City Channel Pittsburgh, PA 2023 Pittsburgh City Council meetings, 7 Sep 2023

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From YouTube: Pittsburgh City Council Public Hearing - 9/7/23

Description

Bill #2023-1393: Zoning, Homewood Get-Go

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Good afternoon and welcome to Pittsburgh city council cable, cast public hearing for Thursday September 7 2023 relative to Bill 2023 313 93. Will the clerk please read the title of the bill.

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1393 ordinance amending the Pittsburgh code, Title IX zoning Article, 1 Section 902.03 zoning map by changing from r1dl residential single unit, detached low-density, District to UI, Urban, industrial district, certain property, roughly bounded by Kelly Street Fifth Avenue, Frankstown Avenue and the Allegheny Valley Railroad, brilliant line all in the Allegheny County block and lot system. 12Th Ward. Thank.

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You very much our first order of business will be a brief introduction, Farm City Planning. Please identify your name and position and give us an overview of the project.

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And zoning and development review with city planning this legislation, Bill 2023 for the change from the r1dl to the UI, was referred to Planning Commission on April 14th of 2023 Planning Commission held a hearing on June 27 2023 and made a positive recommendation to city council and, as required by code notice, was mailed and posted 21 days in advance of this hearing today,.

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Thank you very much anything else from planning all right.

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um If not, we will now move to our um public hearing part where people get to have testimony we'll first move to our registered speakers and then, after that, we'll go to people who have not registered our first registered speaker is Chief Poma chalkman.

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Is she online Heather she's? Not here all right, um our second or registered speaker is adjective Chanel kin, not online. Our third registered speaker is Chuck Stewart.

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Foreign hello, my name is Chuck Stewart I work for Giant Eagle I'm here to go ahead and explain a little bit about the project. The project is. uh The proposed project is to develop a get-go convenience store with made to order food service, indoor, dining, Self, Serve, retail and auto mobile fuel sales. The proposed part of our project here- and there was um site plan and indoor plan passed out to council as well, showing the site plan where we will have the gecko convene store with the canopy for fuel sales.

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um It is a red and white brick building with Windows for transparency. We also have the indoor portion of the site. uh We have a grocery section, A Fresh, Bakery and produce section, a dining section, a kitchen and made to order which sets this store. Apart is the fresh food offering and the fresh offerings we have for people. That is not your typical convenience store. There is plans for this to be able to buy fresh produce, such as carrots, um bananas, fresh fruits, sliced pre-sliced in containers, as well as fresh to made meals salads.

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It's not necessarily just your standard hoagiefer, but there will be wraps salad sandwich deli, sandwiches again more fresh fruit option, not necessarily what you would think of as just a convenience store option for this project.

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um This is this is a concept that we're happy to bring to the city with what we're proposing inside the store as well as outside, and it really sets it apart from the Fresh Food, offering that's a big part of our project. So that's all I have to say thank you.

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Thank you very much. Our next registered speaker is uh Brittany bloom. The connection right, Brittany Bloom.

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Thank you, hello,.

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Answered him many things um good afternoon: I'm Brittany, blohm I'm, with myronk Vic and Scott attorneys for the development team. I did bring a packet.

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Just give it to us we'll give it to other members.

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The packet is for the reference of council to orient them with the site. Sorry I know you're very familiar with this site and I. Thank you for your support of this rezone request and also zoning staff and Planning Commission just to walk quickly through these slides slide. One shows the view of this. The project site number two project location number. Three is really the detailed tax parcel map showing these 19 subject: Parcels uh the total site size is roughly 1.3 Acres on slides.

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Four through six are historical Aerials of the site, showing that much of the site has been vacant since 1995 and has become to the point it is today which is completely vacant.

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um Seven is a survey a little more information about current ownership slide. Eight is an analysis that we performed under the current zoning designation, and this shows that these Parcels cannot be developed within the parameters of the current designation they're, not big enough to fit the minimum lot size. They are not wide enough. They don't have the capacity for a side yard as required, and so it really makes sense to rezone these Parcels to allow for development.

