in New York each 14 year over the next 25 years, and add billions of 15 dollars into the local economy. 16 Additionally, in constructing the 17 Manhattanville project's new academic and community 18 facilities, Columbia University would generate an 19 estimated $5 billion in compensation for workers in 20 New York and create approximately 11 billion in 21 local economic activity. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 23 up. 24 MR. COLETTI: Over the next 25 years 25 the Manhattanville project would -- 144 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: You're going 3 to need to wrap up. Actually, last sentence if you 4 don't mind. 5 MR. COLETTI: Okay. 6 In summary, the BTEA and its members 7 believe that the benefits of the Manhattan project 8 far outweigh its liabilities. We believe that 9 Columbia University has exhibited a sensitivity to 10 the needs and views of the community. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 12 MR. COLETTI: Thank you. 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 14 much. I'm sorry to do that to you. Please, go ahead. 15 MR. FERNANDEZ: Good afternoon, 16 Chairman Garodnick, Chairman Avella and members of 17 the Subcommittees. My name is Paul E. Fernandez. I 18 am the Chief of Staff of the Building and 19 Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, an 20 organization consisting of local affiliates of 15 21 national unions representing more than 100,000 22 members in the five boroughs. 23 We are pleased to testify in support 24 of Columbia University's expansion of 197-c. We ask 25 the Council to consider that unlike many entities 145 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 which come before this body in pursuit of rezonings 3 and development plans, Columbia University has a 4 long record and continuing commitment to utilize 5 union labor in the development of its major 6 facilities. This fact means that those employed on 7 such projects enjoy good wages, health benefits and 8 pension protections. 9 It should certainly be the case that 10 all entities which come before this body should have 11 a similar record and commitment, but they often do 12 not. 13 So we hope that the Council will view 14 Columbia University's record and commitment in this 15 regard favorably. 16 We also ask the Council to consider 17 that as the projects in this expansion will be built 18 using union labor, they will avail themselves of 19 proven efforts to provide meaningful training and 20 career opportunities to local residents. 21 Through our apprenticeship and 22 training system, and our pre-apprenticeship programs 23 including Construction Skills, Incorporated, 24 Nontraditional Employment for Women and Helmets to 25 Hardhats, we offer thousands of real opportunities 146 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 to compete for long-term employment, not only in 3 projects in Upper Manhattan, but throughout the five 4 boroughs. 5 It is our intention to work to assure 6 that residents of the local community in which the 7 expansion will occur, will share in these 8 opportunities. 9 We strongly believe that in an 10 industry prone to peaks and valleys, the City must 11 support long-term planning decisions that allow 12 major private investments to maximize our ability to 13 meet market challenges as they arise, and take 14 advantage of favorable market conditions like those 15 we have enjoyed during the past decade. By 16 supporting Columbia University's expansion, we will 17 lay a foundation on which we can build thousands of 18 opportunities for middle-class families. 19 We therefore again express our 20 support for Columbia University's expansion and ask 21 for the Council's support as well. Thank you. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 23 much. 24 Mr. Douglas. 25 MR. DOUGLAS: Thank you. 147 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Good afternoon, members of the City 3 Council, and members of Land Use Committee. My name 4 is Lloyd Douglas, I'm the owner of Lloyd Douglas 5 Consultant Company, a small minority business firm 6 that designs and implements minority business 7 programs. 8 I'm a member of the Coalition for the 9 future of Manhattanville, and a long-term resident 10 of Harlem. Mayor David Dinkins, Lynch Associates, 11 Lloyd Douglas Consultants and many others have been 12 working with Columbia University to prepare for 13 significant and meaningful minority and woman 14 business participation in the design, construction 15 and post-construction phases of the project. 16 The Columbia 197-a plan offers an 17 opportunity for meaningful partnership with Harlem 18 and the Minority Business Community of New York 19 City. 20 There are opportunities for doing 21 development, contracting, vendoring, retailing, 22 for-profit, not-for-profit, cultural, as well as 23 educational ventures, all of the various components 24 for minority and business inclusion program. 25 There are many local capable and 148 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 qualified minority-owned businesses that can 3 participate in a significant way in such a long-term 4 project of this nature. The kind of historical and 5 relevant partnership would lend credence to the 6 movement, growth and development of a vital and 7 emerging sector of the business community of Harlem 8 in New York City. 9 When opportunities are created for 10 minority-owned business to participate in the 11 process, they hire from the community, create jobs, 12 simulate the economy, revitalize neighborhoods and 13 create value. 14 In New York City minority-owned 15 businesses need to be supported, to be aided, to be 16 abetted by leading institutions, such as Columbia 17 University. For example, the proposed affordable 18 housing trust that you had heard about before, but 19 also we could talk about a diverse cultural center, 20 a not-for-profit office building center, minority 21 business incubator. 22 Our esteemed elected officials have 23 been working with us for a long time. An example of 24 inclusion is what happened with New York State, as 25 well as you, the City Council, and the recent 149 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 enactment of the minority MBE law. 3 The minority business community 4 welcomes this opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime 5 opportunity to partner with Columbia, our elected 6 officials, our community leaders and others, as well 7 as the Coalition for the future of Manhattanville. 8 I respectfully urge the City Council, 9 Land Use Committee, to approve the Columbia 10 University Plan with a strong Community Benefits 11 Program. 12 Thank you. 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 14 much. 15 With that, we have a quick question 16 from Council Member Lappin. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: Thank you, Mr. 18 Chairman. 19 It's a question for Mr. Fernandez. 20 You mentioned Columbia's record, and 21 I just wanted to ask, have they committed to use 22 union labor on this project? 23 MR. FERNANDEZ: Well, first on every 24 major project they've done in my memory they have 25 used union labor. We have every expectation that 150 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 they will continue to do so, and, yes, they have 3 made that commitment. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: Great. Thank 5 you. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 7 Council Member Lappin. 8 And we thank you all for your 9 testimony, and we're now going to call the next 10 panel, which again includes Norman Siegel, Nick 11 Sprayregen. Ann Whitman, Richard Lipsky, and we're 12 going to put Christina Walsh in there. She was the 13 next panel, and she apparently has a train to catch 14 and we're going to put her on this one. 15 MR. SIEGEL: All these out-of-towners. 16 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Welcome, Mr. 17 Siegel. 18 MR. SIEGEL: Thank you, Dan. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, why 20 don't you go right ahead, Norman. 21 MR. SIEGEL: Columbia's Expansion Plan 22 has caused tension and divisiveness in the West 23 Harlem Manhattanville Community. It did not, did not 24 have to be this way. 25 Columbia, the moving party, could 151 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 have, and should have acted differently. They chose 3 not to. 4 Repeatedly Columbia said it was 5 engaged in a dialogue with the community. The 6 painfully reality, it was never a dialogue, it was 7 always a monologue. 8 There are many issues and flaws 9 regarding this huge project. Two principle issues 10 that have resonated surrounding this controversy are 11 displacement and the use of eminent domain, driving 12 the dynamic of the whole project. 13 On the displacement, you heard 14 Orwellian terms before, relocation instead of 15 displacement. It's all the same. Talk to the 16 tenants. 17 On November 15th, '05, some 80 18 speakers at the Public Scoping Hearing said no to 19 displacement and no to eminent domain. September 20 30th, 2006, some two dozen speakers said the same 21 thing. You heard Community Board 9 voted 32 to 2, no 22 to displacement, and no to eminent domain. 23 Eminent domain is for public use. A 24 public highway, the Second Avenue Subway, not, not 25 private use. You should say at a minimum no eminent 152 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 domain in the Columbia Expansion Plan. 3 You should at a minimum make that a 4 condition. 5 I am told that the two committees 6 will not comment on eminent domain in this rezoning 7 application. Leave the eminent domain issue to the 8 State. Why touch something that's radioactive that's 9 contentious. With due respect, Dan and Tony and 10 members of the Committee, you should address the 11 eminent domain issue. You shouldn't run from it. 12 Leadership calls for officials to address tough 13 issues. You are the City's legislative body, you 14 should say whether you approve or disapprove of 15 eminent domain in this private expansion plan. Be on 16 the record. Don't duck it. We have too much ducking 17 already in this town. Tell us what the City Council 18 thinks about eminent domain. Give us some direction, 19 some leadership on the issue. Tell us what your 20 guidelines, when is it appropriate, when it is not. 21 It's popping up too much all over this town, you 22 should take the issue on. Don't be silent. We have 23 too much silence already in this town. 24 Nick Sprayregan will speak next. He 25 is one of the property owners. He is prepared to 153 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 swap his property on the west side of Broadway to 3 move to Columbia-owned property on the east side of 4 Broadway. This is an eminently reasonable 5 alternative to eminent domain. It should happen. You 6 should help make it happen. 7 Saying at a minimum no eminent domain 8 in the Columbia expansion plan will eliminate the 9 threat of eminent domain to the property owners. 10 Saying no to displacement will eliminate the threat 11 of displacement to tenants living in the expansion 12 area. I've talked with them. 13 Columbia doesn't say you can stay and 14 we'll give you an option. What they say is we will 15 relocate you. That's coercive, it's not voluntary. 16 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 17 up, Mr. Siegel. 18 MR. SIEGEL: I will wrap it up. 19 Without saying no to eminent domain 20 and no to displacement, there is no realistic chance 21 of Columbia and the West Harlem community coming 22 together over the expansion plan. The condemnation 23 and taking of private property should not be an 24 element for this plan. 25 Thank you for your patience. 154 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 3 Siegel. 4 Mr. Sprayregen. 5 MR. SPRAYREGEN: Thank you. 6 My name is Nick Sprayregen. I am the 7 President of Tuck It Away Self Storage. My family 8 has owned property in and served the community of 9 West Harlem for almost 30 years. 10 With our five large properties in the 11 Manhattanville area, we are the largest private 12 property owner fighting Columbia's threatened use of 13 eminent domain and the forced displacement of 14 residents. 15 I implore all of you to conditionally 16 approve Columbia's rezoning based on their agreeing 17 to remove eminent domain and this forced 18 displacement. 19 Over the last three plus years, I've 20 seen firsthand Columbia's heavy handed coercive 21 tactics in pressuring property owners, small 22 businesses, residences and even churches to move out 23 of Manhattanville. 24 Also, Columbia can take their 25 properties. The absolute and only way that Columbia 155 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 has been able to control the 70 percent of the area 3 that they say they do is through the threatened use 4 of eminent domain against property owners and 5 businesses. 6 Personally, I have sacrificed my own 7 business interests and my personal relationships, 8 and I have spent many, many hundreds of thousands of 9 dollars fighting not the expansion but eminent 10 domain and displacement. 11 The New York City Council has a 12 historic opportunity here to tell this institution 13 what every parent tells their children. Just because 14 you want something, does not mean that you get it. 15 And please understand that what is at 16 stake here is not just what happens in 17 Manhattanville, no. Should Columbia be allowed to 18 use eminent domain and force displacement here, they 19 will not stop. They may say they will, they may 20 agree under some pressure to sign some agreements, 21 promising not to, but they will find a way out of 22 those. They will not stop. 23 By their own admission, this is only 24 a 30-year plan. It seems like a long time for most 25 of us mortals, for an institution like this that's 156 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 relatively small. 3 What happens then? What happens even 4 before then? It's simple. Columbia will march onward 5 and onward. They will march across 135th Street and 6 go north, they will march towards Amsterdam and go 7 east. They will take and take and take. 8 What we are facing here is nothing 9 less than stopping what Columbia thinks is its 10 manifest destiny. It is wrong. What is driving them 11 is their greed. That is the driving force. 12 What Columbia is trying to do is 13 unethical and unAmerican. Columbia will not share, 14 unless you, the government, requires it to do so. 15 And that is what we ask today. Thank you. 16 CHAIRPERSON GARDONICK: Thank you very 17 much. 18 Mr. Lipsky. 19 MR. LIPSKY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 20 Can you hear me? Thank you. 21 My name is Richard Lipsky. I'm here 22 representing Tuck It Away and I'm opposed to the 23 current configuration of the Columbia rezoning 24 application. 25 I'd like to frame this in a certain 157 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 way. If you look at the EIS, a lot of people have 3 said about jobs, about this and that, but just look 4 at the EIS that Columbia prepared. In that EIS, it 5 says that the University's expansion can lead to the 6 direct or indirect displacement of between three- 7 and five-thousand people. 8 Now, I searched through that EIS, in 9 vain, for any explication of how the University was 10 going to mitigate that displacement. It wasn't 11 there. There is no plan. 12 What we are proposing, on the other 13 hand, and Mr. Siegel outlined it in brief, is to 14 take Mr. Sprayregen's property from the west side of 15 the street. We are in discussions with the Central 16 Labor Council, we are about to be in discussion with 17 the University on the Plan. 18 What we want to do is to create a 19 win/win situation for the community, for Columbia, 20 for the City Council and for the property owners. 21 The way to do that is to take the 22 property on the west side and swap it for property 23 on the east side, next to property that Mr. 24 Sprayregen owns on 135th and Broadway. 25 In that corridor, in the context of 158 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the Manhattanville Houses, and the other highrise 3 houses that's in that corridor, we can build up to 4 1,000 units of housing, a mix of affordable, 5 workforce development and market housing. 6 This is something that is missing in 7 the Columbia Plan and it's missing from what the 8 community has asked for. 9 Columbia has committed $20 million in 10 President Bollinger's math that is equivalent to 11 1,000 units of rehabilitation or new housing. Twenty 12 million dollars is not going to buy much in 13 Manhattan. 14 But one of the things missing is 15 where is that housing going to be built? The tenants 16 who are living on the west side of Broadway are now 17 going to be forcefully relocated, are being 18 relocated approximately a mile north. What the 19 Sprayregen plan would afford would be the ability to 20 keep the current tenants in the neighborhoods that 21 they've lived in for all the many years. And no 22 matter how you relocate folks, it's still forced 23 relocation, it's against their will. 24 And the Columbia concept of putting 25 money into housing trusts, and I'll wrap it up. 159 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please, Mr. 3 Lipsky. 4 MR. LIPSKY: To put money into a 5 housing trust, with no place to build the housing, 6 is a fool's gold bargain. 7 Thank you very much. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 9 Ms. Whitman. 10 MS. WHITMAN: Good afternoon. 11 My name is Ann Zuhusky Whitman, and 12 I'm a 35-year owner/occupant of a property that I 13 inherited from my parents, it was purchased in 1972. 14 I am everything that Columbia University says it 15 supports. My company is woman-certified enterprise, 16 I'm a union company, I employ 100 percent women and 17 minorities. I don't want to move from my building. 18 We have a very strong promotional and family 19 attachment to the building and we have a community 20 that has supported us and surrounded us through this 21 struggle. 22 Yet, Columbia University will not 23 remove their threat to forcibly evict me by the 24 abuse of eminent domain which I think is wrong. 25 If you take a private property from 160 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 one owner and hand it over to another owner, it is 3 just plain wrong. 4 I think it's time that Columbia came 5 to a table and said we can work with you. We can 6 notch out areas and we can include you. My building 7 is listed on the national and State Register of 8 Historic Places. Columbia University has the first 9 school of historic preservation in the United 10 States. 11 I respectfully request that the 12 Council support our community plan, because once a 13 historic resource is lost, there is no mitigation. 14 Columbia will take a picture of my building and 15 that's it. 16 Once a historic property is 17 demolished, it's gone forever. 18 Thank you very much. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 20 Ms. Walsh. 21 MS. WALSH: Thanks for allotting me 22 time now, and accommodating my train schedule. My 23 name is Christina Walsh. I'm the Coordinator of the 24 Council Coalition at the Institute for Justice. 25 The Council Coalition is a nationwide 161 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 network of activists and property owners committed 3 to eminent domain abuse, which is what I'm going to 4 be speaking about today. 5 It's a project for the Institute for 6 Justice, which is a public interest law firm that 7 defends property owners that are in the same 8 situations as Nick and Ann here, where the 9 government is trying to seize their property for 10 private development. 11 We are the nation's leading critic of 12 and legal advocate against the abuse of eminent 13 domain laws. 14 We represented the homeowners before 15 the Supreme Court in Kilo City of New London 16 (phonetic), a decision with which I'm sure you're 17 all intimately familiar, and others across the 18 nation. 19 I was invited here to speak by 20 property owners in West Harlem, who, despite owning 21 thriving businesses, and through no fault of their 22 own, reside in the footprint of where Columbia 23 University wants to expand. 24 As you have seen and will continue to 25 see here today, it's not only the property owners 162 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 that are concerned. The overriding interests of 3 everyone involved is to live in a City that respects 4 the property rights of its residents. 5 The Kilo Decision put everyone's home 6 and business at risk, because anyone's property can 7 make more money or something bigger or newer. Each 8 of you Council members, each of your homes and 9 businesses that we frequent, anything can make more 10 money as something bigger and newer, and it's 11 certainly not what the Founding Fathers envisioned 12 when they wrote the public use clause. 13 Even in four Kilo cities across the 14 country, especially New York City, use the power of 15 eminent domain to steamroll over small businesses 16 which are the backbone of America, in favor of any 17 sort of enterprise that would generate more tax 18 dollars for a local government. 19 To say the least, this decision was 20 not handled well by the public. Every poll shows 21 over 80 percent disapproval rating of eminent domain 22 abuse. The DC Bureau of NAACP, LULAC, MALDEF, Farm 23 Bureau, have all come out against it. Forty-two 24 states have limited their condemnation powers, and, 25 yet, New York, who has led this nation into 163 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 modernity has not passed any reforms, and New York 3 City continues to lead the charge of eminent domain 4 abuse in this country. 5 Private property rights shouldn't 6 depend on where you live, or how much money someone 7 else can make with your land. Or in the incident 8 case, whether you happen to own property that 9 Columbia wants. 10 Worldwide New York City is regarded 11 as a beacon of hope and endless opportunity. 12 Approving the use of eminent domain for this project 13 will send a message loud and clear that in this City 14 the American dream is subject to the whim of large 15 corporations and City officials, or in this case, a 16 powerful university, making New York City just like 17 the places that our ancestors fled, with the earnest 18 hope of freedom and prosperity. 19 We urge you to vote against any plan 20 that would acquire the condemnation of private 21 property, or the expansion of Columbia. 22 By disallowing eminent domain, New 23 York City can trumpet its desire to govern under the 24 law, not outside of it. And by doing so, you can 25 restore a sense of community in West Harlem, remove 164 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the threat of litigation, regain the confidence of 3 the people, which is clearly sorely lacking in this 4 City. 5 Thank you. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 7 much. 8 And before you all go, very quickly, 9 I want to note we still have 63 more people to 10 testify, so I'd ask my colleagues just to keep their 11 questions or comments brief. We have Council Member 12 Jackson, followed by Council Member Dickens. 13 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Well, first 14 of all, let me thank you for coming in and 15 representing yourselves and having your attorneys 16 representing you. 17 My question is this: I've heard in 18 the paper, approximately a month ago, that there was 19 an issue of the possibility of communication and 20 negotiations with Columbia concerning switching of 21 properties in the footprint and not in the 22 footprint. But this is the first time that I've 23 heard it either from you, Mr. Sprayregen or from 24 your counsels that are representing at the table. 25 And, so, is there a negotiation going on now with 165 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 that particular matter? And/or if you can answer 3 that, you can, and if you can't, I can understand 4 why, but let me just finalize by saying anything 5 that I can do as a member of the City Council 6 representing the area, to be helpful in the 7 negotiations, I ask that you communicate with me on 8 that particular matter. 9 MR. SPRAYREGEN: There are no 10 negotiations going on. I have not directly spoken to 11 any Columbia officials for perhaps two, maybe three 12 years. 13 However, I have been speaking to the 14 press, as many of you are aware of, of what I think 15 is a very simple concept that would be a triple 16 wind, where like any compromise everyone has to give 17 a little bit. But it could be a triple winning 18 situation. 19 Basically I had five properties, four 20 of which are under the threat of condemnation, three 21 of those are on the west side of Broadway, which is 22 the main contiguous campus that Columbia would like 23 to put together, and Columbia also owns a few 24 parcels on the east side of Broadway, basically just 25 a little tail to their main expansion area. 166 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Have your 3 attorneys reached out to them? Or has Columbia 4 reached out to you? 5 MR. SPRAYREGEN: Columbia has reached 6 out to us, and as a result of that, we have set up 7 and agreed to speak to them and to listen to them 8 tomorrow. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Great. I'm 10 glad to hear that. 11 MR. SIEGEL: And with regard to your 12 offer of assistance, we will take you up on that 13 immediately, and we'll keep you and also the two 14 chairs who I respect and keep you informed of any of 15 that information. 16 The bottom line, my opening line, it 17 should have been a dialogue. It's been a monologue. 18 Very important concept. And we would hope that the 19 City Council creates at this 11th hour the dialogue. 20 Also, with Richard's points with 21 regard to housing, and especially with Central Labor 22 becoming involved, it all could be very helpful 23 because this is a David versus Goliath, and David 24 needs, we're David, we need all the help we can get, 25 and that's what leadership is about. So, please help 167 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 us. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Let me just 4 say that this is the first time, as I indicated, 5 that I'm hearing from you or your counsel concerning 6 -- 7 MR. SIEGEL: The first time you asked 8 us specifically. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: First of all, 10 I think communication -- 11 MR. SIEGEL: If you ask the question 12 -- 13 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Excuse me, 14 sir. 15 MR. SIEGEL: -- You get an answer. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Excuse me. 17 MR. SIEGEL: It's a dialogue. It's a 18 two-way street. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Communication 20 is a two-way street. 21 MR. SIEGEL: Right. So -- 22 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: And if, in 23 fact, you have an offer on the table, then you need 24 to bring that offer forward. And you have not 25 brought it forward to me, as a member of the City 168 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Council representing the area, and I would move to 3 try to bring the parties together. 4 MR. SIEGEL: With due respect, at the 5 last few meetings you have gotten up and said you're 6 listening, you're not speaking. You have sent the 7 message very clearly to the community, that you 8 don't stand with us. It's as elemental as that. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: I think 10 that's -- you're entitled to your opinion, Mr. 11 Siegel. 12 MR. SIEGEL: Well, thank you. 13 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: But I have 14 said all along that I expect a consensus to be 15 reached. And that's been my position. 16 MR. SIEGEL: And what have you done to 17 help create that consensus? You've played with 18 Columbia. That's what you've done. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: I am totally 20 supporting the Local Development Corporation that 21 has been set up with community members in order to 22 deal with the issue. 23 But anyway, I'm not here to argue 24 with you. 25 MR. SIEGEL: I'm not arguing. I'm 169 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 talking. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: That's 4 exactly what you're doing. 5 But what I suggested is that if, in 6 fact, you have an offer, and if I can help to 7 facilitate that, then reach out to me. You know my 8 cell number. 9 MR. SIEGEL: I certainly would, but 10 the question -- 11 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: And you 12 haven't called me. 13 MR. SIEGEL: But the question becomes, 14 you asked before, it couldn't be about trust, we 15 don't trust Columbia, and certain moments of this 16 process, I don't trust you. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: And I don't 18 necessarily trust you either. