By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
INWOOD — After months of debate, Columba University won city approval Wednesday to create a new development on its Baker Field athletic complex in Inwood.
The City Council voted 46-1 in favor of modifying the city's waterfront zoning rules in order to build a 47,700-square-foot field house at 218th Street and Broadway.
"We are pleased that the City Council and related committees voted in favor of our application," said Victoria Benitez, a spokeswoman for Columbia, adding that the plan would benefit the community.
In order to build a larger facility on its complex, Columbia had to request a modification to the city's waterfront zoning rules, which normally require 15 percent of the project's land be turned over for public use.
The City Council backed the city's Planning Commission approval of the modification, which allows Columbia to set aside just 1.5 percent of its property for public use.
The decrease in public space frustrated many residents, who clamored for an enforceable benefits agreement from the university to make up for the difference.
In addition to the public waterfront area, residents asked for increased community access to the sports complex, expanded athletic field access, more community education and scholarship programs among other concessions.
Although Council members Robert Jackson and Ydanis Rodriguez were publically divided on the matter at a Council meeting held in March, the two stood unified in their vote for the project.
Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron cast a vote against the measure noting concern that the vote was taking place before the university and community had a legally binding community benefits agreement.
Members of the neighborhood advocacy group Advocates for Inwood Manhattan (AIM) agreed with Barron.
"This waiver is a downward modification from what they were legally supposed to provide to community," said AIM member Susan Ryan. "As an educational institution in Inwood – a community of color, a community that has ten Title 1 schools in its backyard – Columbia University needs to do the right thing."
According to Jackson’s office, negotiations with the University are ongoing.
"Columbia University is agreeing to partner with the Northern Manhattan community in a number of areas including use of the university facilities by community residents and educational programming for our youth," said Susan Russell, Jackson’s Director of Operations and General Council.
"Although the agreement is not yet finalized, we continue to work cooperatively - elected officials, community members and representatives of Columbia University - and we expect that we will complete the agreement soon."