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um On slide, nine is an aerial view of the zoning map, which shows the site is bordered by Urban industrial, which is what we are seeking to this to be redesignated, as so there on Frankstown Road uh to the right of the property along Fifth, Avenue, and also on Kelly Street, again surrounded by the UI and then 10 and 11 are some additional aerial photographs which show that, especially on 10, there's kind of a natural division created by the railroad between the greater Homeward, neighborhood and this site, and then slides 12 through 14.

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show photographs of the current site conditions, and you can see there's already commercial type development in this area, and so this rezone really does make sense and just I know: Mr Stewart from Giant Eagle already spoke, but some of the the plants you referenced are also included in this slideshow at Pages, 15, 16, 17, all the way through 19 and again, as he stated, these are preliminary plans.

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We know we have to go through the entire planning process, but we are excited to bring this concept to this neighborhood and we thank you for your support of the reason. Thank you thank.

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You very much it takes us to Mark Lewis Ferguson.

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Hello, thank you. My name is Mark Ferguson I'm, a real estate manager with Giant Eagle I'll, be brief, but just wanted to give you a little update on. You know, steps we've taken to this. To date, you know by I've personally met with the Homewood Community Development collaborative group, multiple times Rashad and Walter they're very excited for this plan. They've. Given me some great suggestions on trying to get some local entrepreneurs, some other items possibly sold in our locations.

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I also personally went to a couple Neighbors on Kelly Street, who were concerned about the traffic that this might cause and I've talked through with them and we'll plan, or continue to contact them and help give them a voice during the whole planning of the site.

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So yep I am in favor of this project. I think you know, Giant Eagle is obviously a Pittsburgh staple Homewood is a staple community, so it only makes sense that uh that we make this project happen. It it's long time coming for us to put something in this community. Thank you. Thank.

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You very much that takes us to uh literate Carter Leonard. Are you here, Leonard you're online? It's your.

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Yes, can you hear me I can hear you can.

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Yes, I can hear you.

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Okay, my name is Leonard Carter and I'm. A lifelong resident of the city I worked as a teacher for the Pittsburgh Board of Ed for more than 40 years. I spoke at what I assumed was the initial hearing regarding this zoning change, the Giant Eagle Corporation was given a significant period of time, at least 30 minutes to speak and lay out their point. I was given three minutes and reminded halfway through to hurry up. My home is directly across the street from the project.

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Can anyone honestly claim that that is in any way, Fair I understand? There are many interests involved and I merely wanted to visit, but should there not be at the very least, an appearance of fairness in the changing the zoning of an area? That's been residential for the last 100 years. The the last woman that spoke said this is an area that's ready for residential and for for business, where I'm, a resident and I live right across the street.

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Also I would like to ask the Commissioners that voted for the change um to ask themselves honestly. Would they have voted that way were their project directly across the street from bear hunt the this process was completed before any of the residents in immediately and irrevocably impacted by this project will ever informed. To say that is unfair is a gross understatement and I fear for what will happen to the rest of the residents of the neighborhood. As you continue to roll over everyone and everything in your pack, I would say.

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Thank you, but there's no ethical or logical reason to thank anyone involved, but I can, at the very least say that I hope you all have a very good day.

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Thank you very much is any other registered speakers.

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Are there any speakers that want to speak Mr Carter? We thank you for your um work at as a teacher and I understand your hesitation um with development. There is always both fear and sometimes some inconvenience for the last 20 years, I've been advocating for a grocery store in Homewood I've, been talking to Giant Eagle for about the last 10 years specifically, and we are thrilled that finally, one of their Concepts makes sense for Homewood, and so it has had my support from the beginning and continue to have my support.

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There are no members of council, therefore, with no registered speakers and no one else here to speak. We are adjourned.

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