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: All right, 20 gentlemen. 21 MR. SIEGEL: We're even. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Gentlemen. 23 Okay, I think we're going to -- 24 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Mr. Chairman 25 -- 170 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: -- We're going 3 to end this colloquy here. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Let me just 5 say for Ann, I understand that you have not put an 6 offer on the table about your property. And, so, I 7 do understand that yours is a national historic 8 landmark and I understand your position with respect 9 to that. And if, in fact, if there is anything that 10 I can do to help in that process, please reach out 11 to me, and I'll reach out to you. 12 MS. WHITMAN: Thank you very much. 13 I would like to say that there has 14 been one Columbia employee who has been very helpful 15 to me, and his name is Warren Whitlocke. He's the 16 interface for the minority and women. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Yes. 18 MS. WHITMAN: People of our community, 19 and I feel very comfortable talking to him and will 20 continue to try to come up with some sort of 21 agreement. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Thank you 23 very much. 24 MR. SPRAYREGEN: Mr. Chairman, just a 25 point, to answer Councilman Jackson. 171 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 To be fair, Council Member, the plan 3 has been in embryo. We have just in the last couple 4 of days been able to put the financial figures 5 together so that it made sense to begin to present 6 it. Once that is done and finalized, we welcome your 7 offer of good faith negotiation or to be the 8 intermediary. We hope that Council Member Dickens 9 can also play that role as someone who is concerned 10 with the face of the community. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: You have my 12 cell number, you know where to reach me. 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 14 much. 15 We have a question or comment from 16 Council Member Dickens. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you so 18 much, Mr. Chair. 19 And good seeing you, Mr. Siegel. 20 Great campaign speech. 21 Now, I have a question for Dr. 22 Lipsky, please. 23 You had mentioned Mr. Sprayregen, who 24 I have not spoken with him personally about his 25 goodwill offer to swap property and my information 172 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 is really coming from what I've read in the 3 newspapers, so this is a question, and I'm asking 4 Dr. Lipsky because he is the one who mentioned it, 5 not you, Mr. Sprayregen. 6 And that the swap would entail that 7 Mr. Sprayregen would build affordable housing; did I 8 hear you correct? 9 MR. LIPSKY: Yes. 10 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: And my memory 11 also serves me that from the newspaper reports, 12 along with that offer of affordable housing that Mr. 13 Sprayregen would build, it would also be contingent 14 upon the City giving significant tax credits and 15 rent subsidies. Nor did I remember, and I may be 16 wrong, because like I said, I haven't spoken with 17 him directly, this is from the newspapers, nor do I 18 remember seeing anything about the actual AMI, which 19 would be contingent upon the AMI of the actual area 20 of the property. 21 So, I was just asking about -- 22 MR. LIPSKY: Council Member, all due 23 respect, I don't think it's the appropriate venue to 24 discuss all of the details here. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Well, you 173 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 brought it up so I'm just asking. 3 MR. LIPSKY: No. In terms of the 4 details that's a fair question. 5 The professionals that we have 6 working on the plan have been addressing those 7 issues. The people in labor that are supporting the 8 concept have been working on developing that as well 9 so that we can get the best mix of affordability, 10 workforce housing and market share so that the 11 community gets the best bang for the buck. 12 That's not fully developed yet, and, 13 of course, a lot of it depends on the support we get 14 from (a) the City Council, and (b) perhaps Columbia 15 as well, which has made a commitment to 16 affordability but yet has no space that they've 17 designated for such housing to be built. 18 So, I think the real key for us is to 19 have this body and the people, especially closest to 20 the situation, to work with us to bring the 21 University in and to come up with the best possible 22 solution that will be best for the community, Mr. 23 Sprayregen and for the City as a whole. 24 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you, 25 Dr. Lipsky. 174 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MR. LIPSKY: You're welcome. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Mr. 4 Sprayregen, just rather quickly, I know my time is 5 up, you mentioned 30 years ago you or your family 6 came and bought property in the Harlem area, about 7 30 years ago? Did I hear that correctly? 8 MR. SPRAYREGEN: Yes, in where we are 9 now. 10 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: All right. 11 Well, that was a very good time to buy property in 12 Harlem because it was very depreciated. You got a 13 great deal. I wonder what the assessed value is 14 today? 15 I don't want you to answer that. I 16 really don't. I was just wondering what the 17 assessment was today. 18 All right, thank you so much and 19 thank you for coming down. 20 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 21 Council Member Dickens. 22 We now thank you all for your 23 testimony. 24 Let me move to the next panel, which 25 includes Harriet Michel, Crystal Mackenzie, Trevor 175 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Green, Ramon Diaz, and while they're coming up let 3 me tell you who is on deck. 4 Ruth Eisenberg will be after this. 5 Christabel Gough, Goff (phonetic), I'm sorry. Nellie 6 Barley -- 7 MS. BAILEY: Bailey. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Bailey, sorry. 9 Nellie Bailey. Tom DeMott. Next. That's the group 10 next. 11 I'm sorry, can you just state your 12 name? 13 MS. MICHEL: Yes, I'm Harriet Michel. 14 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, so we 15 have Harriet Michel, and what's your name? 16 MS. FARRELL: Cheryl Farrell on behalf 17 of Trevor Green. 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, we have 19 Trevor Green. 20 Crystal Mackenzie and Ramon Diaz, not 21 here. Okay, we'd like to fill out this panel with 22 Derrick Haynes. Mr. Haynes, are you here? Derrick 23 Haynes. 24 Michael Williams? Michael Williams, 25 are you here? Michael Williams? 176 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Fred Daniel. Mr. Daniel, are you 3 here? Fred Daniel? Mr. Daniel? 4 Michael Lewis. Mr. Lewis? Michael 5 Lewis? 6 Harold Lyons. Mr. Lyons, are you 7 here? Harold Lyons? 8 Victor Body Lawson. Body Lawson? Mr. 9 Lawson, you are here, great. So, you can come up and 10 join us. 11 Michael Novielli. You're here, too? 12 Great. Terrific. 13 So, if we could fill out this panel 14 with Mr. Novielli and Mr. Lawson and Ms. Michel, why 15 don't you go ahead and get started as soon as you're 16 ready. And introduce yourself. 17 MS. MICHEL: Good afternoon. My name 18 is Harriet Michel. I've lived in the community for 19 35 years, and my husband and I have owned and 20 operated a business in the designated expansion area 21 for nearly that long. In fact, we have already sold 22 our property to Columbia University, and we are 23 leasing it back from them. 24 I spent my entire 40-year career in 25 not-for-profit or government agencies working on 177 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 issues of equity, parity and justice for people of 3 color. 4 For the past 20 years, I've been the 5 President of a national organization that promotes 6 and develops minority-owned businesses with Fortune 7 500 Corporations and other buying organizations. 8 Last year, working with nearly 16,000 9 minority-owned firms, our corporate members 10 purchased more than $100 billion worth of goods and 11 services from our certified minority firms. 12 I believe the economic empowerment 13 communities of color enables us to better solve our 14 own problems, and be less dependent on the welfare 15 and good wishes of others. 16 I believe Columbia's plan affords our 17 community the best opportunity to have not only 18 improved amenities and quality of life, but offers 19 the best opportunity for sustained economic growth 20 through the creation of new jobs and businesses. 21 Some of the loudest voices of 22 opposition to this plan do not live in our 23 community, and certainly cannot offer the same level 24 of economic opportunity as the Columbia Plan. 25 I would also remind us that the 178 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 inevitability of the area's redevelopment. There is 3 no corner or block of Manhattan that is not facing 4 gentrification of some type. 5 Frankly, I think we'd rather work 6 with Columbia University for whom we have some 7 negotiating leverage than dealing with rapacious 8 developers. 9 So, I urge us not to reject the plan 10 outright, nor to make inappropriate demands that 11 render the plan unfeasible (sic). 12 Columbia is not the City, State or 13 Federal Government, so we should not expect them to 14 do things or provide services that are the 15 responsibility of governments and should be provided 16 through our tax dollars. Our anger and frustration 17 with government should not be foisted on Columbia. 18 I wish we could corral the anger 19 around this project and beat on the doors of this 20 City Council, New York State Legislature and the US 21 Congress to demand programs to provide affordable 22 housing, better schools and other public policies. 23 Nevertheless, Columbia is a major 24 economic engine for Upper Manhattan, and will 25 continue to be a driver for economic growth. 179 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 I would like to see Columbia 3 significantly increase its purchases for minority 4 and women and locally owned businesses and goods and 5 service, construction and maintenance contracts with 6 targets in place. 7 This expansion has the potential to 8 create more than 6,000 jobs. Perhaps Columbia should 9 fund a local not-for-profit organization to conduct 10 job training for future positions. 11 There should be retail business 12 opportunities set aside for local firms that are in 13 a position to take advantage of the opportunity. 14 Perhaps a seed grant loan, seed grant or loan fund 15 program can be created or backed by Columbia and 16 administered by you Umez (phonetic) or Carver Bank 17 to be established to provide capital for these new 18 businesses started by local residents. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: All right. 20 Thank you very much. I didn't expect you to end at 21 the end of that sentence. But thank you very much. 22 MR. MICHEL: I wasn't going to but I 23 realized I had to. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: I appreciate 25 it. Thank you. Go right ahead. 180 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MS. FARRELL: Good afternoon. My name 3 is Cheryl Farrell. I'm a union member. I'm a union 4 electrician for the past 20 years, and I'm a proud 5 member of Local Union 3 International Brotherhood of 6 Electrical Workers. 7 As stated previously, James Coletti, 8 one of the members of the Building Trades, stated 9 all the reasons why the Building Trades should be 10 part of this Columbia project. And I'm here to speak 11 to you as a member of Local Union 3 and the Building 12 Trades. 13 I'm the mother of a daughter who is 14 also an electrician in Local Union Number 3 IBEW. I 15 also have two brothers that are members of Local 16 Union 3, and we have all been partners with Local 17 Union 3 in supporting this project. 18 The Building Trades employ many 19 minority members that live in Harlem, and many of us 20 work in Harlem. I currently work at a project at the 21 Studebaker Building on 133rd Street, 615 West 133rd 22 Street, and that was a tremendous project. 23 We had many minority members from the 24 community as electricians, carpenters, plumbers, 25 steamfitters and many members from the Building 181 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Trades who worked on that project, and many of the 3 projects currently going on in Columbia. 4 Many of our members live in the 5 surrounding boroughs, and we do work in Harlem and 6 in different parts of Manhattan. I believe that this 7 project will provide many jobs for many of our 8 members in the building trades, and these jobs do 9 pay the prevailing rate, or if you want to consider 10 it, living wages to many of our members to support 11 our families, and I support this project. 12 Thank you. 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 14 much. 15 Go right ahead. 16 MR. NOVIELLI: Good afternoon. My name 17 is Michael -- 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Hit the 19 button. 20 MR. NOVIELLI: Good afternoon. My name 21 is Michael Novielli, and I'm here to present written 22 testimony on behalf of nine students who aren't able 23 to attend because of final exams. 24 I will read one testimony now. A 25 portion of one testimony now. 182 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 As an engineering student I feel like 3 having the extra space that the Manhattanville 4 expansion would provide will greatly benefit the C's 5 educational experience. Mud is often packed due to 6 sharing space between multiple apartments, and even 7 with non-C's -- C's stands for engineering -- 8 students any extra space would be beneficial. 9 I will submit all of the written 10 testimony as well. Thank you. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 12 much. We appreciate it. 13 Sir. 14 MR. BODY LAWSON: Good afternoon. My 15 name is Victor Body Lawson. I'm the Principal of 16 Body Lawson Associates Architects and Planners. It's 17 an architectural firm founded in Harlem in 1993 with 18 the sole purpose of empowering the community through 19 architecture and design. 20 I received my master's of 21 architecture from Columbia University in 1984 and 22 taught architecture at City College, Columbia and 23 Yale Universities for a duration of about 17 years. 24 My academic and professional focus 25 has been on sustainable urban communities with an 183 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 emphasis on positive development, particularly in 3 Harlem. 4 My firm has worked on several 5 projects on the Morningside Campus of Columbia 6 University's Morningside Campus, and we're currently 7 working with a team of architects, including Renzo 8 Piano Building Workshop and Davis Brody Bond on the 9 first phase 1 development of the Manhattanville 10 campus. 11 After its inception in 1754, Columbia 12 University moved to Harlem in 1897 and became a 13 major institutional anchor in the community. 14 For 110 years Columbia has provided 15 jobs, education and health care to the community. It 16 has attracted students, faculty and staff from the 17 community, the nation and the world. 18 As a member of the community, it has 19 been a strong force in shaping the socioeconomic 20 fabric of Harlem and New York City as a whole. 21 I believe that Columbia's growth will 22 benefit Harlem by increasing job opportunities, 23 education, health care and culture. 24 As a magnet, Columbia has and will 25 continue to be a stable neighbor that ensures 184 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 economic viability of our community. 3 As a professional, I have seen the 4 benefits that a modern university can bring to its 5 local community. A true partnership can elevate the 6 educational, health and economic standards of the 7 community. 8 In developing the Manhattanville 9 campus, Columbia has made a commitment to good 10 design through the use of the US Green Building 11 Council and LEED standards in order to reduce the 12 carbon footprint that such a large development would 13 have. 14 This will be the first of its kind in 15 New York City. 16 The design also calls for open spaces 17 and an urban layer that encourages interaction 18 between the community and the University's faculty 19 staff and students. 20 The urban layer, with its associated 21 open spaces, will be designed to promote social 22 interaction and economic opportunities that could 23 greatly benefit the community. 24 Columbia's growth is intricately -- 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Sir, please 185 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 wrap it up. 3 MR. BODY LAWSON: -- Tied to the 4 community and the City. 5 In order to maintain a competitive 6 edge with Yale, Harvard, Princeton and other great 7 high-learning institutions that are undergoing an 8 expansion program, Columbia will need to grow. 9 I support the 197-c plan. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 11 Thank you very much to all of you for 12 your testimony. We appreciate your being here. 13 The next panel is Ruth Eisenberg, 14 Christabel Gough, Nellie Bailey, Tom DeMott. 15 Oh, Christabel is not here. So, in 16 place of Christabel, is Sarah Martin here? 17 MS. MARTIN: Yes. 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Ms. Martin, if 19 you could come fill out this panel, we would 20 appreciate it. 21 And the next panel up will be David 22 Huang. Steven and David Kraus, I assume that you're 23 going to be doing this together? Michael Sim and Dr. 24 Rafael Lantigua. Langigua, sorry. Handwriting 25 difficult. 186 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Please go right ahead. As soon as 3 you're ready, introduce yourself and get started. Go 4 ahead, hit the button on the microphone and you'll 5 be all set. 6 MS. EISENBERG: Can you hear me? 7 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Yes. 8 MS. EISENBERG: Okay. My name is Ruth 9 Eisenberg. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: If you can 11 just try and speak up a little bit. 12 MS. EISENBERG: I'm with the Coalition 13 to Preserve Community. And first of all, I want to 14 reiterate that discussions over Land Use are 15 supposed to take place between Columbia and the 16 Community Board, not the LDC. And those discussions 17 have never taken place. 18 I'm urging you to vote yes on the CB 19 9 197-a and no on the Columbia 197-c. You should do 20 so because Columbia's plan includes biohazard level 21 3 research facilities. Those facilities will demand 22 security that will make a mockery of the public 23 spaces they're proposing. It will make them 24 inaccessible and unwelcome to the community. There 25 are 1 million people within three miles of the 187 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 proposed facility, most of those individuals are 3 low-income people of color, living in an 4 environmental justice area. A biotech 3 lab using 5 SARs, small pox, typhus, or yellow fever presents a 6 terrorist target in post-9/11 Manhattan. 7 The Columbia EIS does not present a 8 worst case scenario for internal or external 9 sabotage and on that basis you should vote down the 10 plan. 11 Virtually all medical research can be 12 conducted at level 2, and NIH funding for medical 13 research is drying up. What is growing is research 14 in biodefense work, that is germ warfare from the 15 Office of Homeland Security and Columbia is already 16 very active in that field. That very dangerous work 17 should not be conducted in a densely populated urban 18 environment, particularly when Columbia has two 19 science campuses, Nevis and Lamont Doherty in 20 Irvington and Palisades, New York, which have 200 21 acres between them that could accommodate these 22 laboratories. 23 Further, there is no need for biotech 24 3 labs to be near Columbia's other research 25 facilities Uptown in this age of electronic 188 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 communication. Their own researcher's testimony at 3 CB 9 downplayed the necessity of being nearby, and 4 Columbia does not use all the biotech space it now 5 has. It rents 100,000 square feet of the Autobahn 6 Business and Technology Center, 16 Life Sciences 7 Companies for a cool $55 a square foot. In my 8 opinion, they will do the same in Manhattanville. 9 Such labs employ scientists and lab technicians who 10 are mostly foreign nationals. In contrast, the 11 community 197-a plan maintains manufacturing zoning 12 so that community members can have jobs that 13 historically pay more than the retail and low-level 14 service jobs Columbia's plan promises. 15 Oversight of biotech labs is 16 inadequate. The EPA is desperately underfunded and 17 can't inspect large facilities regularly. They rely 18 on self-auditing, which Columbia already 19 participates in. 20 In addition, Columbia has been fined 21 hundreds of thousands of dollars for violation. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 23 up. 24 MS. EISENBERG: Thank you. 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 189 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 much. 3 Go right ahead. Thank you. 4 MS. BAILEY: Thank you very much. I'm 5 very happy to be here this morning. My name is 6 Nellie Hester Bailey. I am the Director of the 7 Harlem Tenants Council, a member of the Coalition to 8 preserve community and a public member of CB 9's 9 197-a Committee. And kudos to the community members 10 who were not acknowledged this morning, the 11 residents of CB 9 who made all the difference with 12 respect to the successful completion of the 197-a 13 plan. 14 I want to preference my two concerns 15 with this bit of information and notice to members 16 of this Committee. Columbia University's expansion 17 proposal cannot be viewed in isolation from the rest 18 of the development that is occurring throughout 19 Harlem. 20 Specifically the 125th Street 21 river-to-river study that is proposing a business 22 district creation, a study that was partially funded 23 by Columbia University, as well as the East Harlem 24 Project formerly Uptown New York, which is an 25 initiative of Mayor Bloomberg. 190 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 And all of these developments, 3 including Columbia University, the use of eminent 4 domain is on the table. And for those Council 5 Members who have derisively dismissed the concern of 6 the business owners, I would like to ask, is there 7 no concern for the preservation of the Cotton Club, 8 a historic resource building in the footprint 9 itself? Is there no concern for the 71 black-owned 10 businesses, minority-owned businesses on 125th 11 Street that will be displaced in the river-to-river 12 proposal and recommendations of the City Planning 13 Commission in its environmental impact statement? 14 These are all vital resources of our 15 community and they must be preserved. 16 There is no reason in the world why 17 members of the City Council should play a race and 18 class divisions here with respect to those people 19 who own businesses being classified as outsiders. 20 Is Lee Bollinger an outsider? 21 Secondly, I would like to address the 22 issue of the promise of jobs and housing. 23 Columbia University's expansion 24 proposal does not include affordable housing within 25 the footprint. There is a scarcity of land in which 191 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 we can construct housing in this City, and we all 3 know that this City is placed in a housing crisis. 4 Secondly, with respect to the 5 biosafety level 3 laboratories that the University 6 is proposing, it is incumbent on members of the City 7 Council that this issue is a national issue, not 8 only a City issue, in terms of safety. 9 The US House of Representatives is 10 currently looking at the safety issues in place in 11 the regulatory oversight of the biotech 12 laboratories. We are owed safety concern, not only 13 from the City Council, but also looking at Columbia 14 University's biotech lab -- 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 16 MS. BAILEY: -- In relationship to the 17 dangers -- 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 19 MS. BAILEY: -- It proposes to West 20 Harlem, the City of New York, as well as the 21 country. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 23 MS. BAILEY: You owe that to us. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you for 25 your testimony. We appreciate it. 192 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MS. BAILEY: And please contract the 3 House of Representatives. 4 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 5 Go right ahead. 6 MS. MARTIN: Hello to all. My name is 7 Sarah Martin -- 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Hit the button 9 one more time. 10 MS. MARTIN: Can you hear me now? 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Yes. 12 MS. MARTIN: Yes? 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Yes. 14 MS. MARTIN: Hi to all. 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: There you go. 16 MS. MARTIN: My name is Sarah Martin, 17 and I'm the President of the General Grant Houses, 18 which is 1,940 units, over 4,400 people, nine 19 buildings. 20 I'm also on the CP, the Community to 21 Preserve Community, the CPC. I am also co-chair of 22 the Morningside Heights West Harlem Sanitation 23 Coalition. And a lot of my people couldn't come 24 today. They do have to work. We are poor people. But 25 however, they sent me to give a message to you all, 193 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 especially to Robert and to Inez, who we are very 3 familiar with. And we believe that they are 4 sensitive to our needs. 5 Our most concerns are, we are already 6 fighting a battle because our houses are 7 deteriorating, needs a lot of repairs, which the 8 City claim not to have money for. I'm hoping 9 somebody can help us out. 10 Scott Stringer once said he would 11 with the member of the New York City Housing 12 Authority. That has not come to pass, and I don't 13 think it's going to come to pass. 14 However, looking at the community as 15 a whole, I mean the ball is in you guys' court. You 16 can see that this is a win/win situation. The only 17 thing that needs to be done to fix this is that you 18 all can send Columbia back to the drawing board, 19 have them look at their plans again. Consider the 20 bullet points that Community Board 9 has laid out as 21 resolutions, which I think is very, very well put 22 for us, as people who is going to be impacted 23 greatly by this already - mentally, physically, 24 medically. I'm a chronic asthmatic myself. I once 25 visioned walking down to the river and sitting there 194 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 with my grand kids looking at all of the park we're 3 supposed to be getting. Well, I doubt if I'll be 4 able to see through all the smoke, the dust and be 5 able to breathe to do this now. 6 So, that's enough for us to go 7 through. So, you all can save us from going through 8 any other necessary changes, and what I mean by that 9 is, losing the businesses that are in our community, 10 we've been using for many, many years. Columbia 11 plans to want to come to our community in a friendly 12 manner. Well, they have a reputation of not wanting 13 any neighbors. They can change that now. 14 They can live there with the 15 community, side-by-side and have their dormitory and 16 their other businesses and anything else they want. 17 But then the amount of profit they already have, 18 rather than to come into the neighborhood and 19 forcibly take our property, our homes. If they want 20 to be friendly, let them live with those people, as 21 neighbors. You all can do something about that, and 22 my people asked me to appeal to you all, to please 23 let them go back to the board and come back again, 24 both on 197-a, no for the 197-c, as it is now. Thank 25 you. 195 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 3 much. 4 Mr. DeMott. 5 MR. DeMOTT: Tom DeMott, from the 6 Coalition to Preserve Community. 7 Councilman Avella referred to this as 8 the People's House, this room. Sometimes it's very 9 hard not to be a little, what someone referred to as 10 rude, because we are facing a situation that is very 11 dramatic. 12 Columbia's plan is an eviction plan. 13 It's anything but a people's plan. It's one which 14 wants to bulldoze a huge swathe of West Harlem. 15 Tenants on my block who live on the southern end of 16 where the expansion will be, are being harassed 17 already. Tenants on the northern end of 3333 18 Broadway have already lost 200 apartments, many of 19 those being renovated and then put with Columbia 20 teachers or students. 