15211.org

Several of you have contacted me to inquire about doing a write-up about the Map Pittsburgh meeting, which I will gladly post.

Sources at the meeting pointed out two things that resonated with me:

• There was applause for anything that was said related to development–and the sound of crickets chirping when someone stood to proclaim their 30-year commitment to stop commercialization of Virginia Ave.
• One of the city planners said that if she were dropped into Mt. Washington to assess the zoning on Virginia Ave that she would designate it commercial based on the configuration of businesses and residences there now.

Although I haven’t hid the fact that I think re-zoning is necessary to make Mt. Washington more vibrant, I do see the need for extensive traffic studies and considerations for parking. I guess I just keep coming back to the notion that residential zoning and lack of development have not reduced crime or increased homeownership and certainly haven’t enticed new people to move into Mt. Washington. Bottom line…status quo isn’t an alternative. That’s not to say, we don’t hold current business owners accountable for their property. The lighting in the parking lots of both Foodland and Rite Aid is abysmal. Dark corners breed the kind of activity that cannot go on in the light of day and those owners need to become cognizant that they are part of our community and are responsibility for what goes on 24 hours a day.

Development in and of itself has not proven to be a detriment to Mt. Washington. Irresponsible, careless developers and property owners unfortunately have created the perception that any commercialization is bad. We’re in a chicken-and-egg situation now and the only way to move past it is to simultaneously call on the police to address the crime going on in commercial parking lots and making it easier for businesses to prosper and grow. Focusing on one over the other will get us nowhere.