West Harlem Residents Reject Columbia Plan

Columbia University's planned 17-acre expansion will likely receive a rebuke from West Harlem residents next week, as a committee on the Community Board almost unanimously rejected the institution's proposal Wednesday. The full board will vote Monday to issue its recommendation, which is nonbinding.

The vote came after hours of a raucous meeting, complete with noisemakers, heckling, and shouting at the dozens of speakers, including Mayor Dinkins, who offered their thoughts on the plan.

The university's proposal, currently winding its way through a public review process, requires approval of the City Planning Commission and the City Council.