15211.org

It’s that time of year again, neighbors. Your family and friends expect you to have a get-together at your house because you’re steps from the greatest view, but you’re tired and broke and don’t want to…Oh, maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, we’re going to provide you with as much information as we can about road & bridge closings and PAT transit so that you’re able to get on and off the Mount as painlessly as possible.

A happy and safe July 4th to you all!

The fireworks start at the Point at 9:35PM. WPXI–Channel 11 will broadcast the “Flashes of Freedom” Fireworks Fantasia “live,” along with a simulcast of the production on radio by KDKA-1020.

Three Rivers Regatta event schedule

Fireworks displays around town

Port Authority Transit

Port Authority will operate normal weekday service tomorrow and on a holiday schedule Saturday and Sunday. But two-car trains will be used on the Light Rail Transit system on Saturday to accommodate the Downtown fireworks display. Extra buses are scheduled to operate Saturday evening. Also, a bus shuttle will operate between the Mon Incline stations starting at 7 p.m. to augment incline service.

Roads (check back tomorrow for road closures pertaining to Mt. Washington)

• If you are driving, here’s a parking map courtesy of the EQT Three Rivers Regatta website. The city’s Fourth of July celebrations will feature free parking all day on the 4th at the Grant Street Transportation Center. The facility is located at Grant Street and Liberty Avenue above the new Greyhound terminal. It has 991 spaces. The parking fee at the Authority’s other Downtown garages will remain the normal flat weekend rate of $5.
• PennDOT will not close any lanes on the parkways.
• The major-project restrictions that will remain in place: Northbound closure of Route 28 at Etna, a single-lane inbound closure on the Parkway East from the turnpike to near the Penn Hills interchange, restrictions on Steubenville Pike at the Parkway West and full closure of the westbound McKees Rocks Bridge.

Rivers

• River closures will be in effect throughout the Fourth of July weekend for the EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta.
• The Allegheny River will close for all water activities from the Seventh Street Bridge to the Heinz Field Quay from noon to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.
• Mooring of boats is prohibited on both sides of the Allegheny at all times within the closed area. For the July 4 fireworks, the closure will include the Fort Duquesne Bridge on the Allegheny River and Fort Pitt Bridge on the Monongahela River extended to the West End Bridge.
• For additional information or specific questions on river closures, visit the Coast Guard Web site.

Misc.

• Post Offices will be open tomorrow, but many will shorten retail lobby hours. Regular mail delivery for tomorrow will not be affected, but no mail will be delivered Saturday.
• State liquor stores will be open tomorrow but closed Saturday.
• Garbage pickup in the city will not be affected by the holiday.

I have mixed feelings about G-20 preparations. I’m mostly excited and impressed about how everyone is working together to shine up the city for our global debut. In fact, the Tribune-Review reported today that Pittsburgh-based corporate giants like PPG and U.S. Steel have stepped up to contribute to a fund currently totaling $500K. The money will be used to train members of the hospitality industry and mask the blight that’s evident around the convention center.

But a teeny tiny voice inside my head is wondering why in the heck we had to wait. I get that we have to put our best foot forward because we have this amazing opportunity to shine on the world stage, but what happens post-G20? The appliques and paint come off of the empty storefronts and we’re left right back where we started.

If these companies are amenable to helping the city in the short-term, why can’t they just as willingly come together and throw money at a long-term vision? Instead of erecting a movie set city for two days, let’s build something sustainable. Fortunately, some of the work being done to prep for the summit will stick around. Like the lights on Grandview for instance.

Typically I reserve this space for more newsworthy items and less Mountain Girl commentary because it’s the community’s forum, not mine. But today, I’m going to offer an opinion on two topics because they’ve been dominating the comments and message boards and crowding our e-mail inbox.

The Edge

A contentious debate seems to be going on about the design specs for the hotel/complex that Desmone is proposing. I’ve attended many of the meetings about this development and I’ve seen the design morph into what it is today and I don’t remember anyone saying anything about Italian-style villas as an inspiration. Now granted, I could have been drifting off at that point and thinking about what I was going to eat at Redbeard’s afterward, but can anyone provide some clarity around this? Did Mr. Desmone talk about the Italian-style villa as the motivation for his design? Or was he referencing Italy simply because of the similarities in topography? Perhaps we’re being a little too literal.

