Comments to Planning Commission
GASP’s Comments to Planning Commission Concerning Issuance of Zoning Change to the PDG Development Property located south of Becks Run Road, west of East Carson Street and north of Glass Run Road in the 31st ward and for Approval Request for Preliminary Plan of Development by Pittsburgh Development Group II
October 2003
This property is zoned Parks and Open Space. Such a property in a city proves itself more valuable over time as urban residents find less and less open space. Forested areas add significant support to rain penetration to soil and groundwater as well as to air quality improvements and general attractiveness of an area. Pittsburgh, perhaps because of our challenging topography has been largely left with green hillsides (at least so far) and at least this large open green space so near the city under discussion today. This property’s use should be evaluated with great care. The Purpose and Intent section of the Zoning Code 901.03 says that zoning is “in general to promote the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community, all with the guidance of a comprehensive general city plan and in accordance with a comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.”
Pittsburgh has no comprehensive general city plan. How can you judge that the ultimate use of this land will be better as a special planned district with a racetrack, town center and residential development as opposed to parks and open spaces or another well thought out avenue? It is first of all, very unclear that a racetrack will be licensed to this owner. If such a track was licensed, how would a racetrack with possible slot machines promote the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community? Have marketing studies been done to show the impact of such a track and town center on other already established businesses in the south side and at the nearby Waterfront? Is there a demand for more housing that will be next door to a racetrack and the associated traffic?
To get to the implementation stage of this development, the majority of the site will be stripped of vegetation and mined including significant blasting with almost continual daily truck traffic. It is unclear that the extreme transformation of topography will not impact downstream areas that are already flood prone per the past flooding in the Hays area or that this activity will not create landslides. A serious landslide occurred in December of 2002 when a landslide damaged tracks along Carson Street in the borough of Baldwin, just east of Pittsburgh, causing at least two Norfolk Southern locomotives and six coal cars to derail spilling 1500 gallons of diesel. A landslide occurred on Doyle Road from Streets Run Road to Janie Drive in December of 2001. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette titled an article in 2001, ‘The Pittsburgh area is prone to landslides, and human activity often makes them worse downtown.’ Is this site being carefully prepared? The Department of Environmental Protection found 75 additions or corrections necessary to the submitted Surface Mining Permit Application and many of these requests for additions are large issues such as a request to stage valley fill so as to limit the size of the disturbed area and thus better controlling runoff and contacting Duquesne Light so they can evaluate potential impacts to their power lines and towers.
It should not be assumed that this Surface Mining Permit will be issued or that other permits will be issued. Further there may well be appeals to the Surface Mining Permit as well as other permits. There is no reason to rush towards a change in zoning to a Specially Planned District for this land parcel. Any approval of a preliminary plan for the PDG proposed development should not be given without appropriate study. Under 909.01B of the Urban Zoning Code, Planning studies may be required on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:(a) Socio-economic impact on the City and region; (b) traffic and parking impact and future potential for increasing capacity;(c) utility capacity, possible points of access and future potential for increasing capacity;(d) geotechnical and ecological analysis among others.
GASP urges you to do a thorough analysis, ask questions of a variety of experts and come to conclusions that are independent, consider all aspects for the future of this site and how it might benefit the quality, safety and needs of the city.