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Word from Bwog’s City Hall correspondent has it that Columbia’s proposed expansion plan has been approved by the city council by a vote of 35-5-6. Community Board 9’s plan (the 197-a) was approved unanimously, just for the hell of it. (Actually, what this means is that Columbia’s plan will apply to its expansion area and CB9’s plan will apply to the rest of the district.) Still no speculation on why the Council moved the vote up from January–the Municipal Art Society issued a release earlier today urging more time for consideration.
Both plans will now go to Mayor Bloomberg, who will have five days to approve or veto them. In the unlikely event of a veto, a 2/3 supermajority of city council members will have 10 days to override it.
There goes the neighborhood.
For further reading:
City Room’s got the story and a nice recap for those who’ve never read anything on the subject.
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20 Comments
@Birds of a Feather “Rebuilding organizational strength”?
1. The strike was, what, a month ago.
2. Do you have any idea how much like Corp Speak this sounds?
@Jeff Senter “Still no speculation on why the Council moved the vote up from January–the Municipal Art Society issued a release earlier today urging more time for consideration.”
Well the answer to that question is exams. Columbia wanted to move on this now and quickly while student opponents are in exams and still rebuilding organizational strength from the hunger strike.
Columbia has a history of pulling off controversial changes and votes either during the summer or during exam time.
@Hmm Columbia != City council
Also, Columbia != an entity that is really worried about hunger strikers “building organizational strength”. 35 for/5 against doesn’t exactly scream “fragile position”.
@um, no So please explain how it would have been better, from this perspective, if the Council had had today’s hearings and votes in mid-January, WHEN ALL COLUMBIA STUDENTS ARE ON VACATION.
You’re arguing that Columbia is trying to silence its students by forcing a vote when they are still in the city, rather than having the vote take place when they are all at home? That logic makes little sense.
@ooh so scared
@also http://www.columbiaspectator.com/?q=node/28612
@alas now we have to burn the campus down
@YES! YESYESYES!
@about time Stand, Columbia (Über Alles)?
@wirc The 197-a plan applies to the whole district, and specifies some other nice things around the area, ones that are not just meant to get in Columbia’s way.
@Hoo ray!
@haha! suck it, hunger strikers
@loser stop trying to sound badass and go outside computer nerd
@Anonymous Yeah, it’s become pretty obvious that they never cared about Harlem at all. Nor did they understand how the school works (slowly).
@mec I’m pretty happy about this
@EAl I believe you mean “Here comes the neighborhood.” What’s there right now could hardly be considered a neighborhood.
Well, glad that’s done.
@omg eric lukas, stop oppressing me.
@a question why are there so many fast food chains on 125th and broadway?
it’s Mad Fattinville!
@Alum And I thought *my* comment was inane.
@Alum First!