Community Board 12-Manhattan (CB12M) is a local agency of the New York City government, serving the neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood. CB12M consists of up to 50 volunteer members with connections in the district. Made up of committees carrying out its work, CB12M addresses issues including affordable housing, education, small business needs, and public safety, to name a few. CB12M is one of 59 community boards that advocate on behalf of the people of New York City.
Members are appointed by the Manhattan Borough President in partnership with the district’s councilmembers. Each board member must either live, work, or have special interest in the district that CB12M serves. In addition, members of the public may be appointed by CB12M’s chairperson to serve as voting members of the various committees.
As an independent agency of the City of New York, CB12M is committed to improving the delivery of the City’s services in the district and advocating for the welfare of its district and its residents. As mandated by the New York City Charter, CB12M is responsible for participating in and advising on long-term community planning, reviewing applications for liquor licenses, zoning variances, street co-namings, street closings, Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), and assessing community needs vis-à-vis the City’s budget.