21 The long-time property owners who are 22 dealing with eminent domain, the threat, actually 23 eminent domain, it's already used. It's been used 24 for like four years or more. That's Columbia's 25 non-people's weapon. 196 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 When President Bollinger said, we're 3 not going to use eminent domain against the 4 residents, those six buildings there in HPD, these 5 are HPD properties, have gone through the Community 6 Board, and I've been on the Board for 25 years here 7 and there, attended all these Housing Committee 8 meetings, we got those buildings into HPD programs 9 to become affordable housing, and what Columbia is 10 doing in conjunction with HPD and in conjunction 11 with the Mayor's Office is high pressuring them, 12 what you call in eminent domain by any other name to 13 get out. 14 That gets me to, there is an 15 alternative. Lamont Doherty, 140 acres, Nevis Labs 16 has 60 acres. Columbia can put a lot of their stuff 17 up there and share this community. 18 But this is a very dirty process 19 here. It's a vicious process. And just as eminent 20 domain is an undercurrent to this issue which we 21 can't talk about, so is the community benefits 22 agreement one that we're not supposed to talk about. 23 I was on the LDC up til about three 24 weeks ago. I resigned because I saw the handwriting 25 on the wall. Others resigned as well. 197 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 This is becoming something that is 3 dominated by the elected officials. It's no longer 4 something that the hard work that we've done, and I 5 was on more committees and spent more time on 6 committees than anybody else on that LDC. I think 7 Pat spent more time working on the LDC than I did, 8 but the fact of the matter is that we spent -- did I 9 just lose my mike? Okay, the fact of the matter is 10 that we are now -- I also saw Bill Lynch sitting 11 over here, he orchestrated, you all know him, you're 12 all democrats, he orchestrated getting those elected 13 officials on the LDC, and now they are doing what we 14 predicted what they would be doing. They are 15 attempting, Village works for Columbia, Columbia is 16 using the connection to the politicians, and what 17 they're doing now is they're coming up with some 18 kind of favorable end run around all the Committee 19 work that was done on that LDC. 20 So, we're not seeing a democratic 21 process coming out of the 197-a plan, we are seeing 22 a business as usual situation, we're seeing zoning 23 for dollars, and just as we saw on the City Planning 24 Commission that Amanda Burden, Dolly Williams, vote 25 for Columbia, and then the next day she's fined 198 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 $5,000 and kicked off. We are seeing -- we could see 3 that this becomes Columbia's house, this room, and 4 not ours. And that should not happen. 5 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 6 much. 7 And thank you all for your testimony 8 today. 9 We're going to call the next panel. 10 Let me see who is here. David Huang, 11 are you here? David Huang? No. 12 Steven Kraus and David Kraus, are you 13 here? Yes, they are. Come join us. 14 Michael Sin. Are you here? Okay. 15 Dr. Rafael, with the last name that I 16 couldn't pronounce before, Lantigua? You are here? 17 Okay. 18 And Paul Renden. Excuse me, 19 gentlemen. You're together as a -- oh, you're 20 talking separately? So, Mr. Renden? Are you here, 21 Mr. Renden? Paul Renden? You're not. Okay. 22 So, we're ready to get started, sir. 23 Go ahead. 24 MR. KRAUS: My name is David Kraus, 25 and I'm the owner of a commercial building on West 199 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 130th Street, where our family business, Skyline 3 Windows, now in its third generation operates from. 4 I am retired. I'm 82 years old. Born in the Bronx. A 5 graduate of NYU under the GI bill, and I've lived in 6 New York my entire life. I love New York. 7 When Columbia approached us and 8 outlined their goal, a new campus that encompasses 9 our present location, I had explained the importance 10 of finding a new home for Skyline, a building that 11 would satisfy our needs and include future growth. I 12 believe what Columbia wants to achieve, by building 13 a new campus, will be great for the future growth of 14 this City and the immediate neighborhoods, and I am 15 proud to play a small part in that enterprise. 16 I must also add that my relationship 17 with Columbia has been very professional and always 18 with great integrity. 19 Thank you. 20 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Thank you. And I 21 appreciate that you did it under the three minutes. 22 MR. KRAUS: I will try as well. 23 My name is Steven Kraus. I am the 24 President of Skyline Windows, as my father said, a 25 third generation family-run business. We employ over 200 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 250 people, the vast majority from New York City. 3 Initially we viewed Columbia as the 4 force that would undermine the future of our 5 business. They wanted us to relocate. They were 6 persistent in suggesting they were open to many 7 potential options. After many attempts and long 8 negotiations, a plan emerged that seemed workable. 9 We were not against Columbia, we were 10 for our business. Today I can tell you Columbia was 11 sincere in their commitment to us to find a proper 12 new home for our business and all of its employees. 13 They have professionally approached every part of 14 our project and we look forward to our move next 15 summer. 16 Columbia's concern for the continued 17 employment and job growth has been evident 18 throughout the process. We feel Columbia has 19 orchestrated a win/win scenario for our company and 20 its employees. 21 Unlike many of the negotiations and 22 deals a business enters into, this involved a 23 significant leap of faith. 24 (Outburst from the audience.) 25 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: You know, we were 201 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 doing so well. We were doing so well. 3 If you do something like that, you 4 only reflect on yourself. Ladies and gentlemen, when 5 people interrupt people at the witness statement, 6 you are being undemocratic. You are taking away the 7 entire democratic process out of this. No matter 8 what side you're on, and it is a disgrace when you 9 do that. I ask if somebody wants to speak, that's 10 the place they do it. And it's a shame we were doing 11 so well. 12 Sir, I'm sorry. Go ahead. 13 MR. KRAUS: Norman, this wasn't 14 targeted at me, was it? 15 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Sir, please don't 16 engage in any type of conversation. 17 MR. KRAUS: I'm sorry. Okay. 18 I will say that Columbia has -- 19 (outburst from the audience.) 20 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: All right, look, 21 I said from the very beginning, from the very 22 beginning that hisses, boos, people out of order, 23 would not be tolerated. If everybody keeps to that 24 simple doctrine, we will leave it as is, and I will 25 ask the Sergeant-At-Arms to leave it. But the very 202 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 next outburst, the Sergeant-At-Arms also have a 3 security issue here, and I ask for everybody's 4 cooperation and remember, when people act out, you 5 only reflect on yourself, and you do your cause no 6 good service. 7 This is the warning from now on. I 8 ask everybody to control themselves. 9 MR. KRAUS: Unlike many of the 10 negotiations and deals a business enters into, this 11 involved a significant leap of faith. Not only has 12 Columbia deserved our trust, but their genuine 13 concern for the needs of our employees will result 14 in our ability to increase our workforce by 20 15 percent. 16 The issues surrounding this entire 17 project are complex, and my purpose is not to 18 support or reject one side or the other, but to 19 emphasize that when Columbia has made a commitment 20 to us, they have delivered. 21 Thank you. 22 MR. RODRIGUEZ: Hi. My name is Yanida 23 Rodriguez. I'm reading for a student, Michael Sin. 24 As a recent alumnus of Columbia 25 University I can speak based on firsthand experience 203 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 on the reasons why Columbia is pursuing such an 3 ambitious campus expansion plan into Manhattanville. 4 Columbia is faced with a tremendous 5 space constraint that has prevented the University 6 from growing and limited its ability to contribute 7 to the community. Every aspect of the University is 8 strained, dormitory, classrooms and office space are 9 all in short supply, and has left Columbia at a 10 disadvantage in comparison to its peers. 11 The Manhattanville Campus would add 12 substantial physical space to the University, and it 13 is my sincere belief that students, faculty and 14 community will all benefit from the development. 15 The new campus will create much 16 needed green space for the community and serve as a 17 focal point for community bridge building across 18 various backgrounds that now make the Upper West 19 Side. 20 The expansion into Manhattanville 21 will transform a currently under-utilized industrial 22 space into a vibrant venue, in which both the 23 University and community can partake. 24 Regretfully, the plan will displace 25 some businesses and might increase rents in the 204 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 nearby residential complexes, but keep in mind that 3 new developments also bring about main economic 4 benefits to the surrounding area as well. 5 The development of the Manhattanville 6 Campus will infuse investment into the area and spur 7 the creation of a wide variety of jobs, such as more 8 modest positions, like maintenance, to high level 9 positions, like school administrators. 10 The construction required in the 11 earlier phases of the project can also create many 12 local construction contracts. 13 Columbia has always had a commitment 14 to the community and I believe it will continue to 15 play its part. 16 The creation of the new campus will 17 also accelerate the revitalization of West Harlem, 18 bringing more residences and businesses into an area 19 that is currently sparsely populated. 20 With more people migrating into the 21 vicinity there will be more spending at restaurants 22 and shops, which in turn create more jobs and tax 23 dollars that in turn will translate into more 24 funding for community programming and local schools. 25 In closing, the development of the 205 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Manhattanville Campus will bring about tangible 3 benefits for the community, the University and the 4 City at every step along the way. 5 I would like to emphasize that this 6 investment from the University will create numerous 7 new job opportunities necessary to support the new 8 campus, and will have an economic ripple effect 9 around the area. 10 The long-term benefits of the plan 11 far outweigh the short-term costs. And I strongly 12 believe the Manhattanville expansion plan should 13 continue to move forward. 14 Sincerely, Michael Sin, University 15 Class of 2005, with support of Jennifer Lee, 16 Columbia University, Class of 2005, and Christopher 17 Wong, Columbia University Class of 2002. 18 Thank you. 19 MS. BENETEZ: Hi. My name is Victoria 20 Benetez, and I'm also reading for Dr. Rafael 21 Lantigua. Unfortunately, a lot of Columbia's 22 supporters had to leave, so there will be a lot of 23 us reading for other people. 24 Honorable Council members, thank you 25 for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you. 206 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 I come before you as a supporter of 3 Columbia University's proposed expansion plan for 4 mixed use academic community, which I have voiced on 5 several occasions. 6 My name is Dr. Rafael Lantigua, and I 7 am a Board member of the Northern Manhattan 8 Coalition for Immigrant Rights and Professor of 9 Clinical Medicine, Associate Director of the 10 Division of General Medicine at Columbia 11 University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. 12 The Columbia University Expansion 13 Plan is an important project for New York City and 14 for its future as a global leader in research and 15 education. 16 It is also a critical project for 17 people of West Harlem and Northern Manhattan, in 18 terms of future employment. For many years I have 19 worked and fought for the rights of members of the 20 Latino Community throughout West Harlem, Washington 21 Heights and Inwood. During this time I have seen 22 firsthand the countless benefits that my community 23 has received because of having Columbia University 24 as its neighbor. 25 As a Columbia University Medical 207 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Center physician, I'm very proud to work and teach 3 at a hospital that not only does Nobel Prize winning 4 research, Columbia happens to also be an important 5 community partner. 6 For decades the University has 7 collaborated with local community-based 8 organizations to provide nearly 150 programs that 9 help improve the quality of life in Latino and 10 African-American community. 11 Columbia has also provided funding 12 and other resources for programs that continue to 13 make a difference to the people I work with in Upper 14 Manhattan, including such programs as the Northern 15 Manhattan Start Right Coalition that serves 16 low-income communities of Harlem and Washington 17 Heights and Inwood with free vaccinations to 18 children, ages six to 23 months. 19 Columbia also provides free dental 20 care to approximately 3,000 neighborhood children 21 each year throughout Northern Manhattan, as well as 22 providing more than 3,500 students with free 23 eyeglasses through its Center for Community Health 24 and Education. 25 In addition, Columbia University 208 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Medical Center's commitment to women's health is 3 quite impressive. Through its breast cancer 4 screening partnership, Columbia provides free 5 mammograms, cervical screening, genetic counseling, 6 mental health guidance and other live-saving 7 preventive health care services to uninsured women 8 over 40 in Upper Manhattan. 9 Columbia also provides special 10 scholarships for children who live in Upper 11 Manhattan, including the Dykman scholarships which 12 provide financial support to outstanding students 13 from the Washington Heights Inwood areas who attend 14 Columbia College. 15 In the current academic year, about 16 25 undergraduate students from Washington Heights 17 Inwood are receiving more than $700,000 in aid. When 18 I consider the large number of community members 19 employed by Columbia University, nearly 30 percent 20 of Columbia's staff live in Upper Manhattan, it only 21 bolsters my support of a plan, as the Manhattanville 22 expansion will only increase the number of jobs for 23 members of the community. 24 I would like to thank you for your 25 time and please support Columbia's proposal. Our 209 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 community needs it. 3 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Thank you for 4 your testimony. 5 The next panel is Dara Silverman, 6 Francine Perlman, Ishmael Wallace and Andrew, is it 7 pronounced Lyubarsky. It's L-y-u-b-a-r-s-k-y. 8 MS. SILVERMAN: Hi. My name is Dara 9 Silverman. I'd like to thank the Committee today 10 for, the joint committees, for having us here. I'm 11 the Director of Jews for Racial and Economic 12 Justice. We're a community-based group here in New 13 York City. We have 1,200 members and 2,500 14 supporters around the City. Many of our members live 15 on the Upper West Side in Washington Heights. We 16 have a number of Columbia students and alumni who 17 are in our membership. 18 We recently did a survey of our 19 membership when we started a campaign on affordable 20 housing, and the biggest issue, the issue of most 21 concern to our members, was the expansion of 22 Columbia into West Harlem, and whether low-income 23 communities and communities of color were going to 24 have housing and jobs preserved in that process. 25 Through the process of working with 210 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the Coalition to Preserve Community, what we've 3 learned has been incredibly disturbing to our 4 members. The environmental impacts, the loss of 5 affordable housing, the threat of eminent domain, 6 all of these things are of primary urgency. We had a 7 forum linking this issue to Hanukkah, the holiday 8 that just ended yesterday, last week, and members 9 came out from all across the City to hear testimony 10 from students at Columbia, from members of the 11 Coalition to Preserve Community, from 12 representatives from WeACT, and the primary concerns 13 that they had were that as Jews from across this 14 City, our religious, our cultural, our identities 15 are tied up in what would this mean if we lived 16 there? Is this what we would do if we lived there? 17 Is this what we would do to other communities? And 18 the answer is vehemently no. We support the 197-a 19 plan. We do not support Columbia's plan because it 20 does not stand in line with Jewish values. 21 We believe, as we have worked with 22 Council Member Jackson, in supporting Debbie 23 Almentazer (phonetic), we have seen the response 24 that you can take when you see that an issue of 25 racial and civil liberties is really being violated, 211 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and we believe that in this instance you can stand 3 with the community, you can stand in support of 4 197-a because it is the right thing for the 5 residents, because it is the right thing for New 6 York City, and because we stand together against 7 what is possible in New York City, to become a City 8 primarily for upper middle class white people, 9 primarily for people like our membership who could 10 benefit from that, but because of our values, we 11 stand against it becoming a City where immigrants 12 can't afford to live. 13 As a community of immigrants both 14 today and in the past, we believe it is urgent that 15 low-income people, that immigrants, that communities 16 of color be able to afford to live in West Harlem 17 and throughout this City, and the push moving people 18 further and further out, and pushing down jobs so 19 that there is no capacity for people to survive and 20 for families to survive is not what Jewish values, 21 not what this Council and not what Abraham Lincoln 22 here on the rotting ceiling would say that we want 23 our lives to be. 24 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: I'm glad you 25 picked up on the rotting ceiling. While we're 212 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 sitting here we actually have a piece of plaster 3 fall on us. 4 Next speaker. 5 MS. PERLMAN: Okay, I'm Francine 6 Perlman. I'm with the Coalition to Preserve 7 Community, and also with JFREJ, Jews For Racial and 8 Economic Justice, and I'm also a tenant in what we 9 call the "sandwich district." I live just north of 10 Columbia Campus and south of the expansion district, 11 and therefore, a neighborhood always worried about 12 whether Columbia is going to want to buy back its 13 housing because it sold it in the sixties and it's 14 probably kicking itself black and blue ever since. 15 I don't think anybody doubts the 16 excellence of Columbia as a University and as a 17 hospital. We are here addressing its expansion, not 18 its excellence as a University. And I would like to 19 address what President Bollinger said. He said 20 "Columbia is desperate for space." Well, we're all 21 desperate for space. We live on a little Island. And 22 I would like to narrow this discussion specifically 23 to the issue of displacement. Tenants are desperate 24 for space. Many of the tenants in West Harlem and in 25 the surrounding communities are doubled up. They 213 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 can't afford any more. 3 The students of City College live an 4 hour and a half away in the other boroughs, they 5 can't afford to live in this neighborhood. 6 And, so, I would say that if there is 7 already affordable housing here, in the place, in 8 the footprint, and if Columbia thinks that there is 9 the potential for affordable housing over here, then 10 in my opinion, as a tenant, moving one tenant out of 11 this affordable housing, into other affordable 12 housing and taking away this unit for another use, 13 is subtracting from the available, affordable 14 housing. We need both of those. We can't give this 15 up. 16 The line for affordable housing is 17 stretching around the globe four times already. So, 18 I would say that displacement is just not possible 19 at all. It just can't happen. We can't say, okay, 20 we'll move them into other affordable housing. We 21 need both of those stocks of affordable housing and 22 anyway it seems as if this other one is just some 23 mirage from someplace because there doesn't seem to 24 be any space for it at all. 25 Thank you. 214 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 3 much. 4 Go right ahead. 5 MR. WALLACE: My name is Ishmael 6 Wallace. 7 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Mr. Wallace, 8 you can raise the microphone. There you go. Perfect. 9 MR. WALLACE: Thank you. My heartfelt 10 thanks to everybody who is here. I really appreciate 11 this desire that everybody in this room has to help 12 out. 13 I'm a pianist and a composer, and I 14 also help to organize a concert series, celebrating 15 my neighborhood. I also help to organize a concert 16 series which is inspired by my neighbors in the 17 Greater West Harlem area. 18 And I have to say, this community is 19 not very wealthy financially, but it is so wealthy 20 in culture, in history, in compassion and in 21 volunteerism and in generosity, and I get so much 22 spiritual nourishment from being with my neighbors. 23 And for me the critical issue is preservation of 24 cultural diversity. 25 I think it's very important that just 215 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 as this world needs biodiversity, we need to have 3 space in New York City where people can try out 4 different ways of living. 5 I love visiting the Upper East Side, 6 I genuinely do, but I feel it's important that not 7 all of Manhattan look like the Upper East Side. 8 There should be different ways. 9 Finally, New York City is a cultural 10 capital of the world, not just because of big 11 institutions like Lincoln Center, although those are 12 important, but also because historically it's been 13 possible for artists and musicians to afford to live 14 here. And the 197-a plan has provision for artists 15 living in West Harlem. 16 I think it's very important to 17 preserve the possibility for different creative 18 approaches and not just bulldoze everything and have 19 one approach. 20 Thank you so much for everything. 21 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you so 22 much for your testimony. 23 Go ahead. 24 MR. LYUBARSKY: Good afternoon. My 25 name is Andrew Lyubarsky and I am a junior that's 216 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 currently enrolled in Columbia University. 3 Quite to the contrary of the picture 4 that's being presented by paid representatives of 5 the Columbia Administration, at every step of the 6 way through the ULURP process Columbia students have 7 stood behind members of the community and made their 8 opposition to the 197-c rezoning plan and their 9 support of the Community Board's 9 197-a plan plain 10 and clear. 11 The very people in whose name the 12 University is seeking to expand have called 13 consistently for the plan to be accountable to local 14 democracy and the desires of Community Board 9. In 15 my opinion, it can be summed up to two fundamental 16 issues: One, a lack of respect for local democracy; 17 and two, the inadequate mitigation of impact 18 presented in the final Environmental Impact 19 Statement. 20 As we all know, in August of this 21 year, Community Board 9 voted against the 22 University's plan, issuing a list of ten objections. 23 Instead of respectfully compromising 24 and attempting to deal with these legitimate 25 concerns raised by those who will be most affected 217 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 by development, Columbia has used its political 3 capital to muscle the plan this far. 4 We are informed that there have been 5 no direct negotiations between the Community Board 6 and Columbia since August, and no changes to the 7 197-c plan beyond those which are mandated by the 8 City Planning Commission. 9 The arrogance of an institution that 10 believes it does not have to play by the rules of 11 the community into which it is moving into, should 12 not be abetted by the representatives whose mandate 13 it is to represent all New Yorkers. 14 Furthermore, the $20 million figure 15 offered up by the University in the agreement of 16 Borough President Stringer, is simply inadequate, 17 given how much the University is able to do. 18 By our calculation that constitutes 19 approximately one three-hundred fiftieth of the 20 entire estimated cost of the development. While the 21 document claims that over 1,100 units of housing 22 will be created, the housing created by the fund 23 will not target people making incomes that reflect 24 West Harlem, but instead New York City as a whole 25 and surrounding counties. 218 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 The median income for West Harlem is 3 under $20,000 a year, which is less than 40 percent 4 of the AMI. In effect, such a plan would subsidize 5 the replacement of those displaced due to the impact 6 of Columbia's plan with a new hire income 7 demographic, rather than creating homes that serve 8 the existing low-income residents. 9 At this point we're quite simply 10 exasperated. We've seen our school pursuing its 11 interest on a business model and City authorities 12 bending over backwards to accommodate their 13 development. 14 As you may know, seven students went 15 on a ten-day hunger strike, which demanded that 16 Columbia withdraw its proposal and revise it in 17 accordance to the ten objections made by CB 9. We 18 will present to you today a petition urging you to 19 reject the 197-c plan with 485 signatures on it from 20 registered Columbia students, and the petition in 21 support of the hunger strike had over 1,000 22 signatures. 23 The effect of the last several months 24 on students at Columbia, not only have we lost faith 25 in our own institution's moral core and ability to 219 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 represent us, we are beginning to lose faith in 3 representative democracy in this City. We don't want 4 to see City processes used as a facade of 5 credibility to facilitate a land grab against the 6 will of a community. We urge you to restore our 7 faith in City politics and represent not only those 8 with the most wealth and political connections. 9 Please vote no on the 197-c plan so 10 it's revised in accordance with 197-a. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 12 Thank you for being here. Thanks to all of you for 13 your testimony today. 14 We're now going to call the next 15 panel, which will include Cheryl McKissack. Ms. 16 McKissack, are you there? Are you here? Yes, you 17 are. Great. 18 Yanira Rodriguez on behalf of Michael 19 Sin. Yanira Rodriguez. Oh, she's done. Thank you. 20 Robbie Cohen. Robbie Cohen? Robbie 21 Cohen? Jana Wright? Jana Wright? I feel like this is 22 jury duty. Is Jana Wright here? No. 23 Rose Voisk? Left. 24 Wendy Hilliard? Ms. Hilliard, are you 25 here? Ms. Hilliard? 220 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Sharon O'Halloran? Great. Thank you. 3 Come on up. 4 Ellen Smith on behalf of George Van 5 Amson. Ms. Smith, are you here? Great. Come on up. 6 Robin Verges, on behalf of Debbie 7 Wright. Ms. Verges. 8 Crystal Mackenzie Smith. You're here. 9 Great. Perfect. 10 So, why don't we go ahead and get 11 started. Whenever you're ready, just state your name 12 and go right ahead. 13 MS. McKISSACK: Hello. Can you hear 14 me? 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: We can hear 16 you. 17 MS. McKISSACK: I am Cheryl McKissack, 18 President of McKissack and McKissack, a New 19 York/Philadelphia-based and Washington D.C.-based 20 company headed by myself and my twin sister Darryl. 21 We represent a 100 percent 22 family-owned African-American and woman-owned 23 construction business which has been in our family 24 for five generations, founded in 1796, fostered by 25 Moses McKissack, I, originally a slave captured in 221 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 West Africa only 42 years after Columbia University 3 was founded in 1754. 