As far as the design being outdated (maybe because he designed in the 80s and he’s been fighting for it since then? Sorry, couldn’t resist), I think it’s important to remember that:

• There will be more opportunities for public input. ThatDude is correct when s/he says that the developer isn’t seeking public funds, but because of the zoning designation, vetting the design through the community is required and;
• Desmone & Associates is a professional architectural firm that has designed many commercial and residential properties throughout the region. So when do we step back and trust that professionals know what they’re doing? This is not to say we shouldn’t act as a check and balance for developers/designers that want to build in our neighborhood, but sometimes we’re delving into purely subjective territory. What you may not like about the design, someone else might love.

I just appreciate the fact that we’ve moved beyond talking about how to get this building condemned and worrying about the zoning designations to debating the merits of the design. What a huge milestone! Feel free to banter about design all day, every day because it means we’ve made progress.

Racism

I’m basically acknowledging what everyone already knows…this problem won’t be solved on a neighborhood website. Sigh. People are questioning whether leaving the desecrated doll at the doorsteps of an African-American family is racist and some are linking race to renters and Section 8 housing. It’s heavy stuff. All I can say is that I’d much rather people express themselves honestly on this site (anonymously or not) than go and act out any of their frustrations or confusion or fear.

Someone left a note in the comments regarding the wine-tasting event at Urban Mountain Gathering Place. And we wanted to make sure you saw it because the event is postponed.

So why don’t you go to the Shiloh Street Art Marketplace instead and buy something this time, ok?

Due to some circumstances beyond our control, the wine tasting event will need to be postponed. Stay tuned for an announcement when the event is rescheduled.

Thanks!

Pennsylvania is ranked 32nd out of 50 when it comes to the number of hours people volunteer. According to Volunteering in America, the residents of Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia all give up more of their time on behalf of a cause and people in Allentown, Harrisburg and Scranton volunteer more than we do in Pittsburgh. I got to wondering why, which then led me to think about the reasons that I devote the time I could be spending taking quizzes on Facebook or watching What Not to Wear marathons to volunteer in Mt. Washington.

Altruism is a motivator, but it takes more than that to get me out of bed on a Saturday morning to pick up stale Subway rolls in the bushes on Shiloh Street. I volunteer because it makes me feel good and it allows me to have a hand in creating a cleaner, safer more vibrant place to live. There’s also the socializing to consider. I didn’t think that walking into a  Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation meeting three years ago to figure out if I could help them with anything would lead to meeting people that have become good friends.

If you just moved to Mt. Washington (renter or not, doesn’t matter) or have been living here for awhile and want to meet some new people, consider volunteering for the MWCDC. You don’t have to go to the board meetings or forums. You can choose what you love the most—be it trees or working with young people or business recruitment—and serve on one of the MWCDC sub-committees.

I know this site has been critical of the MWCDC at times (and will likely continue to be), but we do believe the organization can be an effective vehicle for organizing and making a positive impact in Mt. Washington. The composition of the current Board is more representative of the community and board members seem to be less apt to micro-manage the Executive Director and staff and simply support the work that they’re doing day-to-day. It’s really up to the people in this community to help the MWCDC continue to grow and evolve to represent more and more of us each year. Oh and did I mention that we go out for drinks after most meetings?

Speaking of drinks, this seems like a cool event. Maybe we’ll see you there…or at a future event in your neighborhood soon.

On Saturday, June 27, the Urban Mountain Gathering Place is hosting a fund raiser to help fund their mission to at-risk children. There will be a wine tasting and appetizers to enhance the wine, music, and it is a fireworks night so there will be an excellent view of these. Wine is being provided by the Mayo Family Winery, a Sonoma County-based vineyard and winery whose founders have roots in the city’s Northside. Please join us for a fun-filled evening starting at 7:00. Reservations can be made at 412-381-8647. Cost is $25 per person, $40.00 per couple.

As is indicative of any neighborhood anywhere, rumors swirl around development projects. And sometimes it’s hard to tell fact from fiction. Last night at the Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) forum, the developer and architect of The Edge site attempted to set the record straight about their intentions for One Grandview.

Specs (view a preliminary sketch here.)

• 110 hotel rooms
• 50 condos (approximately 2000 sq.ft/unit, but units will vary in layout)
• 120 ft wide observation deck
• Plaza
• Restaurant (with outdoor dining at plaza level)
• Spa
• Rooftop gardens

Parking/Traffic

The developer (Steve Beemsterboer) and architect (Luke Desmone) enlisted the help of Trans Associates to do a traffic impact study (including bicycles and pedestrians) near the site. The results of the study were submitted to The Department of City Planning at the end of April and Beemsterboer and Desmone got feedback on their plans this past week. The plan allots 400-450 underground parking spaces and Desmone has accounted for a busy hotel when it comes to traffic. Vehicles will not back up onto Grandview (allegedly, this was a problem when The Edge was a restaurant 30+ years ago), but go directly onto the site premises into a circular driveway.

