The bus was filled with anxious Fordham Hill Owners Corporation (FHOC) shareholders on the way to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) meeting set to take place that morning on Sept. 19, 2017. Empowering conversations on what the corporation could do to advocate for improvements to uplift University Heights was the discussion during the ride.

Fordham Hill’s Community Engagement Committee (CEC) had to quickly galvanize and coordinate their shareholder community after learning that oil giant BP resubmitted an application to build a gas station at 205 W. Fordham Rd.

In addition to getting shareholders to send in emails before the Monday meeting expressing their thoughts about the gas station, FHOC also decided to attend the meeting with a prepared statement by its Board of Directors, which the board president, at the time Myrna Calderon, would present along with the FHOC CEC chair opposing the gas station for environmental and traffic reasons.

The presence of the Fordham Hill community was felt as the impressive number took their seats in the conference room. After acknowledging Fordham Hill’s attendance, the BSA decided to vote first on the BP gas station application. Before the chairperson initiated the vote she commented that “The board had received all of the letters from the shareholders and local legislators. Fordham Hill has made their position very clear.”

With that being said, the vote commenced and it was a unanimous vote to deny BP’s application.

Some might say, 2017 was the year FHOC, developed in 1950, awakened from its slumber in regards to community engagement. It’s undeniable that Fordham Hill is the socioeconomic anomaly in the neighborhood with a community of shareholders whose influence has, is, and should continue to lead the charge in the socioeconomic uplifting and revitalization of the surrounding district.

In the past two years, the FHOC board has increased its engagement by instating a productive community engagement committee. Through this committee, with the support of the board of directors and shareholders, has made its voice heard to local legislators. The committee has taken up issues including:

• The disproportionate number of shelters placed in Community Board 7 and the Bronx.
• Public Safety.
• The beautification, maintenance, and safety of Devoe Park.
• University Heights property values.

Meantime, Assemblyman Jose Rivera, who lives in Fordham Hill, acknowledged myself, along with my fellow board members Myrna Calderon and Blandon Casenave for our efforts in keeping Fordham Hill a nice place to live.

Because of the concerted effort of the CEC, our local elected officials have taken notice and three board members have been recognized for their work in the community.

Two current board members now sit on Community Board 7. FHOC, geographically, is on the far end of the community’s board jurisdiction. Because of their participation, FHOC is now aware of initiatives to occur in the district.

Civil rights leader Coretta Scott King said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

The CEC shares this ideology.  Based on the increased support from the FHOC community in joining in the committee’s participation in addressing our community’s issues, it is clear that we are united in this belief.

Rachel Miller-Bradshaw is chair of Fordham Hill Owners Corporation and the Community Engagement Committee.