4 It is my privilege to stand before 5 you today to state my support for the expansion of 6 Columbia University as it applies to the 7 contributions my company will make and the 8 opportunities we will create. 9 McKissick and McKissick will continue 10 it's 102 years of uninterrupted commitment to 11 economic development and job creation, a 12 preservation of historic and architectural integrity 13 in the current expansion initiative. 14 We are at a place in consciousness 15 and challenge, no different than where we were years 16 ago as the first African American construction 17 company to have been competitively selected to build 18 a Carnegia 5th Library, the 99 Squadron Airforce 19 Base in Tuskegee, Alabama, the historical home of 20 the Tuskegee Airmen, the largest contract ever 21 awarded to a black firm until that time. And even 22 more contemporary structures would be Medgar Evers 23 in Brooklyn. 24 We are pleased to become one of the 25 firms along with Bovis selected to complete the 222 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 construction expansion in Harlem, the mere location 3 and heritage of both Harlem and Columbia University 4 is the basis of the pride of us and one for which we 5 will not compromise anything less than desirable 6 outcome in our work. 7 There are quite a few issues that we 8 cannot appropriately address regarding the 9 expansion, however, in my industry of construction, 10 I can state quite firmly that McKissack and 11 McKissack is fully qualified in quality 12 craftsmenship in ensuring the highest integrity in 13 negotiation, and seeking and employing a skilled 14 minority and woman-owned workforce. 15 McKissack is committed to working 16 with maximizing the utilization of minority and 17 women-owned businesses, as well as local businesses. 18 We are working with Columbia and Bovis to create 19 innovative, creative programs to achieve our 20 diversity goals. 21 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 22 up. 23 MS. McKISSACK: Well, then I just 24 wanted to thank you and I appreciate the opportunity 25 to share my prospectus with you today. I remain 223 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 convinced that there is more that we share than not. 3 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 4 Thank you very much. 5 Go right ahead. 6 MS. O'HALLORAN: Thank you very much. 7 My name is Sharon O'Halloran, and I have been a 8 resident of Community Board 9 since 1993, and over 9 the last three years I've attended just about every 10 community board, LDC and public hearing addressing 11 the proposed rezonings for Manhattanville area. 12 I also served on the 125th Street 13 Rezoning Advisory Board. I'm also a Professor at 14 Columbia, the George Bloomingfeld Professor of 15 Politics and Professor of International and Public 16 Affairs, and I serve on the University Senate as 17 Co-Chair of its Executive Committee and Chair of its 18 Campus Planning Task Force. 19 Just by way of background, the 20 University Senate is an elective body representing 21 students, faculty throughout the University. In this 22 sense, the Senate represents all students, all 23 faculty, not just an individual or interest or 24 special groups. We represent the entire community. 25 In addition, it acts independent of the 224 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Administration as both a policy making and oversight 3 body. 4 Now, in this capacity, I have made 5 numerous presentations to faculty and student groups 6 throughout the campus about the proposed expansion, 7 and during this process I've accumulated a great 8 deal of information and feedback. Overall, most 9 members of the Columbia community see the expansion 10 as crucial to Columbia's maintaining its status as a 11 top research institution and fulfilling its 12 educational missions. 13 But they want to see that it's done 14 right. They want to be proud of the institution to 15 which they belong. And one thing that people 16 sometimes forget, most community faculty live in the 17 area. We are residents of Community Board 9. We have 18 a voice in this process, and we have expressed it. 19 Now, let me answer Congress -- 20 Council member, I'm giving you a promotion -- 21 Council Member Jackson's question regarding the 22 relationships between the community and Columbia. 23 And as you know, I'm uniquely positioned to have 24 witnessed the negotiation process on both sides of 25 the fence, right? And I can say that there have been 225 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 good faith efforts made on both sides to come up 3 with meaningful solutions to really hard and 4 difficult questions - questions of education, 5 employment, housing, public health - and I would 6 have to say, Council Member Jackson, that you and 7 your Chief of Staff, Susan Russell, have been 8 instrumental, as well as Council Member Dickens, in 9 fulfilling this goal and mission, to have meaningful 10 communication be both sides, and both sides should 11 be thanked for that, as well as you. 12 The key question, though, that has to 13 be resolved, is which proposal offers the most 14 benefit for the community and Columbia. And if we 15 think of this plan in conjunction with the other 16 plans, Stringer's proposal as well, I would see this 17 as the proposal that minimizes residential 18 displacement, maximizes job creation -- 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 20 up. 21 MS. O'HALLORAN: I will. 22 And education opportunities and 23 minimizes environmental impact. And, so, I hope you 24 will support it for those reasons. And I will submit 25 my comments in writing. 226 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. I'm 3 sorry to do that to you. 4 Go ahead. 5 MS. MASON AILEY: Yes. Good afternoon. 6 My name is Victoria Mason Ailey. And I'm reading a 7 statement to you on behalf of George Van Amson. 8 Thank you for the opportunity to 9 share my thoughts with you about Columbia's proposal 10 for a mixed use academic community in West Harlem. 11 This careful proposal will allow 12 Columbia to continue to serve as a vital center for 13 education and research. It also will bring tangible 14 real benefits to people of West Harlem, and will be 15 one of the cornerstones of New York City's 16 continuing national and global leadership in decades 17 ahead. 18 Columbia is proposing to build this 19 new campus in a community about which I care deeply. 20 I have worked in New York City throughout my life, I 21 went to school here, I grew up in the Bronx, and I 22 know the kinds of struggles that families with 23 limited incomes face in the City. 24 I am proud to say I am a Columbia 25 man. I like to say that if you cut me, I bleed 227 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Columbia blue. I have sought to help in my own ways 3 a community that remains a part of me to this day. I 4 have worked to support groups dedicated to serving 5 Upper Manhattan, including the Riverside Church, the 6 Amsterdam Nursing Home, Harlem Little League and 7 Columbia's community impact. 8 Community Impact is one example of 9 the commitment that Columbia has made to its 10 neighbors. The Double Discovery Center is another 11 example. Double Discovery is a model of providing 12 academic support to help students who otherwise 13 might not graduate from high school, go on to 14 success in college as well. And Columbia's wide 15 array of medical, dental, legal, education and other 16 services further exemplify the spirit of community 17 service that flourishes among faculty, students, and 18 staff on Morningside Heights and at Columbia's 19 Washington Heights Medical Center. 20 I have graduated from Columbia in a 21 different era, just as the tumultuous sixties were 22 ending. It's no secret that Columbia stumbled in its 23 relations with the community in those days. But I 24 have also had the privilege of serving as a trustee 25 of the University much more recently. Today's 228 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Columbia is an institution whose leaders know how 3 inextricably the University's future is tied to that 4 of the City as a whole, of the neighborhood in which 5 Columbia is a part in particular. 6 We all know that New Yorkers face an 7 economy today in which dependable, well-paying 8 middle-income jobs are harder and harder to find. 9 The very blocks in which Columbia proposes to build 10 once were homes to businesses where New Yorkers 11 could find jobs in the automotive industry, the 12 dairy industry and other sectors. 13 These jobs have long since left New 14 York for lower production costs and cheaper labor. 15 Today higher education offers the 16 prospect of stable employment, the long-gone 17 manufacturers no longer provide. Fourteen-thousand 18 people, two-thirds of them New York City residents, 19 are building careers in administrative support, 20 services as well as teaching research -- 21 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 22 up. We actually have, we have the written testimony. 23 MS. MASON AILEY: -- At Columbia 24 today. 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: We have the 229 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 written testimony here, so -- 3 MS. MASON AILEY: I hope you will 4 support Columbia's proposal and I thank you for your 5 time. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 7 much. 8 And finally, go right ahead. 9 MS. MACKENZIE: Good afternoon. The 10 following summarizes our support of Columbia 11 University and the City of New York Manhattanville 12 rezoning -- 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: If you could 14 state your name first, it would be great. 15 MS. MACKENZIE: Good afternoon. My 16 name is Crystal Mackenzie. 17 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. Go 18 ahead. 19 MS. MACKENZIE:-- Manhattanville 20 rezoning and 197-c expansion plan. We are a local 21 business, a minority-owned business, and a 22 woman-owned enterprise. In order to maintain the 23 economy of New York City as one of the largest 24 regional economies in the United States, New York 25 City needs large quality employers like Columbia 230 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 University. The financial insurance and real estate 3 industries form the basis of New York City's 4 economy. These industries in turn fuel the US 5 economy. Medical research and technology are 6 significant sectors. Columbia University's emerging 7 fields of academic research and academic mission 8 helps to fuel these sectors, to meet those larger 9 needs in the interdisciplinary sciences. We support 10 the 197-c expansion plan. 11 A greater Harlem undergoes the 12 current transformation. It is critical that an 13 educational institution and lead employer like 14 Columbia University plays a vital role to critical 15 societal issues in the Harlem community. 16 Six-thousand new jobs will be created by this 17 expansion plan. 18 New York City is a global hub of 19 international business and commerce and is one of 20 the three command centers in the world economy, 21 along with London and Tokyo. 22 Students faculty and staff come to 23 Columbia University because they want to be part of 24 the urban fabric of the City, the most important 25 center for mass media, journalism and publishing, 231 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and one of the preeminent art centers in the 3 country. 4 Columbia University is a magnet for 5 intellectual capital to fuel New York City's 6 participation in the world economy, the City's 7 economy, which counts for the majority of the 8 economic activity in this region. 9 We are confident that Columbia 10 University's 197-c expansion plan will include 11 innovative approaches to the critical societal 12 issues in the Harlem community, that it will attract 13 top faculty and students and satisfy new demands in 14 the emerging fields of academic research and 15 sciences. 16 Thank you. 17 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 18 much. 19 Thank you all for your testimony 20 today. We appreciate it. 21 The next panel will be Daniel 22 Goldstein. Are you here, Mr. Goldstein? No Daniel 23 Goldstein. 24 Bryan Mercer? Mr. Mercer, are you 25 here? Bryan Mercer? Are you Mr. Mercer? Come on and 232 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 have a seat. 3 Lisa Kersavage? Great. Welcome. Tom 4 Siracuse? Mr. Siracuse is here. Mercedes Narciso? 5 Ms. Narciso, are you here? Oh, hi, I'm so sorry. 6 Yes. 7 Okay, and if this group could come to 8 the front, we'll get started. 9 You can go right ahead. 10 MS. KERSAVAGE: Thank you. I'm Lisa 11 Kersavage. I'm the Director of Advocacy and Policy 12 of the Municipal Arts Society. The MAS is pleased to 13 submit comments on the Community Board 9's 197-a 14 plan and Columbia University's 197-c action. 15 The challenge before you today is 16 that the 197-a plan and Columbia's expansion plan 17 contain some contradictory visions. While we are 18 strong proponents of community-based plans and the 19 consensus-driven process, and voices they represent, 20 they also have respect for Columbia University as a 21 stakeholder in West Harlem for the clear and real 22 need to expand its facilities. 23 Columbia has made a few changes to 24 their plans, some of which bring it more into 25 accordance with the Community's 197-a plan. Our hope 233 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 is that through dialogue, perhaps aided by the City 3 Council, the community and Columbia can agree to 4 important changes to both 197-a and 197-c plans, 5 which would accommodate Columbia's growth while 6 being guided by the community's planning goals. 7 We have a number of urban design 8 recommendations that are intended to enhance the 9 public feel of Columbia's campus, streets and public 10 places, and to better knit the campus into the 11 surrounding urban fabric. 12 To public open spaces, it is 13 essential that Columbia's proposed park spaces are 14 welcoming to any member of the public and community, 15 whether or not they are affiliated with the 16 University. 17 As currently planned, we do not 18 believe that Columbia's largest park space meets 19 that standard. The siting of the park in the center 20 of the campus is the least accessible to the most 21 trafficked streets. MAS recommends an alternative 22 location for the square that would maximize public 23 access. Moving it to the site of Buildings 9 and 10 24 between 131st and 132nd Streets and 12th Avenue make 25 it feel more public, because it opens to the more 234 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 heavily trafficked avenue, and would be completely 3 surrounded by streets. 4 Creating an urban room under the 5 viaduct. One of the most striking visual elements of 6 the neighborhood is the Riverside Drive Viaduct 7 above 12th Avenue. We believe the sculptural piece 8 of infrastructure ought to be celebrated and 9 enhanced as an urban design feature. 10 We are concerned that Columbia is 11 pulling their buildings away from the sidewalk and 12 street wall in a way that minimize the opportunity 13 to create a great room. Their plan is simply to pull 14 the tall buildings well back from the viaduct in the 15 street, and that will not enhance the pedestrian 16 experience. 17 We believe the current street wall 18 should be maintained with lively retail use at the 19 base of the buildings. 20 Finally, the viaduct special quality 21 should be celebrated by a lighting system deployed 22 by Columbia. 23 Historic resources. We urge Columbia 24 to retain more of the historic resources, including 25 the Sheffield Farm Stable Building. 235 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Public Streets. It is important that 3 the streets through and around Columbia's project 4 area remain legally public and also feel public. We 5 support Columbia's plan to add the north/south 6 pedestrian way but we are concerned that it's not 7 going to feel like a public street. 8 We urge it to be wider, have a 9 variety of uses, especially community-oriented uses. 10 And forgive me, I'm just going to 11 read this full section on the public process and 12 then I'll stop. 13 Columbia has chosen to seek -- 14 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Actually, 15 you've got three seconds. 16 MS. KERSAVAGE: Okay. Well, we're 17 urging Columbia to demap the public streets, which 18 would allow for more community input, and most 19 importantly, site acquisition remains something to 20 be addressed through the further dialogue between 21 Columbia and property owners. While Columbia has 22 agreed not to pursue -- 23 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 24 MS. KERSAVAGE: -- Eminent domain for 25 the remaining residential properties -- 236 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: We have it. 3 MS. KERSAVAGE: -- Every effort 4 should be made by Columbia to reach out to those 5 property -- 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. I'm 7 sorry to interrupt you, but we've got a lot of 8 people left still. 9 Go ahead, sir. 10 MR. MERCER: Hi, Council 11 representatives, members of the Committees. Thank 12 you for hearing our testimony today. My name is 13 Bryan Mercer. I am a student at Columbia University 14 and Columbia College, originally from Philadelphia. 15 I love to be in New York, and I am here today as one 16 of the students who partook in a ten-day long hunger 17 strike with six other students and a faculty member 18 at the University. 19 We took part in this hunger strike, 20 and abstained from all solid foods, juices and 21 sustained ourselves only on a diet of water with 22 electrolytes for this ten days because of the 23 University's policies, both on the campus and in 24 relationship to the community, and finding that the 25 proposed expansion in Manhattanville was not 237 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 adequate at meeting community concerns or productive 3 at building a stronger relationship with the 4 community, particularly around the issues of 5 affordable housing. 6 I know myself, I came to Columbia 7 University to go to a school in Harlem. I could have 8 went to many Universities across the country, and I 9 particularly wanted to be at this one. And what I 10 found is that by the time I had gotten there, there 11 was a process of change over the past 50 years in 12 Morningside Heights to make Morningside Heights feel 13 no longer as if it's a part of Harlem. And one of 14 the major concerns around this plan is will it have 15 that same change in West Harlem for separating West 16 Harlem from Central Harlem. 17 Also what I've seen from the 18 University on approaching these issues, is for 19 example, the offer for a $20 million Housing Trust 20 Fund. That's been talked about earlier but to really 21 stress the point that the Housing Trust Fund will 22 not create housing for the people who currently live 23 in the neighborhood, and is a completely inadequate 24 amount for counteracting the University's impact, 25 and if the University were to make a strong 238 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 commitment around the housing issues that it would 3 create in the neighborhood, it would have to offer 4 much more out of it's $7 billion expansion plan than 5 $20 million. 6 Also, what I've seen is a failure on 7 the part of the University to come to a consensus 8 with the community on what this development should 9 look like. We're all familiar with the 32 to 2 vote 10 against the Columbia plan on the part of the 11 Community Board, and that talks haven't happened 12 since then between the Community Board and the 13 University on this plan. 14 But to talk on my specific 15 perspective as a student, what I've seen is faculty 16 members, other students have deep concerns about 17 this plan because of the direction of the 18 University, and whether or not the direction of the 19 University will continue to serve our needs. 20 And, so, 120 faculty members at the 21 University put out a letter opposed to how the 22 University president had run the school in the past 23 five years, and the concerns are still on the table 24 as the relationship with Harlem. 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap it 239 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 up. 3 MR. MERCER: And, so, I hope you take 4 these into consideration and demand major changes to 5 the Columbia plan. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 7 Mercer. 8 Go right ahead, sir. 9 MR. SIRACUSE: My name is Tom 10 Siracuse. I was born in West Harlem, and I'm an 11 alumnus of Columbia. Today I represent the Committee 12 to Protect Rent Control Tenants and also the 13 Committee for Environmentally Sound Development. 14 Columbia claims that their plan is a 15 necessity for the University, and will be beneficial 16 to the neighborhood. Yet, its EIS has admitted that 17 the massive construction can displace 5,000 18 residents. Will these residents be guaranteed 19 permanent affordable housing in the same area where 20 they have their roots. There is a housing crisis in 21 this City, due to a severe lack of affordable 22 housing for working class people. 23 Ninety percent of rent regulated 24 apartments have already been lost in the immediate 25 neighborhood in recent years. Environmentally the 240 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 massive construction will contaminate this 3 neighborhood. Already Harlem has one of the highest 4 rates of asthma in the country. Two power plants and 5 a bus terminal in one huge complex covering 2 6 million square feet are contemplated. 7 Other plans to build labs doing 8 research on highly infectious and fatal diseases in 9 the middle of Manhattan, one of the most densely 10 populated areas in the United States raise grave 11 health concerns. 12 This development plan follows a 13 pattern of corporate university luxury housing and 14 sports complexes in other cities throughout the 15 United States, using public subsidies and 16 anti-public use of eminent domain. 17 Examples of this is the Hudson and 18 Atlantic Yards, Yankee Stadium and now look at 19 what's happening to New Orleans. 20 All these projects divert public 21 funds in the form of tax abatement, exemptions and 22 other subsidies. Why can't the City and the State 23 government use these resources to build truly 24 affordable housing for working class people instead 25 of supporting extremely expensive projects? 241 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Sir, we're 3 going to have to ask you to wrap it up. 4 MR. SIRACUSE: Okay. Which in the last 5 analysis benefit private entities and result in 6 further gentrification. 7 So, we urge the Council to vote 8 against Columbia's 197-c plan and to vote for the 9 197-a plan. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 11 Thank you for your testimony. 12 Ms. Narciso. 13 MS. NARCISO: Thank you. 14 Chairpersons and honorable Council 15 members, thank you for this opportunity to provide 16 testimony today. 17 My name is Mercedes Narciso, and I am 18 a Senior Planner with Pratt Center for Community 19 Development, assisting CB 9 as the lead planner of 20 the 197-a plan, and review f the ULURP process. 21 I'm also a member of the Campaign for 22 Community-Based Planning, an initiative seeking to 23 create a more meaningful role for communities in New 24 York City's planning and decision-making processes. 25 I'm here today to support the 242 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 community's 197-a plan as the community envisioned 3 it; that is, integrating new academic facilities 4 into the fabric of a mixed use neighborhood. 5 Although we feel profoundly rewarded 6 by the approval of the 197-a plan by the State 7 Planning Commission, the Commission rejected a 8 number of the Plan's recommendations as a plight to 9 the area of Manhattanville that is the subject of 10 Columbia University's rezoning proposal. 11 Specifically, the City Planning 12 Commission rejected measures of proscribing the use 13 of eminent domain and establishing an inclusionary 14 housing program to create affordable housing as part 15 of the special Manhattanville mixed-use district. We 16 urge the City Council to correct this serious 17 omission. Passing the 197-a plan without these 18 provisions will not only substantially change the 19 neighborhood without regard to the needs of the 20 community, it also sets a dangerous precedent in 21 which powerful interests can invalidate urban plans 22 created by citizens under the City Charter. 23 The threatened use of eminent domain 24 to obtain property for Columbia University's 25 expansion not only dismisses the existence of other 243 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 long-established businesses in the area, but will 3 subject their property value to Columbia's needs and 4 on Columbia's terms, since the taking by the Empire 5 State Development Corporation will be granted in 6 stages according to Columbia's expansion needs. 7 What is the sense in approving a 8 community-based plan whose ultimate beneficiaries 9 are not going to be community residents and 10 businesses, but the Columbia University community 11 alone? 12 The creation of affordable housing 13 through an inclusionary housing program is needed 14 and should be provided. The Commission disapproved 15 the 197-a plan's mandatory inclusionary rezoning 16 requirements and did not even recommend an existing 17 voluntary program within the special Manhattanville 18 mixed use district. 19 Seeking to maximize a provision of 20 affordable housing units, the existing voluntary 21 program should be used on Sub-district C, proposed 22 to be rezoned to C6-2 and not owned by Columbia, 23 other area of Broadway proposed to be rezoned to 24 R-8A with a C1-4 overlay in which one of the two 25 lots is owned by Columbia, and the special Amsterdam 244 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 mixed use district, also District 3 of the 197-a 3 plan, which is outside of Columbia's rezoning area. 4 Residents of this community have 5 invested years of their lives crafting a plan for 6 the future. The City Council must take decisive 7 action to realize the City's Charter promise of a 8 meaningful role for citizens -- 9 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please -- 10 MS. NARCISO: -- In shaping the future 11 of their community. 12 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 13 much. We appreciate it. 14 MS. NARCISO: Thank you. 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you all 16 for your testimony today. 17 I am going to call the next panel. 18 Oh, I'm sorry. Wait one second. This 19 may be for Mr. Mercer. 20 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: I just have a 21 question for Mr. Mercer concerning, I understand 22 that you were a member of the students that were on 23 a hunger strike there concerning protesting I guess 24 the way that you feel that Columbia University is 25 dealing with the West Harlem community. 245 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 In reading the papers, and in 3 listening to some of the news, I know that I cannot 4 believe everything that I read or see on the news, 5 did you ask for certain concessions of Columbia 6 University? And if so, did they agree to any? Can 7 you explain what they agreed to? 8 MR. MERCER: Yes. First on the basis 9 of the ten points that the Community Board 9 10 presented about the plan, we asked that Columbia 11 begin talks on those ten points. And then also we 12 asked about seven other specific points, namely 13 around the issue of direct negotiations with tenants 14 who would be displaced in the footprint of the plan. 15 Also around raising the amount for the Affordable 16 Housing Trust Fund, and along with that, the 17 creation of community facilities for not just 18 housing needs, but also health and community needs. 19 The response that we received around 20 those things was that the University cannot talk 21 with us and would not like to make any agreements 22 with students on these different concerns. 23 So, received report backs on the 24 University's quote/unquote progress on these things 25 without any commitments towards actually fulfilling 246 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 goals such as direct agreements from tenants, along 3 with raising the amount for the affordable housing. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: And did you 5 submit your request in writing to Columbia? 6 MR. MERCER: Yes. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: And if so, do 8 you have a commitment in writing as to what they 9 committed to? 10 And the reason I'm asking that is, 11 can you share that with us here in the City Council? 12 MR. MERCER: Yes, we'll definitely 13 share that with you. