With a packed room and over twenty-four people testifying, on Tuesday, May 26, the Pittsburgh City Planning Commission heard why approval of development on the North Shore should be delayed.

At issue is a master plan for the construction of a hotel and amphitheater on the North Side, between the Pirate and Steeler stadiums. The developer is Continental Realty Corporation, whose main experience has been with development of strip malls. Without Planning Commission approval of the Master Plan, the project cannot proceed.

During the public comment period, community members asked for a commitment from Continental for a formal Community Benefits Agreement. Such an agreement is needed not only to benefit the local neighborhoods in terms of both jobs and the general good, but to avoid the type of devastating impact that ‘development’ has had on urban areas in the past.

Speaking on behalf of the Sierra Club, Barbara Grover urged the commissioners to seek further input from the affected communities and ensure that the project results in a truly ‘green’ addition to the city (See Barbara’s testimony below).

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Commission Chair decided to continue hearing from the public in two weeks time.

ACTION: The Sierra Club urges citizens of Pittsburgh to attend the Planning Commission meeting as an expression of concern. Better yet, present your personal testimony by signing up at the front door.

2:00 to 5:00 pm, Tuesday, June 9.
(Come whenever you can, even if it is as late as 4 pm.)
Robin Civic Building, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, 15219.

There are numerous concerns of the North Side communities regarding this additional development on the North Side, with environmental concerns including:

• LEED Certification of all buildings
• Open spaces and parks instead of concrete
• Support from developers for neighborhoods on the North Side in the form of parks, gardens, weatherization, home repair, etc.
• Strict enforcement of vehicle idling rules
• Diesel emission controls on all construction vehicles used in construction
• Special guarantees about preventing water runoff from the construction site since it is so close to the river

Here is the testimony Barbara Grover presented at the hearing:

May 26, 2009 Planning Commission Hearing
Proposed Development on the North Shore

My name is Barbara Grover and today I am speaking as a representative of the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is not opposed to the development of a hotel between the Pirate and Steeler stadiums. In fact, from an environmental standpoint, we favor development in urban centers. What we are arguing for today is that the process for evaluating the appropriateness of that construction and the conditions under which that construction might occur must include several critical components.

First, a thorough public discussion should occur via a series of open hearings prior to the Commission making any decision. Although many views will be expressed here today, we are concerned that not all interested parties will be heard. Media coverage of this hearing will surely provide information about this issue to many who have a stake in this construction but were unaware of or unable to attend today.

Second, should the commission decide in favor of this construction, then several conditions should be placed on Continental Realty Corporation before final approval to move forward is obtained. Two points are essential -  A Community Benefits Agreement and building it GREEN.

a. Continental must formally commit to development of a Community Benefits Agreement.  The long-term health of the North Side neighborhoods will be well-served by such an agreement. The residents of the North Side deserve this assurance that their neighborhood will benefit from this enterprise and not be negatively impacted.

b. The entire construction effort should be completed in as green a fashion as possible. For example, attention needs to be paid to diesel emission controls on construction vehicles, idling regulations, and water runoff from the construction site since it is close to the river. The building itself should meet LEED certification requirements. Pittsburgh is currently positioned to become THE leading Green City in the Nation. This construction should contribute to that effort and follow the lead of the Penguin’s new arena, which will seek LEED Gold certification.

We strongly urge this Commission to delay a vote on the project until you and other decision makers have had the opportunity to conduct an in-depth investigation of the impact of this construction. The North Side Community members and other stakeholders must have additional time to provide you with their input. In addition, if the decision is made to approve this construction, we strongly urge you to obtain a Community Benefits Agreement and make this enterprise as “GREEN” as possible. You will be contributing to our efforts to make Pittsburgh THE Greenest city in the nation.

Thank you.