Community board

Community boards are the appointed local bodies representing each of the city's community districts. In land use they hold the first public hearing on ULURP applications and vote a formal recommendation; the role is advisory — a board cannot veto an application — but it is structurally guaranteed a hearing and a position before any decision-maker votes.

Advisory does not mean inert. The City Council's tradition of deferring to the local member gives early community sentiment a long reach, and board hearings are where a project's local objections first become part of the public record. Boards also weigh in on liquor licenses, street changes, and budget priorities, making their calendars a running index of what a neighborhood is contesting.