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Okay, I will 15 ask you if you can forward that to appropriate staff 16 of the Subcommittee, if you can e-mail it or fax it 17 to Alonzo. Okay, thank you very much, sir. 18 MR. MERCER: No problem. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Chair Avella. 20 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Wait one 21 second. 22 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: Mr. Mercer, I 23 just wanted to congratulate you and the other 24 students who did that. It took a lot of guts to do a 25 hunger strike, and congratulations to you. 247 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MR. MERCER: Thank you. 3 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 4 much. 5 We're going to call the next panel. 6 Laverne Fountain on behalf of Robin 7 Verges. Are you here, Ms. Fountain? Great. 8 Robbie Cohen? Are you here? Okay. 9 Ms. Fountain, go ahead and get 10 started, get set up. Let me just tell the next panel 11 who is on deck here. Alberta Dawkins, Andrew Bailis, 12 Peter Favont, Susan Rogers are the next group. 13 So, Ms. Fountain, go ahead. 14 MS. FOUNTAIN: Okay. So, this is on 15 behalf of Debra Wright actually. 16 Honorable Council members, I regret 17 that I am unable to speak with you in person for 18 today's important Subcommittee hearing, as I am in a 19 series of Board meetings over the next two days. I 20 ask that you accept my written testimony in support 21 of Columbia University's proposed expansion in the 22 Manhattanville area of West Harlem. 23 Many of you know me and know that I 24 have worked tirelessly in many capacities to create 25 opportunities to help make life better for families 248 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 living and working in Harlem and other areas of New 3 York City. 4 As the President and CEO of Carver 5 Federal Savings Banks, the largest 6 African-American-operated bank in the United States, 7 I know what it means to support struggling families 8 in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. 9 I served as a CEO of the Upper 10 Manhattan Empowerment Zone when we began the effort 11 to bring new economic vitality to the Greater Harlem 12 area, a historic but for too long underserved part 13 of our City. 14 I wasn't working alone. Many of you 15 were working with the exact same purpose, to meet 16 the needs of those living and working in communities 17 that were then in crises. 18 Today some of the challenges have 19 changed, but I know that as members of the City 20 Council you are now working to make all of our 21 neighborhoods better. 22 I'm going to skip through this just 23 to make sure that I get it all out for her. 24 As you know, colleges and 25 universities have become the economic engines for 249 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 many urban areas that once relied on manufacturing 3 jobs. A place like Columbia offers entrepreneurs the 4 opportunity to tap into their intellectual capital 5 in ways that are essential to the years ahead. 6 Perhaps even more important to the 7 ordinary man on the street, the jobs will be, the 8 type of jobs that you get at Columbia are the kind 9 with a career path. Two-thirds of the people who 10 work at Columbia are not academics, they're 11 administrative staff and lab technicians, HVAC 12 mechanics, electricians, master carpenters, dining 13 managers and construction managers. 14 As so much of the private sector has 15 shifted manufacturing and other middle class income 16 jobs away from the urban centers, a world class 17 university like Columbia offers so many different 18 kinds of people an opportunity for professional 19 growth. 20 As I have tended to take on change 21 assignments twice in Harlem, I know that change 22 generates fear, that is human and wise, and should 23 encourage us to make well thought-out assessments of 24 our past and the risk of reaching for our best 25 future. There will always be loud voices of dissent 250 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and quiet voices of support when anyone brings 3 vision and big thinking to invest in an area, as 4 Columbia is doing. 5 When I came to Carver from the 6 empowerment zone, one of my tasks was to prepare for 7 the 21st century. It was difficult, but I had no 8 choice. 9 I thank you again for giving me this 10 opportunity to have my words of support become a 11 part of this public record, and I urge you to 12 support Columbia's Plan. 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 14 Thank you for your testimony. 15 Let me call the next panel. Again, 16 Alberta Dawkins, are you here? Ms. Dawkins? Great. 17 Andrew Bailis, are you here? Mr. 18 Bailis, please come up. 19 Peter Favant? Are you here, Mr. 20 Favant? Yes. Great. 21 Susan Rogers? Ms. Rogers is not here 22 anymore. 23 How about Johnny Milgar? Joanie 24 Milgar? Cecil Corbin Mark? Cecil Corbin Mark? No? 25 Yes? Is that a yes or a no? 251 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I'm reading the 3 testimony. 4 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: You're reading 5 the testimony. So, come on up. 6 Let me make this one comment here. We 7 have still a fair number of people who wish to 8 testify all at this point in opposition to the 9 plans. So, if you would consider, if there were 10 things that have been said already, and you don't 11 need to repeat, obviously we would welcome that, for 12 the sake of the people who need to be heard. 13 We have you registered in opposition, 14 obviously three minutes are yours, if you wish, but 15 if you want to come up, state your name and that 16 you're in opposition, if it's already been said, 17 obviously that is also an option. If you have 18 written testimony, we'll receive that as well. 19 So, I will leave that to you, but I 20 did want to give that to you as an option. 21 Let me just also note the next panel, 22 so you can be ready. 23 Jacob Press, Ana Parks, Charles 24 Calloway, and Yolanda Cordone, or Yolanda Cadone, 25 I'm sorry. So, with that, please be on deck, and, 252 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 sir, why don't you go ahead and get started. 3 Please state your name. 4 Your microphone is off. Hit the 5 button. 6 MR. BAILIS: Hi. My name is Andrew 7 Bailis. I'm a member of Jews for Racial and Economic 8 Justice. I thank the Chairs and the Committee for 9 giving us the opportunity to express our concerns 10 and for us to offer constructive criticism. 11 I want to say that this proposed 12 massive project is far from being green or 13 ecologically sound. As said before, it's going to 14 construct a level 3 biotech lab that is capable of 15 handling pathogens, such as SARs, anthrax, small 16 pox, Avian flu, Yellow Fever. This would be a prime 17 target for a terrorist or natural catastrophe in a 18 populated area. I would recommend that the City 19 Planning withdraw from 193-c (sic), such 20 establishment of a level 3 biotech laboratory to be 21 considered on its own with its own EIC. 22 Also, as said before, Columbia 23 University has campuses in Irvington and Palisaides 24 that can accommodate such a biotech lab and should 25 be there. In today's modern technology, there is no 253 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 reason why there can't be that little bit of space 3 between the people. They can communicate across the 4 globe otherwise. 5 The Plan 197-c does not concern the 6 community. 197-a is developed over the decade, 7 satisfies both the needs of both the community and 8 Columbia University. 9 Thank you very much. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please. Go 11 right ahead. 12 MS. DAWKINS: Good afternoon, 13 everyone. My name is Alberta Dawkins. I live at 3333 14 Broadway. This is a building which is located 15 directly north of the expanding area, and we are 16 already losing our home. About 200 apartments at 17 3333 are, 1,100 have been vacated, and Columbia 18 University employees and students are moving into 19 the vacant apartments at the high rent. 20 I'm in favor of 197-a and I 21 disapprove of 197-c. 22 Thank you. 23 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 24 much. I appreciate you limiting your testimony. Sir. 25 Hit that button one more time. There you go. 254 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MR. FAVANT: Good afternoon. My name 3 is Peter Favant, and I live just south of the 4 construction zone in a private building. One of the 5 biggest concerns I've had with this Columbia 6 proposal is eminent domain. 7 Eminent domain where private land is 8 seized for private development is an erosion of the 9 constitutional rights of the United States citizens. 10 It's a slippery slope. Something like this happens 11 and your rights are basically eroded away until one 12 day you wake up and they're all for sale. 13 Columbia has paid the New York State 14 Economic Development Corporation $327,000 for their 15 expense in exercising eminent domain. Yet, the City 16 Planning Commission and Columbia and the Borough 17 President say this is out of their hands, they don't 18 have influence in this, and I think it's ridiculous. 19 I think it's basically like hiring a hit man, 20 telling the guy to go commit a murder and then 21 saying, I didn't have anything to do with that 22 murder. I don't like the public rhetoric going on 23 around this eminent domain thing. 24 I think the community has been very 25 clear. I would just be echoing the statements of so 255 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 many other people this afternoon, on ecological 3 issues, on secondary displacement, and all the 4 community is asking for is for Columbia to come back 5 and sincerely work with the community and 6 compromise. 7 They haven't, they have not 8 communicated with us. They say they do, but I 9 haven't seen it. I live next door, like other people 10 have testified, I've been to every community board 11 meeting, I served on the LCD housing working group 12 and I just keep wondering, when will we get to 13 communicate? It never happens. So, I vote in favor 14 of the 197-a and against the 197-c as it stands. 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 16 much. 17 Thank all of you. 18 What happened to Cecil Corbin Mark? 19 Okay, the next panel. Jacob Press, 20 Ana Parks, Charles Calloway, and Yolanda Cadore. Did 21 I get it right? Close. 22 The next panel after that, the next 23 panel will be Zelig Stern, Nell Geiser, Charles 24 Calloway, and Julien Terrell. 25 MR. TERRELL: I'm doing it for Julien 256 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Terrell. 3 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: You're doing 4 it for Charles Calloway? 5 MR. TERRELL: No, Julien Terrell. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Oh, you're 7 Julien Terrell. Okay, I see. 8 Okay, thanks, Mr. Terrell. 9 Since we had you on the last one. 10 MS. CADORE: Good afternoon. My name 11 is Yolande Cadore, and I work for WeACT for 12 Environmental Justice. And we are here to talk about 13 three key areas. The first, health and safety 14 concerns that we have, we want to talk about 15 environmental sustainability and we also want to 16 talk about community sustainability. 17 On the environmental sustainability, 18 we want to raise the issue of air quality. The 19 impact, Columbia's operation of the expansion campus 20 and its effort to accommodate the anticipated 11,000 21 new users will degrade West Harlem's already 22 polluted air quality. 23 Our solution, Columbia must use 24 alternative fuel and the most advanced technology 25 available to control all University associated 257 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 emission sources, including the proposed power 3 plants, its cogeneration facility, its emergency 4 generator, the maintenance vehicles and its campus 5 vehicle fleet. 6 Increased stress and overburdened 7 municipal waste process and infrastructure, the 8 impact, Columbia's expansion will stress West 9 Harlem's existence, sewage treatment and water 10 delivery infrastructure of West Harlem, increasing 11 stormwater overflow events that will further degrade 12 the Hudson River. 13 In addition, the expansion campus 14 threatens to increase diesel truck traffic 15 throughout Northern Manhattan neighborhoods. 16 A solution, Columbia must develop a 17 plan that ensures the stormwater runoff and sewage 18 treatment needs of the expansion associated 19 population would not endanger the river-based 20 recreational opportunities of residents or place 21 additional burdens on the West Harlem community. 22 Blocked access to the waterfront. The 23 impact of Columbia's expansion of the campus would 24 block community access to the waterfront. 25 Solution. Columbia must change its 258 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 campus design to promote easy access to open spaces 3 in and around the project area, especially on the 4 waterfront park. 5 Public health and safety. The bio 6 research on infectious disease impacts Columbia's 7 plans to construct and operate a bio safety level 3 8 facilities and labs that will study and store highly 9 infectious diseases that would pose a threat to the 10 health and safety of this very densely populated 11 urban area. 12 Solution. Research facilities in 13 Manhattanville should be restricted to bio level 14 safety three, and Columbia must provide a mechanism 15 for community notification and oversight of its 16 operation in order to ensure the effectiveness of 17 all necessary safety measures. 18 The MTA bus depot relocation and 19 rebuilding. Columbia's relocation and rebuilding of 20 the MTA Manhattanville bus depot threatens the 21 concentrations and exhaust diesel pollution near 22 residential/school uses, and we encourage the City 23 Council to take a closer look at this proposal. The 24 fact that the Manhattanville depot is going to be, 25 the plan calls for it to be reconstructed in 2020 at 259 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Amsterdam Depot, our fear is it would be open until 3 then. 4 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 5 up. 6 MS. CADORE: And we definitely need to 7 take a look at that. 8 We also want to talk about 9 construction-related pollution. Columbia must be 10 required to use the best available new technology, 11 not just retrofit. 12 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 13 MS. CADORE: Community sustainability, 14 residential displacement -- 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 16 MS. CADORE: -- And job displacement 17 are all -- 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: I'm so sorry 19 to interrupt you. 20 MS. CADORE: -- Things to look at. 21 It's in my testimony. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you for 23 that. 24 Sir, go right ahead. 25 MR. TERRELL: Thank you. My name is 260 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Julien Terrell. I'm WeACT Housing and Health 3 Coordinator, and also a resident of West Harlem. 4 WeACT is concerned about the public 5 health impacts that Columbia's expansion plan will 6 have on the West Harlem community because of the 7 construction that will last in excess of 22 years. 8 During this time, the West Harlem 9 community will have to contend with the detrimental 10 health impacts of air, water and noise pollution. 11 First, Columbia will worsen West 12 Harlem's already poor air quality with the addition 13 of diesel emission from construction and delivery 14 vehicles. Dust from demolition and construction 15 activities and hazardous material and soil 16 remediation work. 17 Second, Columbia will cause 18 additional water pollution loadings to the Hudson 19 River through runoff of construction material and 20 the excavation of the seven-story underground 21 support structure which will be constructed below 22 groundwater level. 23 Third, Columbia's excavation and pile 24 driving during construction will generate noise and 25 vibration pollution disturbing the resident's right 261 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 to quiet enjoyment of that community and contribute 3 to the deterioration of residents and school 4 children's mental health. 5 Once construction is complete, 6 emissions will continue from increased traffic and 7 the power plants and other emission sources the 8 University is planning to construct. 9 This environmental assault will occur 10 even as Columbia's construction activities obstruct 11 the community's access to one of the waterfront 12 parks, which we fought so hard and many of this 13 Council helped us build. But physical pollution is 14 not the only health impact Columbia will have on our 15 community. 16 The massive residential and job 17 displacement the expansion indeed is already causing 18 will continue to wreak havoc on the mental health 19 instability of our residents, leading to greater 20 rates of depression and other health problems. 21 I am here to ask the Committee and 22 the Council to vote no on the expansion proposal 23 unless Columbia commits to using best available new 24 technology, and that means not just retrofits, on 25 all construction equipment, maximized use of 262 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 alternative fuels and site electrification where 3 possible and early as possible, to employ best 4 practices on all aspects of construction in order to 5 minimize health impacts on the West Harlem community 6 to develop, and I mean expand on the, what I call a 7 joke, the $20 million Housing Fund, and expand it to 8 at least $200 million Housing Fund that will 9 ameliorate residential displacement and implement 10 programs that would promote community 11 sustainability. 12 I'm pretty much done. Thank you. 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Great. Thank 14 you for that. 15 And just a reminder to everybody, 16 again, if you have things which have been said 17 already and there is any way to limit your 18 testimony, we do appreciate your trimming a little 19 time off. 20 MR. TERRELL: All my points I 21 submitted in the testimony. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: We appreciate 23 it. That's very helpful. Go right ahead. Thank you. 24 MS. HOANG: Hello. I'd like to talk to 25 you today about Columbia's plan to do research, the 263 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 safety research in West Harlem. 3 In our community dialogues over the 4 years since Columbia revealed its intentions to 5 expand into West Harlem. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: I'm sorry, 7 what did you say your name was? 8 MR. HOANG: I'm here for Cecil Corgin 9 Mark. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Oh, you're 11 here for Cecil? 12 MS. HOANG: Right. 13 We found that most of our residents 14 feel that the University has been very secretive 15 about its specific research plans and fear that 16 Columbia is seeking to do research on infectious 17 disease, causing organisms and toxins, and have no 18 treatments, and they're going to do this research in 19 a very densely populated area. One of the most 20 densely in the US. 21 As public health advocates, WeACT of 22 course supports biological research, and public 23 health research, because it adds to the knowledge 24 base about our disease risks and uncovering cures 25 and treatments for most of our dreaded diseases. 264 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Even while we support public health 3 research, we cannot support Columbia's Plan. We ask 4 that the Council restrict any bio safety research in 5 Manhattanville to bio safety level 2 operations, and 6 require as conditions for issuing the special permit 7 for commercial bio technology operations to the 8 following: 9 - provide enforceable assurance that 10 no research above biosafety level 2 will ever take 11 place in Manhattanville. 12 - be responsive and accountable to 13 the community by providing prompt information 14 regarding containment and/or safety breaches. 15 - provide transparency of operations 16 by posting its research programs on the Internet on 17 a dedicated website that is easily accessible by the 18 public and make that information also available in 19 hardcopy, so that the community members who don't 20 have access to the Internet can access it. 21 - give regular reports at the 22 community board about its research programs and any 23 containment issues. 24 - provide community oversight and 25 public information dissemination of research 265 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 activities; and 3 - and train local medical providers 4 in how to deal with diseases and symptoms of the 5 diseases that are studied there; and 6 - implement safety measures on those 7 required by the federal agencies and statutes. 8 Of course, this additional special 9 permit requirement would require that you deny 10 Columbia's request to be exempt from the special 11 permit requirement at the CPC. 12 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 13 And I'm sorry, tell us your name. 14 MS. HOANG: Oh, my name is Anhthu 15 Hoang. 16 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, thank 17 you very much. Sorry, I wanted to get that first. We 18 have the testimony in writing. 19 Yes, go ahead. 20 MS. PARKS: Thank you, Councilman 21 Avella and Councilman Garodnick. My name is Ana 22 Parks, and I am a WeACT Lead Poisoning Program 23 Manager. I have conducted community health outreach 24 in education in Harlem for over ten years. 25 I am here to express my immense 266 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 concern over the increase of pollution loading the 3 Columbia expansion will affect the West Harlem 4 community. 5 Columbia expansion will stress the 6 City's existing sewage treatment, water delivery 7 infractions, increasing stormwater overflow events 8 that will further decay the West Harlem section of 9 Hudson River. 10 In addition, the expansion will 11 increase diesel truck traffic through Northern 12 Manhattan neighborhoods. This will increase 13 particulate pollutions that will exacerbate Harlem's 14 already high rates of asthma and other respiratory 15 disease. 16 I ask the Council to require Columbia 17 to develop a water conservation storage and recycle 18 plan that will ensure the stormwater runoff and 19 sewage treatment needs of the expansion and 20 associated population will not endanger the 21 river-based recreation opportunities of residents, 22 or place additional pollution burdens on the West 23 Harlem community. 24 Harlem will not be burdened with 25 increased garbage truck traffic and its results, 267 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 diesel pollution. 3 Additionally, I ask the Council to 4 require Columbia to limit its delivery activities 5 and effect best efforts to use alternative fuel in 6 delivering trucks so as to limit West Harlem's 7 exposure to particulate matter arising from diesel 8 pollution. 9 I'm going to cut some of this off 10 because my colleagues have mentioned it. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 12 Thank you. 13 MS. PARKS: So, number one, rebuild to 14 LEED gold standards, with particular emphasis on the 15 best available technology, emission and control. 16 Number two, to direct excess away 17 from the residents, schools and parks, to prevent 18 the reopening of the Amsterdam Bus Depot, and 19 include a bus reassignment plan that will not burden 20 other Northern Manhattan or Bronx depots. 21 I will ask the Committee and the 22 Council to vote no on expansion proposals, unless 23 the above modifications are made to Columbia's 24 current plan. 25 Thank you. 268 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 3 Thank you very much to all of you for your 4 testimony. 5 We're going to call the next panel. 6 Christabel Gough. Calvin B. Hunt, Jr. 7 Are you here, Mr. Hunt? Yes? Great. 8 Zelig Stern? Not here you said? Not 9 here. 10 Nell Geiser? Nell Geiser? Okay, 11 great. Thank you. Come on up. 12 George Gruenthal? Mr. Gruenthal? Is 13 he gone? 14 Julius Taiddin. Come on up. Okay. 15 Ms. Gough, go right ahead and get 16 started. 17 MS. GOUGH: This is on? 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: It is, yes. 19 MS. GOUGH: I am Christabel Gough from 20 the Society of the Architecture of the City, which 21 is a New York City historic preservation advocacy 22 group. Although we disagree with many aspects of the 23 City Planning action you are reviewing, we would 24 like to focus on the abuses in our particular field. 25 We do not believe that the 269 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 destruction of the Sheffield Farm Stables is 3 genuinely necessary, or that there is an adequate 4 justification for taking the building by eminent 5 domain. 6 This is a raw exercise of power 7 without historical insight or human compassion. And 8 if it occurs, it will be a disgrace to our City. 9 Our group is shocked by the blindness 10 and intransigence of Columbia University Planners 11 who will not concede a few lots of their huge 12 demolition area to preserve buildings that mean so 13 much to the beleaguered community of Manhattanville. 14 Why, also, is Columbia not supporting 15 landmarking for those few historic buildings they 16 say they will reuse? 17 We believe that the Empire State 18 Development Corporation is neglecting its 19 obligations under environmental law and has engaged 20 in a potentially biased environmental review, as 21 reported in the New York Times, June 30th, 2007, the 22 article "Neutrality and Expansion at Columbia is 23 Questioned." 24 Sheffield Stables has been listed on 25 the State and National Register for Historic Places 270 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and should be preserved. 3 Our testimony before the City 4 Planning Commission called for recognition of 5 historical research stemming from the society of 6 industrial archeologists, establishing 7 Manhattanville as a key point in the milk 8 distribution industry. The place where the milk 9 train stopped, where New York's milk was bottled in 10 the early 20th Century. 11 Historic preservation needs to be 12 broad-based and recognize the working people and 13 industries that built New York, as Community Board 14 9's original 197-a plan would recommend. 15 That plan represents the hopes of 16 people of color in West Harlem, asking for 17 preservation and landmarking of numerous buildings, 18 which I think you would prefer I didn't name at this 19 point. 20 So, we hope the City Council will 21 rectify the injustice of the City Planning 22 Commission's decision and require modification of 23 the Columbia plans so as to protect historic 24 Manhattanville buildings. 25 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 271 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 much. 3 Sir, go right ahead. 4 MR. HUNT: Yes. Good afternoon. My 5 name is Calvin Hunt, People's Committee, activist of 6 Harlem. 7 The problem begins with all the 8 elected officials in Harlem who has been selling us 9 out. I feel not to mention no names, 'cause they 10 know who they is. This started way back in the 11 Charlie Rengal days and it's just done trickled down 12 to the elected officials that's in Harlem now. 13 Now, we have a problem in Harlem. 14 Some people say it's gentrification. I remember like 15 20 years ago when crack came to Harlem, nobody 16 wanted Harlem. I had the pleasure of buying three 17 brownstones for a dollar a piece. At this time, 18 these brownstones that I purchased for a dollar, 19 have made me very rich. 20 My long story short is this: We have 21 to have a recall. That's what we need in Harlem. The 22 people in the Village of Harlem need a recall of all 23 the black elected officials who are not doing 24 nothing for the blacks in the community of Harlem, 25 and that's where the problem is. We can sit up here 272 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 all day and talk about this, that and the other, we 3 don't want this to happen, but as long as we have 4 these so-called token Negros, like David Dinkins 5 came in here, Lee Bollinger, and sell us out, and 6 he's not even in office no more, and when he was in 7 office, if you check his record, he did not do 8 nothing for the people of Harlem. That is a fact. 9 So, on that note, I ask the Council, 10 I ask the people here in this room, and I ask the 11 people of Harlem to recall any black official who is 12 not doing anything for Harlem. We don't need 'em, we 13 don't want 'em, you can keep 'em right here in City 14 Hall, because we don't want 'em in Harlem. 15 People in Harlem, you'd be surprised 16 what they say about the black elected officials. 17 Only time they come around is do a patsy for votes. 