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As part of a deal with the city to enlarge its athletic facilities on W. 218thStreet, Columbia University has said it will increase public access to the waterfront. The orange box in the photo roughly represents what was originally proposed; the blue box sketches out about 11,000 square feet of additional access that the university proposed on Sep. 1.
As part of the expansion of its athletic facilities around Baker Field along W. 218th Street, Columbia University is exploring a new deal with the city to provide greater access to the dock it uses for its crew team. The public would also be able to use the dock for launching non-motorized watercraft when it is not in use by the university.
The discussions that the university is having with the city were disclosed during a Community Board 12 Land Use Committee meeting Sep.1. If the arrangements go through – and no legally binding agreement has been signed yet – it would increase the amount of newly developed, publically accessible space that Columbia is providing from 26,000 to about 37,000 square feet, including a restored salt marsh and new boardwalk.
The additional strip of waterfront that might be added to the plan is actually city property, but is surrounded by Columbia-owned land.
University representatives at the meeting said that the proposed expansion was the result of community input over the past several months.
The newly developed space is an offset for the university’s plans to expand the capacity of the Baker Field Complex with a five-story facility called the Campbell Sports Center, expected to be completed in 2012.
But, according to land use chair Wayne Benjamin, under zoning guidelines, the university could be expected to provide as much as 180,000 square feet of public space, based on the overall impact of the project. There is additional undeveloped waterfront property the city owns that could added to the plan, Benjamin said, although Columbia representatives said the steep topography might make it difficult to develop.
The university’s presentation was a bit of a surprise to the committee. Benjamin had originally placed the item on the land use agenda to make sure committee members understood that in asking for zoning modifications in the draft plan that it submitted in May, Columbia needed to propose changes that were equal or better than what was required.
Public attendees at the meeting also noted that the university could help improve community relations by better managing the stadium lighting at night, such as by turning off half the light banks when they are not needed, and by granting greater public access to its athletic facilities.
Columbia University Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Affairs Sandra Harris said she would investigate if it was possible to dim the lights earlier in the evening.
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