15211.org

We thought it might be helpful, as we prepare for the March 25th city council public hearing, to take a look at some of the stories that shaped the neighborhood we know today. We started to provide links to news articles that chronicle development in Mt. Washington last week. Check out Chapter I and Chapter II for development tales from 1998-2005.

Development News 2005-Present

May 2005
Hillsides dilemmas: Balancing development with environment a growing city issue

The city Planning Department expects to rework the intricate zoning ordinances, hoping to curb hillside development. If City Council adopts the recommendations for better hillside preservation, developers will be required to meet strict standards before building on any land sloped 25 degrees or more. (Development is already prohibited on slopes greater than 40 degrees.) Pittsburgh is one of the hilliest urban areas in the country. Some cannot understand why city planners would consider curbing development on the hillsides when new houses and apartments could potentially generate tax revenue, attract new residents and accentuate what is already the region’s hallmark.

September 2005
City considers selling 1 park, creating another

Council votes to put a six-month moratorium on the sale of parcels in a crescent of city-owned land totaling 268 acres just south of the Ohio and Monongahela rivers. They would become Grand View Scenic Byway Park if a plan is ultimately approved and funding for improvements is found. Councilman Dan Deasy proposed the moratorium and Mount Washington Community Development Corp. supports the plan.

November 2006
Betters seeks height variance for Mount Washington condo complex

Beaver County developer C.J. Betters asks city zoning officials to allow him to build a new condo complex on Mount Washington that would exceed the neighborhood’s established height limit. Developers seeking such variances in the past have drawn the ire of community groups sensitive to new buildings that might interfere with the breathtaking views that Mount Washington offers of Pittsburgh’s skyline.  Betters hopes to avoid such a conflict with the six-story, 12-unit residential structure and 30 underground parking spots it’s planning for the 1600 block of Grandview Avenue.

January 2008
Primed for development and an already popular destination, Mt. Washington sits at a crossroads

Infighting marks Mt. Washington’s past, present

Of Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods, perhaps none is so uniquely positioned for both retail and residential development as is Mount Washington. In this two-part series, a Post-Gazette reporter explores both sides of the development debate and speaks with lifelong residents, business owners, developers and community organizers about our collectives past and visions for the future of our neighborhood.

Epilogue

And our neighborhood’s story continues today with a large and diverse cast of characters. The veteran rabble-rousers and developers still spar while newer residents and business owners jump in and try to figure out what to believe.

Our goal as a community should not be to quell the spirited debate that makes us who we are, but to approach conflict honestly, respectfully and transparently. That’s why this site was conceived and why we’re heartened by the comments we see every day. If the existing organizational  and governmental institution are not speaking the will of the community, we all lose. Let’s hope that  the years of development being shaped or stalled by the agendas of a the few to the detriment of the many are behind us.

IF YOU ARE ABLE, PLEASE ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING NEGLECTED VACANT LOTS ON GRANDVIEW THIS TUESDAY!

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