18 That's the only time you see them. You don't see 19 them come up 125th Street to the funerals that we 20 have, they have black-on-black crime right now. I 21 went to seven funerals last week. Everybody in their 22 twenties. Nobody elected officials come through 23 Harlem when these happen. So, only time they come 24 and they show their face, when they need votes. And 25 they do a good job at that. They come, oh, you know 273 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 who I am? Hey, we need a vote. And once you get 3 voted, come here, they forget all about us. And 4 that's the crime that's in Harlem right now. 5 Thank you, and have a nice day. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 7 Ms. Geiser. 8 Ms. Geiser, go ahead. 9 MS. GEISER: My name is Nell Geiser. I 10 am a Columbia College graduate for 2006. I spent 11 three of my years as an undergraduate at Columbia 12 learning some valuable lessons about 13 community-driven planning. Went to numerous 14 Community Board 9 meetings and watched the 15 finalizing of the 197-a plan. It was an inspiration 16 for what community-led planning can look like, and 17 those of us interested in urban studies and urban 18 planning were really honored and inspired to be able 19 to watch that and be a part of it. And our student 20 group was trying to ensure that community concerns 21 about Columbia's expansion and community investment 22 in the 197-a plan were heard on campus, and as 23 you've heard from students who came here to support 24 the 197-a plan, that was what happened and students 25 did come out in support of the 197-a plan, and from 274 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the very beginning, unfortunately, saw our 3 administration act like they had community 4 engagement when in fact mostly public relations and 5 lectures at some public meetings. 6 So, it was a pretty uninspiring 7 process from the side of the University. 8 And I think it's laudable that there 9 was funding for the 197-a plan process from elected 10 officials, and while you all have lauded the 11 community board for working so hard on it, I hope 12 your actions and the actions of your colleagues 13 actually follow your words and implement the 14 guidelines laid out in the 197-a plan, instead of 15 simply, you know, applauding for the hard work that 16 was put into it. 17 And I hope that the 197-c plan is 18 sent back to the drawing board and revised to fit 19 the guidelines of the 197-a. Columbia creates this 20 dramatic all or nothing scenario in order to achieve 21 their aims of a 17-acre contiguous campus, but I 22 think we should look very skeptically at those 23 dramatic all or nothing scenarios when it's 24 basically a scare tactic, just as eminent domain has 25 been throughout this process in order to present a 275 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 picture of only one alternative and no other 3 alternative to Columbia's plan for this community 4 that's worked so hard to come up with a vision for 5 affordable housing and for a thriving preserved 6 community that can develop and develop with the 7 existing community intact. 8 Thank you. 9 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Ms. 10 Geiser. 11 Mr. Tajiddin. 12 MR. TAJIDDIN: Yes. Good afternoon, 13 distinguished Subcommittee members, my Council 14 member reps, Miss Inez Dickens and Robert Jackson, 15 Mr. Chair, Co-Chair. My name is Julius Tajiddin. 16 West Harlem resident and part-time trouble-maker. 17 No, that's just a joke. 18 Shakespeare said it best, "What is 19 the City but the people." We have a government that 20 is of, for and by the people, so when you talk about 21 public open space, whether it be the sidewalk or the 22 sky, that open space belongs to the people. Some 23 people look at sidewalks, egress passages or the 24 open space corridor as passive open space. Not for 25 us, of the African-American community. There is a 276 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 history telling us why that dates back to slavery 3 and post slavery days. 4 You see the open corridor, the 5 sidewalks and the egress passages represented a path 6 of freedom. That's why our people seemed to enjoy 7 sidewalks and the open sky so much. 8 Some of my colleagues, they spoke 9 very eloquently on the bio lab, so I don't really 10 want to go into that so much, but I would also say 11 that the Columbia University Plan would infringe 12 also on our use of the below space that they plan to 13 or would like to develop in, and that is the freedom 14 of living without fear and concern and our freedom 15 to live without health risks. 16 We in the Harlem, West Harlem 17 community, and I hope this Committee and ultimately 18 the entire City Council, understand that a major 19 upzoning would generate a windfall profit to 20 Columbia that is essentially granted by the public 21 through the actions of the City, and that economic 22 benefit of additional zoning density, if allowed by 23 the City, ought to be shared equitably among 24 stakeholders, including fair compensation to the 25 local residents for the anticipated environmental 277 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 impacts of such rezoning. 3 So, basically what are we talking 4 about? This is really one issue, and it's a 5 fundamental issue, and it's embedded in the 14th 6 Amendment. You see, the City Council, you have the 7 power to restrict or take away some of our interests 8 in property or liberty, as I outlined, but you must 9 do so by way of due process. Sure, the ULURP process 10 gets us procedural due process, but the Supreme 11 Court has long settled the definition of due 12 process, which includes fundamental fairness. So, 13 basically we're at this question. 14 Columbia wants their wealth to be 15 expanded. They want our rights to be restricted 16 upon, because we have rights now in those areas that 17 I named. And, so, the question is, you have the 18 power, it has to be fairness, fundamental fairness. 19 It can't be you're giving them this rezoning, 20 whether it be below grade or upward and we get 21 nothing out of this. So, you do have the power, 22 aside from any community benefits agreement. 23 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 24 Tajiddin. Thanks to all of you. 25 Council Member Jackson. 278 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Thank you. 3 Mr. Hunt, let me just say that I know 4 that you're a very active individual in the 5 community. We have been at rallies together for 6 various causes, but as an elected official that 7 represents part of Harlem, let me just say that I 8 disagree with you as far as the sellout and as far 9 as being sought or bought, because I take exception 10 to that as an elected official that has been elected 11 by the people that I represent, knowing how hard I 12 work on behalf of the community that I represent. 13 And you may have been referring to 14 me, you may not have, you did not mention any names. 15 MR. HUNT: I would have called your 16 name. I only fear God. Let me just say that, if I 17 had said you, Mr. Jackson, we are very close 18 friends. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Right. 20 MR. HUNT: If I felt it was you, I 21 would have said it was you. I know Ms. Dickens, 22 Lloyd Dickens, I won't call names. I fear God. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: I expect your 24 only fear for God and I have said myself, I am not 25 afraid of any individual, and so I just wanted to 279 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 make it clear for those who may feel that you're 3 making reference to me, but I want to make it clear 4 that I personally, I have not sold out to anyone 5 with respects to that, and I'm trying to do the best 6 that I can to represent not only special interests 7 in our community, but the entire community with 8 respects to the issues that we're addressing here 9 today. 10 So, I just wanted to make that clear. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 12 Council Member Jackson. 13 MR. HUNT: I'll say one more thing. 14 Like I said, I speak for the people. My differences 15 amongst men is how ever it goes, but the so-called 16 people, the overwhelming majority of people say that 17 you're a sell out, and Miss Dickens is a sell out. 18 Charlie Rengal is a sell out. David Dinkins is a 19 sell out. Just the overall, the people. 20 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Thank you. 21 MR. HUNT: Have a nice day. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 23 much. 24 Next up is Daniel Lang Levitsky. Mr. 25 Lang Levitsky, are you here? No. 280 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Max Herman? Mr. Herman? Laura 3 Manville? Ms. Manville, are you here? 4 Frederick Mailay? Mr. Mailay, is that 5 you? Great. Welcome. Come on, have a seat. 6 Visnja Vujica? Not here. George 7 Bliss? That's an easy name. Mr. Bliss? No. 8 Annie Whin? Whip? Hudson Fine Arts. 9 No, spoke already. Great. Kate Miles? Ms. Miles, are 10 you here? Is that you? Great. Come on down. 11 Victoria Ruiz? Ms. Ruiz, come join 12 us. 13 Jean Thomas. Ms. Jean Thomas. Oh, 14 she's here. Great. Sorry. Come on down. 15 Thank you. 16 The next, while we're doing this, is 17 Julie Schneyer here? You are. Okay, you're part of 18 the next panel. Jennie Rose Halperin? Okay, great. 19 Areth Choi? Ms. Choi? Left. 20 Natalie Denault? Okay, great. Gabe 21 Espinal? Mr. Espinal, are you here? 22 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: He gave me 23 something to read. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: You can do it 25 within your three minutes, okay? 281 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 So, Samantha Barron? Okay, Ms. 3 Barron, you'll be part of the next panel, too. And 4 with that, why don't we start over here. If you 5 could just pass the microphone over to the end, sir? 6 Just introduce yourself, and thank you. 7 MS. THOMAS: Good afternoon, members 8 of the Council, and citizens of the community. My 9 name is Jean Thomas, and I am affiliated with the 10 Coalition, but I'm also affiliated with the 11 Coalition and the Institute for Justice. 12 I come because I have some rhetorical 13 questions that I would like for you all to consider 14 that I have sent to all of the Council members. 15 I do ask why Columbia Private 16 University seeks political approval across the board 17 and tax benefits to expand its campus with the 18 threat of eminent domain. 19 And if our area is blighted by vacant 20 deserted properties languishing, did Columbia 21 intentionally leave so many of its Manhattanville 22 real estate acquisitions in this State to get the 23 area targeted for such removal. 24 I also have to ask, won't all the 25 chemical refuse and waste generated in West Harlem, 282 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 not only impact the air, land and water quality of 3 Upper Manhattan, but also the other boroughs, water 4 state coastlines and the Atlantic Ocean? 5 Why does Columbia's own environmental 6 report give short shrift to such concerns by 7 glossing over or not addressing these issues, 8 including the expense to the City, possibly in 9 future litigation and disruption of community 10 infrastructure. 11 Isn't Columbia's EPA violation and 12 AIDS incarnation record a cause for concern about 13 its failure to act responsibly as a research 14 institution? 15 Columbia's own scientists have done 16 research on seismic activity, including the 125th 17 earthquake fault, and this is a conflict of interest 18 academically. 19 The US geological survey is also part 20 of the Department of Interior, which has landmarked 21 buildings in the expansion zone. 22 Besides having fall-out shelter 23 designation during the cold war, wouldn't these 24 buildings remain more useful for any future disaster 25 shelter needs of the City's people and pets? 283 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 I also ask, of the groups, one of 3 which I belong to, the NAACP, which has asked the 4 City to support Columbia, it has recently supported 5 those opposing eminent domain, from Connecticut to 6 the deep south and beyond. So, in this case, should 7 Columbia be given blanket support politically across 8 the board for its aspirations and for its ambition? 9 Whatever Columbia builds itself as, 10 choir, chorus or choral, should angels with dirty 11 faces be allowed to take the political backing at 12 all levels, especially after the ESDC has already 13 been sanctioned by a New York judge for doing so? 14 Do ethical lawyers deceive, bully, 15 threaten and intimidate and cause family dissention, 16 like those from Columbia have used, to subject their 17 targets in order to prevail in their plans? 18 Thank you very much. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 20 Sir, go right ahead. Whenever you're 21 ready. 22 MR. MAILAY: My name is Fred Mailay. 23 I'm a community activist. I'm the Co-chair for 24 Global Peace and Justice at Riverside. My values are 25 very, very strong, and I'm a very skeptical person 284 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 as to certain statements. 3 I'm against Columbia University Plan. 4 What an abomination of the Democratic process. We, 5 the people, have to borrow and make supplication to 6 the hyenas of the monetary ruling class as 7 exemplified by Columbia University. 8 Community Board 9 has unanimously 9 voted for the community plan overwhelmingly, yet the 10 crooks, the liars, the exploiters, have circumvented 11 the process, the voice of the people. We are doing 12 this because the poor, the vulnerable, the working 13 class, we are all marginalized. It is targeted 14 heavily on the blacks and Hispanics - we are so 15 voiceless. 16 It is not a bottom-up horizontal 17 integration process, but a vertical run-down 18 process. Our elected leaders have their minds 19 already made up. Deals have been made. The club 20 mentality. The trading of places and reshuffling of 21 the decks of the Titanic. Betrayals are the norms. 22 Let me tell you. There was a meeting, 23 Community Board meetings, that talk about the wrong 24 elements that Columbia University did, in terms of 25 experimentations of blacks and Hispanics, and, yet, 285 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 yet they would not release that report. So, today, 3 where we have many blacks came here to raise their 4 voice and said listen, Columbia University has no 5 moral grounds, no moral grounds here, and let us 6 take them to the task - why did you do it? Today we 7 have a control of our mind, everything. 8 Look at what my good friend, the 9 representative Jackson said. He is talking today 10 about conflicts of interest when he was running, 11 when our own club didn't endorse him, and I worked 12 for this guy, and today he is telling other leaders 13 you have conflicts of interest, and he did not want 14 to give up his job at DC 37. Today's he's given it 15 up. He's a great guy. But for God's sake, do not 16 forget from where you come, man. Don't turn your 17 back. And my last word to representative Jackson and 18 to Mayor Dinkins: Remember your mentor, Dr. Albert 19 and Dorothy Bloomberg, steadfast to your vision and 20 unity and solidarity, do not compromise with the 21 devil. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap it 23 up, sir. 24 MR. MAILAY: Do not compromise with 25 the devil. Do not compromise. 286 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 3 much. 4 Next up, Ms. Ruiz, or? 5 MS. RUIZ: Yes. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, Ms. 7 Ruiz. 8 MS. RUIZ: Hi. My name is Victoria 9 Ruiz. I am a junior in Columbia College. I'm 10 majoring in economics and architecture, and I'm also 11 one of the hunger strikers who went on hunger strike 12 because of this expansion plan. 13 I'm from California, from San Jose. 14 An area that has a little bit more redevelopment and 15 sustainability than New York at the present moment, 16 and I find the issues of affordable housing and 17 displacement really dire in our City. 18 I came to Columbia to be a citizen of 19 New York City, but after two and a half years here, 20 I realized that my institution is making that 21 impossible for me because of their endorsement of 22 their current expansion plan, and I'm doing all that 23 I can in my power as a student and member of the 24 community in order to fight it. We need to remember 25 in the case of New York the streets are the 287 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 characters and we're the playwriters, so what are we 3 going to do? 4 I agree with all of those who have 5 spoken on behalf against the Columbia's 197-c plan 6 and pro 197-a plan, and so in order to not repeat 7 anything, I would like to clarify a little bit more. 8 You heard from a member of the 9 Student Senate, a professor. Student Senate came out 10 of the 1968 expansion in which there was an 11 expansion plan that was agreed to go on, and what 12 happened? Students and members of the community 13 stopped it. 14 If you choose to relive history and 15 say yes to this expansion plan, I will choose to 16 relive history and stand in front of any bulldozer, 17 in front of any person that will allow this to go 18 on, and I know that there are other people who are 19 willing to do this. 20 In the case of double discovery and 21 these ideas of Columbia University having this 22 amazing community impact program, Columbia 23 University does not fund that program. That program 24 is funded by outside people. I work in this program 25 and I see the office day in and day out. People on 288 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 the phones trying to get money to run ESL and GED 3 programs, because the only thing Columbia provides 4 are loans to pay for federal work study students who 5 work in that program. So, for a clarification on 6 that. 7 When it comes to faculty housing, 8 faculty housing has been a means of displacement 9 when it comes to Columbia University in Harlem since 10 the beginning of faculty housing. It has displaced 11 thousands of people from Harlem. When we look at 12 Harlem, we're not looking at Midtown, we're not 13 looking at SoHo, we are looking at the capital of 14 black culture worldwide. We are looking at a place 15 where blacks and Latinos, people have, Malcolm X, 16 Martin Luther King, Jr., have chosen to have spoken 17 because there has been a place for people to listen. 18 And if this 197-c plan goes through, that is going 19 to end. 20 When it comes to Columbia University 21 as a Corporation, when I was in negotiations in the 22 hunger strike, during the hunger strike, Maxine 23 Griffith, who is the VP of Columbia, and she works 24 with community and government affairs, she agreed 25 that Columbia University was gentrifying when we 289 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 asked her. She said, yes, I understand. So, she has 3 agreed to the fact that Columbia University is a 4 gentrifier in these negotiations during the hunger 5 strike. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 7 much. 8 Go ahead. Thank you. 9 MS. MILES: My name is Katie Miles and 10 I'm a student at Columbia University. I'm part of a 11 group of students who has been working extensively 12 on the issues of expansion and I'm here today to 13 oppose the 197-c plan. 14 I'm going to present to you a 15 petition, some students mentioned it earlier. We've 16 been gathering signatures all semester, we've been 17 going door-to-door, getting signatures in every way, 18 and we have 486 signatures right now. So, I'm just 19 going to read the petition. 20 Whereas: Columbia University's 21 proposed rezoning of Manhattanville will 22 fundamentally alter that area and surrounding 23 communities; 24 Whereas: There has been a fundamental 25 lack of input in Columbia University's rezoning plan 290 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 by a community that lives, works and uses the area 3 in question; 4 Whereas: The universal land use 5 review procedure is a public process intended to 6 ensure that protection of public interests in new 7 developments; 8 Whereas: You, as elected 9 representatives of the people of New York City, have 10 the power to review rezoning proposals under ULURP 11 against the interest of your constituents; 12 Whereas: Columbia University, as a 13 not-for-profit self-described public institution has 14 an obligation to develop and expand in a manner that 15 is harmonious with the interests of West Harlem and 16 the rest of New York City; 17 Whereas: Columbia University's 18 rezoning plan contradicts the framework for 19 development enunciated in Community Board 9's 197-a 20 plan in areas include, but not limited to the 21 provision of affordable housing, living wage jobs, 22 and environmental sustainability; 23 Whereas: We, as Columbia students, 24 have a vested interest in seeing our University 25 expand and flourish in a manner which is sustainable 291 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and respectful at the needs of our neighbors, as 3 enumerated through the 197-a plan created by their 4 most local form of self governance, Community Board 5 9; 6 Whereas: We firmly believe in a 7 win/win scenario in which Columbia's institutional 8 needs are met in a manner that preserves the desired 9 character of the community; 10 Therefore, we, the undersigned, as 11 concerned students of Columbia University, urge you 12 in your capacity as City Councilperson, to vote to 13 decline Columbia University's 197-c rezoning 14 proposal for the Manhattanville area in its current 15 form until it is revised in accordance with the 16 framework and development set forth in Community 17 Board 9's Manhattan 197-a plan. 18 Thank you. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 20 much. 21 Council Member Jackson. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Yes. Mr. 23 Mailay, let me just clarify your statement of fact. 24 I did work for a labor union. I 25 worked for the New York State Public Employees 292 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Federation, which is a statewide union. I did not 3 work for DC 37. That's just for statement of fact. 4 Thank you. 5 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, 6 Council Member Jackson. 7 MR. MAILAY: Can I reply? 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: There's 9 nothing to reply to, sir. 10 MR. MAILAY: He's a union man. That's 11 what he said. 12 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: All right. 13 There's nothing to reply to. Thank you very much. 14 Thank you to this panel. 15 Let me call the next panel which 16 we've already identified. Samantha Barron, Natalie 17 Denault, Jenny Rose Halperin and Julie Schneyer. 18 Please come on down. 19 And the next panel will be Joel 20 Griffiths. Joel Griffiths, are you here? 21 MR. GRIFFITHS: Yes. 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Great. You're 23 on the next panel. 24 Vivian Lu? Ms. Lu? Oh, you are here. 25 Next panel for you. 293 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 John Martin Green? Mr. Green? Mr. 3 Green, are you here? 4 MR. GREEN: Yes. 5 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Oh, you are. 6 You'll be on the next panel. 7 Juan Silva? Mr. Silva? Oh, you're 8 here, great. You'll be on the next panel, too. 9 Okay, so why don't you go ahead and 10 get started, as soon as you're ready. 11 I'm sorry. We'll send the 12 Sergeant-At-Arms over to you to make sure we have 13 your form, sir. Because I don't know what your name 14 is. 15 Go ahead. 16 MS. ROSE HALPERIN: My name is Jenny 17 Rose Halperin, and I am a student of Barnard 18 College, Class of 2010. I am just going to read some 19 of the names from the signature. 20 (All names are spelled phonetically.) 21 Olivia Barry, Sharon Samuel, Abby 22 Ozonich, Courtney Magranis, Talia Karen Ziebe, Tracy 23 Greenberg, Jessica Epstein, Alice Brewer, Daes 24 Iszquierdo, Bilruva Pardine, Nacheed Chadhurry, 25 Bridget Donnely, Christina Budelis, Christie Garber, 294 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Casia Cusava, Courtney Mitchell, Abagail Laura, 3 Athen Minor, Gwenn Dippert, Yu Mathlerin, Julia 4 Bergie, Ali Yel, Frasier Long, Ariel Fein, Blanca 5 Stini, Patricia Arenya, Adi Tenigam, Alena McKeenan, 6 Genieve Chong, Carmen Rodriguez, Hunan Pi, Tara 7 Brooks, Nora Shaffer, Yon Lee Zhang, Ariana Gums, 8 Wendy Chan Feriannaser, Bian Capasos, Karen 9 Jorzidiah, Beth Pape, Kiandra Pryer, Noah Barron, 10 Harry Dunstan, Linda Lu, Thora Ginsdasa, Rachael 11 Reinsburg, Alexandra Darrien, Zal Yumo, Chinduchi 12 Chowdhurry, Rachael Venati, Lindy Repka, Pa Chong 13 Fong, Mimi Chung, Sabrina Cong, Mila Cruz, Diana 14 Chang, Crystal Tang, Alfred Sae, Julia Pierpond, 15 Rachel Lefskowitz, Rebecca Leonard, Grace Yen, 16 Rachel Bernstein, Jessica Medina, Andrew Tillet Sax, 17 Kelly Rosen, Mary Stratsel, Yang Chi, Gabriel Stone, 18 Lelonie Foster, Priscilla Nunez, Mary Pentecost -- 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: If it would 20 make it easier, you could submit this into the 21 record. 22 MS. ROSE HALPERIN: Yes. I believe I'm 23 just going to keep on reading. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay. 25 MS. ROSE HALPERIN: Sara Draber Zabid, 295 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Annie Lee, Laura McCarl, Sophia Servet, Cindy Reyes, 3 Laura Mofta. Sorry, there are about, I have about 4 100 more to read, and seeing as I have 55 seconds, 5 I'm just going to point out that the last signature 6 on my list is my mother, proudly who was also raised 7 in the Bronx, graduated NYU Class of '73, and even 8 our parents are opposed to this plan. 9 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 10 MS. ROSE HALPERIN: So I just wanted 11 to point that out. 12 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you for 13 that. 14 MS. ROSE HALPERIN: Thank you. 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 16 All right, go right ahead. 17 MS. SCHNEYER: Council members, good 18 afternoon. My name is Julie Schneyer. I'm also a 19 senior at Barnard College of Columbia University. 20 Columbia seeks to have it both ways 21 in its current proposal. It wants to be considered a 22 public institution acting for the public good and 23 given all it asks for in return, but at the same 24 time refuses to provide significant benefits to the 25 community. 296 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 The jobs created by this plan will go 3 overwhelmingly to college graduates and bring in 4 high-end retail while the project will destroy 5 well-paying manufacturing jobs and local businesses 6 that have been in the area for generations. 7 Hundreds of people will be evicted 8 directly and thousands more displaced through rising 9 property values. All this you know. 10 The mitigations thus far proposed 11 don't make a dent in the displacement, and 12 furthermore, the affordable housing units that would 13 be created by Columbia's $20 million commitment 14 would not primarily benefit current residents facing 15 this significant impact, according to the 16 environmental impact statement. 17 This is because of the way 18 affordability is calculated by the City, which uses 19 not local area median income or even Citywide area 20 median income, but actually the Metropolitan area 21 median income, which includes affluent suburbs that 22 skew affordability levels upward. Because of this, 23 even these affordable units could ironically act as 24 a gentrifying force in the community. 25 I echo many other people's comments 297 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 when I say I am disappointed that a prestigious 3 university would follow such a callous and 4 narrow-minded course. But only a student or other 5 university affiliate can say they feel ashamed by 6 it. 7 Well, I am indeed ashamed, and I ask 8 you as public representatives to support the 197-a 9 plan and oppose Columbia's 197-c plan unless and 10 until full mitigation of displacement is assured. 11 Thank you. 12 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 13 much. 14 MS. DENAULT: Hi. I am Natalie 15 DeNault. I am a sophomore at Barnard College at 16 Columbia University. I also have more names from the 17 petition and some personal testimony that I'm 18 representing students at Columbia who do not want 19 this expansion to happen in their name as it stands 20 without provisions to benefit the community. 21 So, Vivian Lu, Virgina Hopkins -- 22 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Again, I will 23 give you the opportunity if you want to just submit 24 it into the record, it has the same effect as 25 reading it out loud. 298 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MS. DENAULT: Well, I'm going to read 3 three of their personal testimonies. 