Process/Timeline

• Beemsterboer will be submitting his application to the Zoning Office next week who will then pass it on to The Department of City Planning once it is approved (this should take approx 30 days). Most of the planned development sits on land that is already zoned “local neighborhood commercial”. Initially, the plan required the acquisition of a small parcel of land in the Grandview Public Realm, but Desmone tweaked the design to eliminate the need to acquire that land.
• City Planning is obligated to then hold a public hearing and alert residents/business owners at least 21 days in advance of that hearing.
• Upon approval, the application is then put into City Council’s hands and the council will hold another hearing to solicit public input.
• What this means is that zoning approval will likely be completed by the time we’re sitting down to eat our turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. When asked about completion of the entire project, Desmone, who called himself the eternal optimist, said he’d love to be popping open a bottle of champagne at the hotel’s grand opening in August of 2011.

Next Steps

Although everyone in attendance was enthusiastic about the plans, continued public support is critical. Please stop by the MWCDC office on Shiloh Street to sign a petition in support of the development if you haven’t already.

Oh and speaking of development, Councilwoman Smith mentioned a meeting she is having with our favorite Mt. Washington developer (aka Cozza). She said he would be strongly encouraged to commit to development plans for his property on Grandview sooner rather than later and gain the community’s support for them. As part of the process, he’ll be compelled to share the plans at public forums much like Mr. B and Mr. Desmone have done. Um, if you haven’t taken the time to attend a MWCDC meeting, I would recommend coming to the one where Cozza presents his plans. And bring popcorn.

Mt. Washington mom finds noose-tied doll scrawled with son’s initials

As ssb70 noted in a comment, WPXI.com reported that a Mt. Washington mother called 911 after finding a doll hanging from a noose attached to the hood of her car on Monday morning. When she looked closely at the doll, she noticed that its face had been painted black and her son’s initials were scrawled across the doll’s mangled and ketchup-splattered torso. This is horribly disturbing and I urge anyone that saw anything that may have led to this incident to call Zone 3 police at 412-488-8326.

What may seem like a cruel and heartless act by either kids who picked up the racist mentality of their ignorant parents or ignorant adults, it’s representative of much more than the misdemeanor offense with which the perpetrators will be charged. It’s a reminder that’s we’ve got miles to go with race relations in the City of Pittsburgh.

Racial incident effects of hypersegregated city?

We featured the Post-Gazette’s interactive homicide map in a previous post and mentioned the 2001 Brookings Institute study that concluded that Pittsburgh is in fact “hypersegregated” based on the fact that “68 percent of the metropolitan area’s black residents would have to move to achieve an even representation of race in every census tract.”  Statistics on the City Planning website from the 2000 U.S. Census reinforce this theory. Just to give you a few points of comparison, African-Americans comprise about 16% of the total population of Mt. Washington, while making up 34% of the population in Hazelwood and 2% in Brookline. Not exactly what you would call parity. There are a myriad of reasons for this including sprawl, lack of representation at every level of politics and housing discrimination just to name a few.

There are no easy answers, but it’s something that needs to continue to be part of public discourse.  As a friend of mine asked on Facebook today, “Anyone else think that because we have an African-American President that we’re now somehow post-racial?” with a link to this story.

Young man may have been involved in attack on elderly Mt. Washington woman

As I was writing this post, someone informed me that the young man that was targeted in this racial incident could be one of the people that attacked a 66-year old woman about six months ago on Woodruff Street. There was a lot of talk about this poor woman on the message boards as we followed her recovery and the trial. Supposedly, the young man is under house arrest now. We can’t corroborate this information and it wasn’t included in WPXI.com’s initial story so it is still speculation as far as we here at 15211.org are concerned.

We don’t do that in this neighborhood

Attacking that woman was awful and wrong and an affront to everything we love about this neighborhood. But it doesn’t change the fact that leaving a black-faced voodoo doll at the doorstep of an African-American family is just plain racist. What precipitated that act is not what we’re discussing. Getting upset about a slap-on-the-wrist penalty for what these kids did is completely understandable, but resorting to racial intimidation to express this frustration is unacceptable. It reminds me of what a woman once said at a MWCDC meeting I attended and it was one of the few times most of the heads in the room were nodding in agreement (imagine that!). She was talking about how she had confronted kids on her street that were throwing rocks. She walked up to them and simply said, “We don’t do that in this neighborhood.” And we don’t.