4 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, that's 5 good. 6 MS. DENAULT: All right, Sabrina 7 Hopkins, of the School of Engineering and Applied 8 Sciences, Class of 2007, says "I would like Columbia 9 to publicly confirm that they are not just going to 10 listen to the concerns of the community, but that 11 they are going to honor the 197-a plan and take 12 extra precautions to ensure stringent environmental 13 standards are not just met but that they are held 14 with accountability to the community if they do not 15 meet them. 16 I would like also to see that 17 Columbia addresses the issue of secondary 18 displacement and uses its power to ensure that 19 surrounding residents are not forced out by rising 20 rents." 21 Ryan Comorie (phonetic) of Columbia 22 College '09 says: "Columbia's infringement on the 23 community of Harlem should be chastised for its 24 disregard for the health and wellbeing of the 25 neighborhood residents, its appalling lack of 299 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 support for the basic needs of the community, and 3 for favoring the commercial profit and 4 proceeds-driven push for expansion above the 5 opinions and lives of its neighbors. It's a shame." 6 And also Karen Elslind (phonetic) of 7 Columbia College, 2007 says: "Columbia students and 8 faculty care about the community we live in and work 9 in. Our administration must hold that in 10 consideration and engage our community in the spirit 11 of honesty and respect. Anything less is against 12 Columbia's founding principles." 13 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 14 Go ahead. 15 MS. BARRON: Hi. My name is Samantha 16 Barron. I'm a sophomore at Barnard, as well. And I 17 was also one of the student hunger strikers last 18 month. 19 So, I'd like to start out by 20 addressing, there has been a lot of information and 21 rhetoric floating around, so I have a couple of 22 clarifying points for the record. 23 A lot of the Columbia advocates that 24 I have heard speaking out are praising the plan in 25 terms of its environmental sustainability, but I'd 300 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 like to point out that Columbia has only agreed to 3 build in accordance with the LEED Silver 4 environmental standard, and that's the minimum 5 standard required to get the State Dormitory 6 Authority or to meet those requirements. 7 So, when we're saying Columbia is 8 doing all that it can do, it is going above and 9 beyond in terms of the environmental issues, really 10 it's only meeting a bare minimum. 11 And to address the second point, 12 after talking with many people who sat on CB 9's 13 197-a planning committee, Columbia has never met 14 with CB9 on Land Use issues regarding the 197-a. So, 15 all of these Columbia advocates who are coming up, 16 saying that the 197-c plan has been a partnership 17 between community members and Columbia 18 Administrators aren't taking this into account. That 19 this meeting reconciling the two plans, in terms of 20 land use, hasn't existed. 21 And so I also have a list of names of 22 students who have signed our petition for 100 or so 23 people. I will spare you my reading them. But I'd 24 just like to point out who these students are. These 25 are students who don't, these 400 students are 301 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 people who don't want this plan of displacement to 3 happen in their name. 4 There are people who heard about 5 economic benefits for Columbia, economic benefits 6 for the City, research benefits, but these are 7 students who want to hear about community benefits. 8 These are students who want affordable housing in 9 the community that's affordable for the people who 10 live there, and students who want City Council to 11 vote down the plan, unless it meets 100 percent of 12 the need for affordable housing that it will 13 generate. 14 We can sit here and talk about how 15 the ULURP process has been skewed in favor of 16 Columbia this whole way through, but here is a 17 chance for the City Council to stop it and actually 18 listen to these 400 people, 400 plus people who have 19 signed the petition, listened to the community 20 members, the people who actually live in West 21 Harlem, speaking out against the plan, and to 22 actually make some legitimate changes to it. 23 Thank you. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 25 Just before you go, I don't think we 302 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 have a copy of the full petition, and if somebody 3 could just give it to the Sergeant-At-Arms who is 4 waving his hand there, we will make sure that it's 5 part of the record. 6 So, thank you. 7 MS. BARRON: Thank you. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thanks very 9 much for your testimony. 10 The next panel, Mr. Adams, please 11 come up. Our apologies, we didn't have a slip for 12 you. 13 Vivian Lu, John Martin Green, Juan 14 Silva. 15 And let me just see, do we have Luis 16 Tejada here? Yes, Mr. Tejada. Joel Griffiths? 17 MR. GRIFFITHS: Here. 18 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Great. 19 Luis Gil? You're here, great. 20 Tamara Gayer? Great. Fred Danesh? 21 Great, all here. 22 Lastly, Robbie Cohen? 23 MR. COHEN: Here. 24 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay, welcome. 25 Lauren Feighan? Okay. Derrick Haynes? 303 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 MR. HAYNES: Here. 3 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Okay. And 4 Sherry Suttles? All here. Great. Those are going to 5 be the remaining folks today it looks like. 6 So, sir, Mr. Adams, go right ahead 7 and thank you for your patience. 8 MR. ADAMS: Good afternoon. I am 9 Michael Adams. I am the author of the book Harlem 10 Lost And Found and I was educated in the historic 11 preservation program at Columbia University, the 12 oldest in the nation. And, so, it's so deplorable to 13 me what's going on right now because everything that 14 I learned there showed how wrong-headed this plan 15 before you is. And I'm also very distressed just as 16 a citizen of New York, because, you know, David 17 Dinkins, he once lived in Harlem, but now he lives 18 off of Park Avenue. Debra Wright lives in Brooklyn, 19 and Kenneth Knuckles lives in Westchester. 20 There are African Americans who are 21 women who believe that some personal benefit to them 22 from Columbia University somehow translates into a 23 benefit for all women, for all people who are people 24 of color. And this is very, very wrong. They believe 25 that even though their benefit from Columbia and the 304 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 plan that they're helping to implement is going to 3 disadvantage many, many, many African-Americans and 4 many, many women. And many, many poor people. And 5 what this plan does overwhelmingly is that it 6 displaces poor people and it transforms Harlem into 7 a richer, wider place. 8 And what's so difficult for me to 9 understand about all of that is how the politicians 10 who are participating in this process don't realize 11 that ultimately it means then, too, that they won't 12 exist. Because if you look at Manhattan all up and 13 down its length, are there any African Americans or 14 Latinos who represent neighborhoods outside of Upper 15 Manhattan? This does not exist. 16 And I would even ask those of you who 17 are white, well, in this richer City that is 18 envisioned by the Mayor, that is envisioned by the 19 multi-millionaire planning commissioner, where will 20 you live? Where will your children go to school? Who 21 will teach your children? Who will do your dry 22 cleaning? Who will take care of your families? This 23 City is being transformed. 24 You are offered a clear choice 25 between a City of greater diversity, between a City 305 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 which is welcoming to all people and immigrants, or 3 a City that is primarily for the benefit of the rich 4 and historically most of those rich people are 5 white. 6 There is a study that was just 7 published in the Times the other day that said that 8 accounting for inflation that African-Americans are 9 worse off economically now than we were before the 10 civil rights era. And, so, this isn't about race 11 bating or about class war even, it's about the 12 reality, the historic reality of what is happening 13 right now. And the reason for so much discontent 14 from the people of Harlem is they realize that all 15 of these zoning proposals that are coming before the 16 City Council right now are going to change Harlem 17 forever and to a place where they won't be able to 18 live. And this is wrong, wrong, wrong. 19 Apart from that, all of the historic 20 buildings which are going to be destroyed, Columbia 21 University, one developer, is proposing to take 17 22 acres to clear every building, except for one, and 23 they somehow say that that preserves community 24 character. Well, I submit that that is wrong. Wrong. 25 Wrong. 306 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Thank you. 3 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 4 Adams. 5 Ms. Lu, before you start, let me just 6 say, if there is anybody in the room whose name we 7 did not call and you wish to testify, now is your 8 last chance. So, please visit the Sergeant-At-Arms' 9 desk right now, because we're going to be wrapping 10 up shortly. So, if I did not call your name and you 11 wish to testify, now is your chance. 12 So, Ms. Lu, go right ahead. Thank 13 you. 14 MS. LU: Hi. My name is Vivian Lu. I 15 am actually in Columbia College, Class of 2010. I'm 16 actually not in the student group working on 17 expansion at the moment, I am, however, a member of 18 the Asian-American Alliance in United Students of 19 Color Council. 20 I actually wasn't going to testify 21 today, but I was actually disgusted at the 22 administrators who have come here, attempted to 23 speak on behalf of the students, and I have used 24 student-run community initiatives as evidence of 25 Columbia's community relations. But I'm not here 307 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 actually to speak on Columbia's superficial and PR 3 attempts on working with the community as many 4 people before have already clearly described. 5 Instead, I would like to address the 6 complete lack of transparency, actually not even 7 between Columbia and the City process, the processes 8 people before me have also described very clearly, 9 but as a student, and coming from a student 10 perspective. 11 As an interested student, amongst 12 many others, I have continually been seeking answers 13 from the University. We have had meetings with 14 administrators before and during the hunger strike, 15 and continually we were told that trustees of the 16 University were the ones that made the decisions. I 17 actually was part of a trustee meeting recently with 18 students and it became very apparent throughout the 19 meeting that they told us they did not know the 20 answers and they did not know specific details of 21 the plan or about City processes in general, and 22 that they had good faith that City processes would 23 enter in community involvement. 24 Throughout these administration 25 meetings, Columbia's position has been to treat 308 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 these meetings as information sessions to clarify 3 their position on the plan, and not as a chance to 4 engage in genuine dialogue with students. 5 I'm very disappointed to be here, 6 knowing that these supposed decision makers, whether 7 they be trustees of the administration, have not 8 been even transparent to the students themselves and 9 have not successfully been able to even tell us 10 about the plan and how they are going to mitigate 11 the effects of secondary displacement and that we're 12 already here in City Hall at the public hearing, 13 already so far in this process and still not even 14 knowing where the answers are. 15 I actually wasn't even going to work 16 on issues around Columbia's expansion, except I work 17 with community organizations around the City 18 advocating for communities that are in danger of 19 displacement Citywide, whether that be in Manhattan 20 and Brooklyn and Queens and the Bronx, and working 21 with them and hearing from them about Columbia's 22 expansion has really inspired me to become more 23 involved. And, again, I'm actually completely 24 disgusted at how Columbia University can expect its 25 students to be at ease with its role in gentrifying 309 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and making Manhattan a whiter place which again has 3 been confirmed by administration -- administrators 4 to me personally, and I want to emphasize my 5 opposition to this plan. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 7 much. 8 Let me just note that we are now, 9 we've got the last people signed up, Laura Gabby and 10 Gerard Perichon. So, we're just going to close it 11 there. But go right ahead, sir. 12 MR. GREEN: Good afternoon. My name is 13 John-Martin Green. I am Co-founder and Co-artistic 14 Director of Blackberry Productions Theatre Company. 15 And I am here this afternoon to remind this august 16 body that Harlem became renown as the cultural 17 capital of America during the fabled Harlem 18 renaissance. As it happens in other renaissances 19 taking place today, the difference between this one 20 and the last is that this one is driven by 21 gentrification, as opposed to art and culture. 22 And it might be construed as ironic 23 that Columbia, an institution attended by Langston 24 Hughes, and Zorenial Hurston, two central figures of 25 the last renaissance, in its 197-c plan which 310 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 constitutes their contribution to Harlem's 3 gentrification in the current renaissance affords 4 such little attention to art and culture. 5 Gentrification implies improvement. 6 Lest we forget, art and culture are not only the 7 spiritual foundation of any community, 8 contemporarily in New York as an industry, art is 9 second only to finance and is the last remaining 10 smoke stack industry or one that creates new money. 11 Under the 197-c precious few are 12 plans for art and culture and the engagement of 13 artists and arts and cultural organizations towards 14 ensuring that the cultural heritage and creative 15 community continue to thrive along with the 16 development of the Columbia Campus. 17 We urge your support of the 197-a 18 under which provisions for fostering the expansion 19 and creation of new art and arts and arts initiated 20 as well as partnering with the community, in 21 developing new areas of arts and arts education and 22 technology. Should they have the courage to partner 23 with the community and recontextualizing the 24 cultural landscape of the community in observance of 25 the initiatives as outlined in the 197-a, these 311 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 programs promise to serve as an economic engine 3 revitalizing West Harlem as an art and cultural 4 destination. 5 Thank you. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 7 Mr. Silva. 8 MR. SILVA: (Speaking in Spanish.) 9 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Do we have an 10 interpreter? 11 If you do it slowly, I might be able 12 to help. But otherwise, is there anybody who can do 13 this in a professional capacity? 14 (Speaking in Spanish). 15 MR. SILVER: (Speaking in Spanish.) 16 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Muchos 17 grasias, senior'. 18 Thank you, to all of you, for your 19 testimony. 20 We're going to now call the next 21 panel. Fred Danesh, Tamara Gayer, Luis Gil and Joel 22 Griffiths. 23 We have two more panels and then we 24 are finished. 25 The next panel will be Sherry 312 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Suttles, Derrick Haynes, Lauren Feighan and Robbie 3 Cohen. 4 I'm sorry, that's the next panel. The 5 next panel will be the group -- sorry, folks. Sorry. 6 Did I call you before, Mr. Tejada? 7 MR. TEJADA: Yes. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: That was my 9 mistake. I put Mr. Adams in your place. I'll put you 10 in the next panel. That was my mistake. I'm very 11 sorry about that. Okay, that was just my error, 12 sorry. Go right ahead, sir. 13 MR. DANESH: Hello. My name is Fred 14 Danesh. I'm from West Harlem Coalition and CBC. I'm 15 a 37-year resident of West Harlem. My support for 16 197-a, as it originally was passed by the CB 9, is 17 for a fundamental reason. To me, that's clearly the 18 written will of the very informed, entirely engaged 19 community, and it was aided and abetted in its 20 inception by very able and highly ethical 21 professionals, professional planners. So, I'd like 22 to highlight some of this point. 23 First, it's our position to eminent 24 domain. My understanding of the eminent domain 25 amendment is essentially what it says in its 313 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 original language, that the government shall not 3 take every property except by just compensation. It 4 does not even say market value. It says just 5 compensation. And it's only implied that it's only 6 for public use and nothing else. Because it was 7 written by men and women, essentially by men who are 8 very wary of any government intervention on behalf 9 of one private owner and against another one. 10 So, for that reason, I think any 11 attempt to construe a license for the government to 12 intervene with this terrible power, crushing power, 13 on behalf of one powerful and private enterprise 14 against a less powerful one is what is clearly what 15 they were trying to prevent. 16 And for that reason I think any 17 attempt by the Council to even stay neutral or 18 silent about that issue and let it just pass to the 19 State, is really a betrayal of public trust. 20 The other point that I'd like to make 21 is, that is very important also is the question of 22 preservation of manufacturing areas. With all the 23 talk about manufacturing being passe and not vital, 24 one fact remains, that for big cities, space for 25 light manufacturing, which is for craftsmen, 314 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 artisans and tradesmen, that need has not decreased 3 by any means by any advancement in productivity and 4 other sections of manufacturing. A great City like 5 New York needs that and it should be preserved. 6 Thank you. 7 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 8 Go right ahead. Good timing. 9 Hit the button one more time. There 10 you go. 11 MS. GAYER: Hello. My name is Tamara 12 Gayer, and I'm a member of CB 9. I am a member of 13 the working group of the LDC on Arts and Culture. 14 But more importantly, I come before you today as an 15 artist, who has had her studio space in the 16 expansion zone for over ten years at this point. 17 I share my studio space with 18 approximately 40 other artists, visual artists and 19 musicians, and together we both provide working 20 spaces for ourselves and under the name the Hint 21 House Artist Collective. We've become a kind of 22 important station in the dialogue between artists 23 countrywide and in Europe and in Asia, without being 24 a non-profit, using public funds or anything like 25 that. We provide free music and art shows several 315 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 times a year. We bring people from all around the 3 City to our space. 4 Happily, we're currently involved in 5 a dialogue with Columbia University, who is our 6 landlord, to possibly get us new space, but that has 7 been a kind of arduous process and is still 8 unresolved, and even with all of that underway in 9 its stake, I bring before you many deep concerns 10 that I have about this plan. 11 As someone who has been in the 12 expansion zone for the last ten years, I can tell 13 you that it's not the failing of industry or 14 manufacturing that's gone on here, it's the 15 extraordinary success of real estate in New York 16 City, where small businesses cannot compete, real 17 estate has not been unavailable, and actually slowly 18 the area has been emptied out as properties have 19 been bought up, and there have been no leases 20 available. I know tons of artists who run both 21 creative studios and specialty businesses, glass 22 blowing, creative iron works, print making and all 23 sorts of client products which pay living wages and 24 very high wages to all sorts of people, but do rely 25 on the availability of space at a reasonable price 316 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 who would love to be in Manhattan. So, it's not a 3 dearth of demand, it is actually that, even though 4 it seems like there is a lot of space around, there 5 actually hasn't been. 6 And, you know, people have spoke here 7 before about the incredible importance of culture in 8 Harlem. That's true throughout New York City, and 9 you can see that even one of the -- you can say 10 hip-hop, for example, has generated more billions of 11 dollars around the world than any institution, and 12 sadly enough, very few of those dollars come back to 13 Harlem and even fewer to Harlem artists. 14 So, right now in CB 9 we're faced 15 with such a crunch of space, for work space, that 16 it's not even a question of affordable space, it's 17 just a question of availability, period. 18 There are artists leaving the area by 19 droves to other neighborhoods in the City and 20 leaving New York. And both as a cultural generator, 21 which has made New York City very special, and as an 22 economic generator, in the course of this plan, even 23 only ten years from now you're going to see the 24 severe impact where New York will not have the 25 reputation it once had because the creative services 317 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 will no longer be able to sustain themselves an 3 exist here and that's something very sad to me. It's 4 something that I think a lot of artists are crying 5 out about. So, I'd like to bring that perspective to 6 the Council. 7 Thank you very much. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 9 much. Thank you for your testimony. Also very good 10 timing. 11 Sir, go right ahead. 12 MR. GIL: Good afternoon. My name is 13 Luis Gil. I am the Coordinator of the Youth Project 14 at Mirabel Sisters Cultural and Community Center. 15 I fully oppose the 197-c plan, also 16 known as "Columbia Expansion Plan." Members of the 17 City Council, the West Harlem community is feeling 18 disenfranchised in this process. Our community has 19 expressed overwhelmingly its opposition to Columbia 20 Plan. In all the hearings of the Community Board 9, 21 the Borough President and the City Planning 22 Commission, the community say no to Columbia's plan. 23 In favor the CB 9 plan, the 197-a plan. 24 So, I am requesting the City Council 25 members to hear the voice of the West Harlem 318 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 community and vote no to the 197-c plan. 3 Our constituents are requesting to 4 stop the displacement of the low-income community, 5 to stop eminent domain abuse, and the construction 6 of level 3 bio technology stops. 7 Thank you. 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 9 Go right ahead, sir. 10 MR. GRIFFITHS: My name is Joel 11 Griffiths. I'm a medical and environmental writer, 12 and long-time resident of the community. I'd just 13 like to mention one additional point in connection 14 with the biochemical research laboratory Columbia 15 intends to build at 130th Street and Broadway. 16 I was recently told by a United 17 States Army scientist that the Department of Defense 18 had conducted tests on what would happen if a 19 biochemical research lab, such as this, were 20 subjected to sabotage or terrorist attack. According 21 to these tests, the entire inventory of biological 22 and chemical poisons would be released into the 23 surrounding environment, which in this case would be 24 New York City. They would be released into the air 25 and dispersed. 319 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 I would like to ask the members of 3 the City Council to ask Columbia if it is aware of 4 these tests and what it has to say about them. 5 Thank you. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 7 much, and thanks to all of you for your presence 8 here today. 9 Let me call the next panel, which is 10 the pentultimate panel. Mr. Tejada, come up again. 11 My apologies to you. I'm very sorry about that. 12 Sherry Suttles, Derrick Haynes, Lauren Feighan and 13 Robbie Cohen. This is a panel of five. Will be 14 followed by our last panel, which will be a panel of 15 four. So, just pull up an extra chair, if you don't 16 mind. 17 Oh, there is one chair behind, so 18 maybe one of you can swap it up when one of you 19 finishes. There we go. We now have five chairs. 20 Thank you, Raphael. 21 You can go right ahead and get 22 started as soon as you're ready. 23 MS. FEIGHAN: My name is Lauren 24 Feighan, and I'm reading on behalf of an alumni from 25 Columbia, Jake Yuen. 320 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 I am writing in support of Columbia 3 University's expansion. As an alumnus, I would love 4 to see a great institution like Columbia grow and 5 take a larger role in higher education. More 6 importantly, I think the expansion project is 7 beneficial to the community and the people in the 8 community. 9 First of all, the expansion would 10 create thousands of stable jobs for the community. 11 It would be great to think that unemployment in the 12 US can stay as low as it is right now forever; 13 however, economic cycles tell us that jobs are not 14 always going to be there. 15 During an economic downturn, most 16 companies will cut jobs in order to maintain 17 profitability. On the other hand, jobs in the 18 University are stable and will most likely increase 19 in number during a recession, as many more people 20 return to school to seek higher education. 21 Economic stability is the most 22 important factor to maintain a healthy community, 23 and Columbia's expansion project will undoubtedly 24 benefit the community, both in the short run and in 25 the long run. 321 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Over the years Columbia has 3 demonstrated a great deal of support and respect to 4 the surrounding communities. Programs like Double 5 Discovery Center and Columbia Community Outreach, 6 just to name a few, have become a part of Columbia's 7 identity. 8 In order for the University to 9 continue her work to benefit more people, it's 10 necessary for the University to grow. 11 I strongly believe that Columbia will 12 be respectful to the community and always look for 13 the best interests of the people and groups in the 14 community. 15 I thank you for the opportunity to 16 express my opinion on this matter, and for the 17 thousands of potential leaders of tomorrow that 18 would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend 19 this great university without the expansion. 20 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 21 Please go right ahead. Identify 22 yourself. 23 MS. SUTTLES: I'm Sherry Suttles, age 24 60. I am a Barnard College Columbia University 25 graduate, and the President of our Class of 1969 322 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 alumna. I also have a master's degree from President 3 Bollinger's former University, Michigan. I'm from 4 Detroit. Both my degrees are government and public 5 policy. 6 I'm also the mother of a 24-year-old 7 who I tried to get to come today, but he's in 8 Columbia at this moment filming. We're doing a 9 movie, ironically, on the Columbia '68 strike and 10 how it relates to the Class of '08 students, that we 11 were able to witness participate in the hunger 12 strike. 13 I, too, am an elected official in 14 Atlantic Beach, South Carolina. I have had to make 15 some very weighty decisions concerning 16 gentrification of a historically segregated black 17 community, a black beach resort, in fact. 18 I came here specifically to support 19 Brian Mercer, and the other hunger strikers that I 20 learned were going to be here today. I have a great 21 deal of respect for these young people, having 22 participated myself in 1968 in Hamilton Hall, and we 23 were just concerned about a little gymnasium in 24 Morningside Heights and now we have this huge 25 development to look to. And we took over buildings 323 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 with the fear of the police taking us out, and these 3 young people essentially were putting themselves in 4 jeopardy by not eating for a week that we witnessed, 5 and we're very moved by. 6 Now, I came here also to do a little 7 bit of exposure publicly about Columbia. We have 8 been planning for six months, those of us who are 9 veterans of '68, to commemorate that 40th event next 10 April. Just this week we received notice that 11 Columbia is not going to sponsor this after all. 12 They're going to do some sort of academic program 13 the following week. We veterans have all decided 14 we're going to come anyway, so next April, 24th to 15 the 27th, there may be as many as 1,000 folks in 16 here. That's how many were arrested in that time 40 17 years ago. 18 We thought this was going to be a 19 perfect opportunity for Columbia University to step 20 up to the plate in an academic sense and review with 21 us -- you know the kids talk highly about '68, like 22 we're some saints, and I didn't even get arrested, I 23 didn't stay the whole time. I'm not that much of a 24 revolutionary, I found out. But we're all real human 25 beings who could contribute to this very discussion, 324 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and we wanted to do that with Columbia's blessing. 3 They're not giving it. 4 I also want to take advantage of 5 being in this public setting to commend the folks 6 that we had to look to in government that time, 7 which was Charlie Rengal, Percy Sutton, Basil 8 Paterson, and thanks to them, the Hamilton Halls's 9 students were able to get out safe. 10 I didn't take a stand for or against, 11 as you saw on the slip. There are too many of us old 12 folks who have changed positions. I've talked to 13 some of them, and they're not opposed and I can't 14 speak for them. But I do have concerns. Thank you. 15 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 16 much. 17 Mr. Tejada, again, apologies. Go 18 right ahead. 19 MR. TEJADA: It's okay. 20 All right, good afternoon, everyone. 21 My name is Luis Tejada. I'm a representative of the 22 Mirabel Sisters Cultural and Community Center. I 23 just want to ask, did you know, you already found 24 out Columbia University is not anymore an 25 educational institution? Because it is already a 325 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 corporation, a real estate corporation that tried to 3 displace the West Harlem community. So, based on 4 that, I would like to tell you that this is a great 5 opportunity for our community to be heard by you, 6 because in the other public hearing, the whole 7 community has spoken against the Columbia Expansion 8 Plan. And I see the same panel, not just a person, 9 the same panel listening very carefully to what we 10 say, but they only heard the voice of few of the 11 members of Columbia University, that they don't 12 belong to the community, they employees of the 13 University, to talk about in favor of 197-c. 14 At the end we are waiting for the 15 decision, the City Planning Committee, also another 16 public hearing given by Borough President Scott 17 Stringer, they haven't heard the community, they're 18 just listening one side from Columbia University, 19 and they close their ear, for not to listen to the 20 community. Even the whole community is against the 21 expansion plan. 22 Do you know that the Latino community 23 has been discriminated this process? Three times the 24 Borough President never listen, never heard the 25 community. Never. He didn't get a translation 326 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 service, and led the Latino community to the last 3 minutes. I thought it was going to happen the same 4 today when you didn't call me, that's why I raised 5 my voice. I said, c'mon, call me because I thought 6 it was going to be the same one that I hear before, 7 the Borough President. So, he left the Latino 8 community to the last minutes, the last minute, and 9 he didn't call the Latino community. We are 40 10 percent of that community. And we have another 11 problem because I see this as a conspiracy against 12 that whole Harlem. We don't have a representation in 13 the LDC. And the politicians, the elected officials 14 are taking over the LDC. They don't want a Latino 15 community there. We won twice the nomination to be 16 part of the LDC, and the Board of the elected 17 officials, they reject our representation as a 18 Latino community there, so we don't have any there. 19 It's like a whole conspiracy against the community 20 and I hope the same situation doesn't happen here 21 again, because I know most of you represent 22 definitely the community, and I asked Mr. Jackson, 23 what's going on with the LDC that we don't have any 24 representation because as I'm going to leave the 25 hearing we have no representation in that 327 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 corporation. I would like you taking account because 3 we have lack of representation in LDC. 4 Thank you. 5 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 6 Tejada. 7 Go right ahead. 8 MR. HAYNES: Thank you. Good evening 9 to all. My name is Derrick Haynes. Not only am I a 10 Harlem resident, but I grew up and lived in 11 Manhattanville Projects over the last 20 years. I'm 12 not affiliated with the University in any aspect. I 13 come speaking on behalf of myself and some of the 14 youth in the area. 15 First, before I start talking, I 16 would like to just take a couple of seconds to 17 realize that a young man was killed recently on the 18 campus of Columbia University. 19 (Moment of silence observed.) 20 Thank you. I wish I could have 21 allotted more time. 22 Two things come to mind when I speak 23 now, and one of the things I speak about is 24 Manhattanville as a community. I don't know if we 25 realize that. Manhattanville Community Center has 328 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 been closed for five years. That means those kids in 3 that area had nothing to do for almost five years. 4 That's a shame. Something needs to be done. It is 5 now open, but it should never have closed. And the 6 same people that are out here going against and for 7 what is about to happen should have been out there 8 then. 9 If we're not careful there is going 10 to be a negative rise of what these young men are 11 doing without the proper guidance. 12 Now, my concern, and I'm not totally 13 for this project, unless the City Council and the 14 Borough President's Office is going to take the time 15 to actually make sure that the conditions that need 16 to benefit the community are going to be looked at. 17 One of the most important things to 18 me, because of my experience, I am currently a 19 juvenile counselor with the Department of Juvenile 20 Justice, I see the recidivism rate of these young 21 kids, both Latino and black in the community on a 22 constant basis. These kids come in and out of these 23 facilities. These same kids are out there selling 24 drugs, these same kids are out there committing 25 murders. One of the things that may be able to help 329 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 some of these kids is if you can lead them into a 3 job training situation where you could possibly get 4 some of these young men to change their mind to 5 change their lives, to change their decisions. 6 If the University is looking to do 7 this for these young men, then I have to put my 8 conditional support behind this program. Thank you. 9 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you, Mr. 10 Haynes. 11 Mr. Cohen. 12 MR. COHEN: Esteemed members of the 13 City Council, my name is Robbie Cohen, and I am 14 President of the Second Year Medical Class and an 15 MD, PhD candidate at the Columbia College of 16 Physicians and Surgeons in Washington Heights. Thank 17 you all for hearing my testimony, and also allowing 18 me to go to class this morning. This is quite a 19 pleasure for me, it's my first time in City Hall. 20 I'm here to speak in favor of the 21 Columbia 197-c plan. We in the medical center 22 community which educates over 3,000 students in six 23 medically related professions are deeply excited 24 about the proposed expansion in Manhattanville. 25 Students from all these professions, 330 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 especially the nearly 700 graduate students working 3 in our basic science labs, engage in scientific 4 research in every field imaginable. 5 Our enthusiasm for research and its 6 potential to change the lives of millions of people 7 living with diseases that might eventually -- that 8 we might eventually control, cure or prevent is the 9 reason so many of us devote the better part of our 10 20s and 30s to the world of DNA proteins, 11 pharmacology and patient care. 12 The future of CUMC is even brighter 13 than its present. Just over a year ago President 14 Bollinger announced the appointment of Dr. Lee 15 Goldman, a cardiologist and expert in health 16 promotion, as Executive Vice President for the 17 Health Sciences Campus. 18 Dr. Goldman was most recently Chair 19 of Medicine at UCSF and under his supervision UCSF 20 became an elite medical school and research 21 institution in America receiving, and I'm quoting 22 the report here, "...more financing in grants and 23 contacts from the NIH than any other academic 24 department of any kind in the United States." 25 We students believe that under his 331 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 leadership Columbia Medical Center is being 3 transformed into an institution to be mentioned in 4 the same breath as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford 5 and UCSF located right here in our wonderful City of 6 New York, as the revered schools at the very 7 forefront of the essential search for cures and for 8 diseases and for an end to the suffering they 9 inflict worldwide. 10 One unique aspect about attending 11 medical school or doing laboratory research in New 12 York is the unique challenge of providing the 13 necessary infrastructure for it, which must always 14 be collaborative and labor and resource intensive. 15 Right now Columbia lags significantly 16 over $100 million behind our peer schools in 17 research grants from the NIH, a direct function of 18 the number of labs we're able to house in Washington 19 Heights, yet we are still consistently ranked as one 20 of the best medical research institutions in the 21 country. Imagine what more we could achieve for New 22 York, America and the world if given the necessary 23 resources to support a brilliant new Dean and our 24 distinguished faculty, which includes two winners of 25 the Nobel Prize in medicine in the last eight years. 332 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 We in the medical center community 3 are extremely concerned for those that we serve, 4 specifically the residents of West Harlem, many of 5 whom attend Columbia Presbyterian Hospital or our 6 affiliated Harlem Hospital for their medical care. 7 We have tremendous respect for those 8 students and community leaders who are advocating 9 the fair treatment of the residents of West Harlem. 10 We echo their sympathy and find them to be 11 displaying the highest level of citizenship in 12 voicing their concerns. 13 We equally respect and agree with 14 those who wish to ensure that Columbia not ask the 15 City to invoke eminent domain in the transference of 16 land ownership, something that would certainly be 17 construed as a disregard for the needs of the 18 current residents. 19 I'll skip the rest. On behalf of the 20 students at Columbia Medical Center, I 21 enthusiastically and whole-heartedly support the 22 proposed plan to build this new research campus. 23 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you for 24 your testimony. And thanks to all of you for your 25 testimony today. 333 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 We now have a final panel, and I'd 3 like to call them up. Michael White, Mary Habstritt, 4 Laura Gabby and Gerard Millan Perichon. And this 5 will be our final panel. 6 Welcome. 7 Sir, whenever you're ready you can 8 get started. Just identify yourself. 9 Hit the button on that microphone. 10 There you go. 11 MR. WHITE: I'm Michael White. I'm a 12 lawyer. I've got a degree in urban planning, and a 13 long history in government. I'm here to speak as a 14 member of the public. First there is something I 15 think you already know. New York has an eminent 16 domain industry and is very busy at the moment. Once 17 upon a time, private property could only be taken 18 for public use. Words of the constitution. The words 19 are the same, but now it's possible to take private 20 property from one private owner and give it to 21 another, if public officials endorse the premise 22 that that shift is going to be for the public good. 23 The result is the industry is busy. 24 Since the Kilo case there has been a 25 several-fold increase in condemnations and new 334 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 proposals for condemnations. The flood is for 3 private commercial development. The Castle Coalition 4 points out that New York has the unfortunate 5 distinction of being one of the very worst states in 6 the country in abusing the power of eminent domain. 7 In New York eminent domain is conducted by obscure 8 agencies and by obscure processes. Those people 9 don't know that the process can be kicked off, as 10 was the case with Columbia going after the swathe of 11 the neighborhood by writing a check to a 12 self-funding government agency to advance the 13 condemnation. That's before any public hearings. 14 As seen particularly with Columbia, 15 and also with Atlantic Yards, the threat of eminent 16 domain is used as destructively as eminent domain 17 itself. The destruction comes even when there has 18 been no public vote, or decision to use eminent 19 domain. 20 The private entity such as Forrest 21 City Ratner and Columbia that drive eminent domain 22 forward do so feeling that when they initiate the 23 process, they will be the only possible recipient of 24 the property taken. That's because bids, or 25 effective bidding is not required. 335 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 The industry doesn't have an interest 3 in depicting what eminent domain will bring with 4 neutral accuracy, including the environmental impact 5 statements. 6 The expensive pretty pictures, 7 brochures, et cetera, about the projects cannot be 8 excused as mere puffery. These tools rest ownership 9 from others and they do harm. 10 Though eminent domain is supposed to 11 be permissible and pursued at the public good, 12 condemnation is pursued even when local communities 13 don't concur that there is public good. Neither the 14 Columbia Expansion nor Atlantic Yards would be 15 proceeding if the local community boards were 16 listened to. 17 In our hearts we know that nothing as 18 staggering as the Columbia's takeover of West Harlem 19 would be allowed were it another institution in 20 another neighborhood. Just as nothing comparable to 21 Atlantic Yards would have been accepted in Manhattan 22 in a Manhattan neighborhood like Greenwich Village. 23 Are other neighborhoods therefore 24 safe? No. All neighborhoods, they will be pushing 25 the envelope in all neighborhoods as far as they 336 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 can, and what gets tested here will be used 3 elsewhere. 4 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 5 much. Thank you for your testimony. 6 Go right ahead. 7 MS. HABSTRITT: Good afternoon. My 8 name is Mary Habstritt. I'm an industrial historian. 9 Back in July I was invited by several members of the 10 Manhattanville community to do research toward a 11 possible industrial historic district. I did find a 12 very rich industrial and transportation history 13 particularly in the area providing a pure milk 14 supply to New York City. 15 Becoming involved in Manhattanville, 16 I was quickly outraged by the injustice of the 17 situation created by Columbia University's proposed 18 expansion. 19 I received my master's degree from 20 Columbia, a school I could not have attended without 21 the generous scholarship assistance that they gave 22 me. My gratitude, however, does not extend to 23 turning a blind eye to the wrongs they wish to 24 perpetrate on this community. It does not extend to 25 ignoring the fact that they proposed the use of 337 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 eminent domain in the first place. 3 Saying they hope not to have to use 4 it, saying that they won't use it against 5 residential property are false concessions of 6 something they brought to the table. 7 Specifically, I'm appalled that the 8 power of the State could be used to take a building 9 that the State itself has determined to be of 10 national significance and tear it down for private 11 development, however worthy that development may be. 12 The Sheffield Farm Stable is already 13 on the State and National Registers of Historic 14 Places. I believe it is also worthy of designation 15 as a New York City landmark, and would be determined 16 eligible if Columbia did not have other plans for 17 it. 18 The buildings that Columbia has 19 offered to work around as a sop to the community 20 should be landmarked too. Prentis Hall and the 21 Studebaker building have already been determined 22 eligible to be City landmarks. As minimal mitigation 23 for what they would destroy, Columbia should exceed 24 to landmarking these. 25 Important archeological remnants of 338 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 innovative street car lines of Manhattanville exist 3 in the street beds of the neighborhood. They should 4 be protected from damage during any construction or 5 excavation. 6 Unfortunately, City Planning did not 7 ask that the street beds be included in the 8 archeological review for the project, even though 9 many streets would be undermined by the proposed 10 bathtub. 11 So, the archeologist at the Landmarks 12 Preservation Commission declined to follow-up when 13 these were brought to her attention. 14 In the latest modification of its 15 197-a plan, the Community Board only asks for 16 retention and re-use of six buildings, in addition 17 to Prentis and Studebaker. 18 This is a significant reduction from 19 a much longer list of buildings it asked to be 20 studied for possible landmarking in its original 21 plan. 22 They have made a great concession and 23 should be supported in this by the Council, and if 24 there is an opportunity to look again at the entire 25 list, as was suggested by Pat Jones many hours ago, 339 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 I hope that you would support that. 3 The community deserves more than the 4 dregs that Columbia has offered to leave behind. 5 Thank you. 6 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 7 Go right ahead. 8 MS. GABBY: Okay, thanks. Hello. My 9 name is Laura Gabby. I'm a graduate student of 10 public health at Columbia University, and I just 11 want to go on record as saying that my colleague 12 does not, unfortunately, or fortunately, I guess, 13 speak for everyone at the Columbia University 14 Medical Center, as he so indicated. 15 With the advent of Human Rights Day 16 on December 10th, this has been a time to reflect on 17 the dehumanization that continues to plague our 18 society. 19 As a graduate student of public 20 health, I find myself particularly struck by the 21 dehumanization that has accompanied the major 22 disasters that have shaken our world in the past few 23 years. From the Tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004 to 24 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, in deed these 25 natural disasters are increasingly being decried as 340 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 very unnatural. While no one can stop a tsunami or 3 hurricane, our society chooses how to shape our 4 built environment. This takes the form of policy 5 decisions on where to build, what protective 6 measures are necessary, and what emergency plans are 7 in place. 8 Additionally, who lives where is 9 largely still shaped by past policies of segregation 10 and red lining and current policies of allowing 11 market forces to decide where people live. Under 12 these policies, it's unfortunately not much of a 13 surprise that people lost money, people from 14 marginalized groups end up living in vulnerable and 15 inadequately protected land. At the recent Disaster 16 and Human Rights Conference held at the school of 17 public health, the panelists discussed the 18 definition of disaster with some arriving at the 19 conclusion that it is an experience of collective 20 stress that frays the social fabric. It doesn't take 21 much imagination to see that this definition 22 includes forces besides tsunamis and hurricanes. It 23 can include any forces that create wide-scale 24 displacement. 25 Which brings me to considering 341 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 Columbia's Manhattanville Expansion Plan, in the 3 context of disaster and human rights. This is not 4 simply a debate about adding some buildings and 5 changing the physical structure of West Harlem. By 6 Columbia's own estimates in the Environmental Impact 7 Statement, the plan puts over 3,000 people at risk 8 of being displaced from their homes in West Harlem. 9 It is reasonable to assume that this 10 will both fray the social fabric and cause an 11 experience of collective stress for the West Harlem 12 community. The same patterns of vulnerability that 13 created the disaster of hurricane Katrina can be 14 seen at the micro-scale in West Harlem. The most 15 vulnerable to displacement are again the people who 16 have the least money, live on the lowest-lying land, 17 and are the most susceptible to being the target of 18 discriminatory practices, people of color, women, 19 children, the elderly, and the working class. 20 As many have pointed out, Columbia 21 isn't the only institution that's expanding. 22 Harvard, Penn, NYU and many other universities have 23 expansion plans as well and new developments and 24 condominiums have been popping up all over the City. 25 In other words, Columbia isn't by any means solely 342 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 responsible for the wave of gentrification sweeping 3 across New York City. 4 Harlem would most certainly be 5 gentrifying with or without Columbia. However, the 6 Manhattanville expansion would pave the way for much 7 swifter gentrification, leading to predictable 8 increases in displacement, social conflict and 9 inequality. 10 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap 11 up. 12 MS. GABBY: I would just like to ask 13 you what values are at the heart of this system and 14 what values are at the heart of this decision-making 15 process. 16 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. 17 MS. GABBY: And I urge you to oppose 18 Columbia's Expansion Plan. 19 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you very 20 much. 21 Thank you. 22 And last, but most certainly not 23 least, Mr. Perichon. Go right ahead. 24 MR. PERICHON: Thank you. I'm an 25 artist and also a medical consultant. I've been 343 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 studying medicine on my own for about 15 years, the 3 research, and I help people when they're capable of 4 being helped. 5 One of the things that draws my 6 curiosity and it's better extemporaneously talking 7 about it, is this sort of euphemisms that people 8 come up with in relationship to this development of 9 the biotech labs, and also the medical assistance it 10 will give them, we just heard from this young 11 fellow. In reality, it's an extremely potentially 12 dangerous operation. There have been government 13 contracts that have been written by the US 14 government that have been dug out by Freedom of 15 Information Act, where they've contracted people and 16 biotech firms to create basically diseases for 17 satisfying the bio warfare concerns for the past 50 18 years. Out of those diseases have come things like 19 AIDS, e boli, the Mad Cow Disease, which is even at 20 this point spreading into the wildlife, it's no 21 longer just involving cows or humans, but it's 22 spreading without any kind of control. There would 23 be claimed to be other motives for that, I won't get 24 into that, but the real problem of controlling this 25 kind of thing, or even just the simpler, 344 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 pharmacological, the big money items, such as 3 genetics now-a-days, which says, oh, we're going to 4 cure this and that, I mean would any or all of you 5 have great appreciation if one of your 6 granddaughters suddenly married a genetically 7 modified organism? 8 This is a real deep concern. They do 9 not present, they have not made any kind of proposal 10 of transparency. Can you legally demand transparency 11 of this corporate college? It's a corporation, as 12 much as a college. It's now wanting to spread like a 13 cancer further north, expanding, metastasizing into 14 Harlem, rather than containing, rather than healing 15 everybody's involved suffering and complaints and 16 problems with this. 17 Do you have any kind of control for 18 this? Suddenly you're allow to exist and then ten, 19 15 years down the line you've got additional 20 disease, like AIDS, which Harlem virally suffers 21 from greatly, or you have something else, like Mad 22 Cow Disease, you know, don't have to be named for 23 the current ones, we can name new ones and have 24 fancy names. But this is a euphemism. They make 25 great corporate presentation of their humanity and 345 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 their gift and their financial service, when in 3 reality it's a money thing. 4 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Please wrap it 5 up. Is that the end? 6 MR. PERICHON: Okay, so, you don't 7 have control over that, do you? 8 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Thank you. Is 9 that the end of your testimony? 10 MR. PERICHON: I asked a question. 11 CHAIRPERSON GARODNICK: Yes, I know. 12 This is not a question and answer session here, so 13 if that's the end then we will call it a day. We do 14 appreciate your testimony and we appreciate all of 15 your being here. And of course, to all of you who 16 stayed to the bitter end, we appreciate it. This has 17 been a long hearing today, but this, of course, 18 closes the public hearing on these two items. I'm 19 going to first close and adjourn the Subcommittee on 20 Planning, Dispositions and Concessions, and I will 21 turn the gavel over to Chairman Avella. 22 CHAIRPERSON AVELLA: First of all, I 23 want to thank everybody for coming out and giving 24 their testimony. I want to thank, obviously, Council 25 Member Bob Jackson, Inez Dickens, for sitting 346 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 through all this testimony, and my colleague Chair 3 Garodnick and Melinda Katz, and all of you. 4 I'm going to close the public hearing 5 and I'm going to have a couple of personal comments 6 myself. 7 First, I'm going to close the public 8 hearing on the Zoning and Franchises Committee. 9 As was mentioned at the beginning, 10 each of our separate subcommittees will be doing a 11 vote some time in the future. I have three comments, 12 one for the community, one for Columbia and one for 13 the City Council. 14 For the community, I couldn't agree 15 more with your comments. I though they were right on 16 mark, and you have my support in that respect. 17 In terms of Columbia, Columbia, I 18 know you still have some representatives in the 19 audience here, you do not have my vote, unless you 20 change the eminent domain situation, and you listen 21 to the community and address all their issues. 22 Three, the City Council should not be 23 rushing into a vote on this. We have time til 24 January, we should take every single day to work out 25 some of the issues and try and get the discussion 347 1 ZONING AND FRANCHISES AND PLANNING DISPOSITIONS 2 and the debate between Columbia and the community 3 really going. Let us not rush into this. 4 With that, I adjourn the Zoning 5 Subcommittee. And we're done. Thank you. 6 (Hearing concluded at 5:07 p.m.) 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 348 1 2 CERTIFICATION 3 4 5 STATE OF NEW YORK ) 6 COUNTY OF NEW YORK ) 7 8 9 I, CINDY MILLELOT, a Certified 10 Shorthand Reporter, do hereby certify that the 11 foregoing is a true and accurate transcript of the 12 within proceeding. 13 I further certify that I am not 14 related to any of the parties to this action by 15 blood or marriage, and that I am in no way 16 interested in the outcome of this matter. 17 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto 18 set my hand this 12th day of December 2007. 19 20 21 22 23 --------------------- 24 CINDY MILLELOT, CSR. 25 349 1 2 C E R T I F I C A T I O N 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I, CINDY MILLELOT, a Certified Shorthand 10 Reporter and a Notary Public in and for the State of 11 New York, do hereby certify the aforesaid to be a 12 true and accurate copy of the transcription of the 13 audio tapes of this hearing. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ----------------------- CINDY MILLELOT, CSR. 25