Thank you to those who have attended meeting and provided input on redevelopment sites to date. We wanted to provide you with an update:
Existing Site: Belleau Court and Letsche Street
This site remains a priority site for new homes.
Parking: Parking will be provided according to the size of the building and what zoning requires for the number of residents living there. Right now the plan includes parking underneath some of the housing sites. We are requesting a parking study, so more information can further guide plans.
Mercy Street
This site remains a priority site for new homes and businesses. We have not heard specific concerns with this site. Residents of Allegheny Dwellings like this site in particular because it allows them to stay in Fineview and close to amenities they are used to frequenting.
Perrysville Avenue and Charles Street
This site remains a priority site for new homes and businesses.
Safety: We anticipate the new physical surroundings will lead to an increase in safety, such as installing better lighting, security cameras, etc. In addition, we believe that a major key to safety is good property management. This development will be privately managed by TREK Development, which has a good record of property management.
Upper Lanark
This site has moved from being a study area to being a priority site for new homes and community spaces.
Safety: See above.
Environmental: The geotechnical report for the site has been completed. The report prepared by KU Resources, Inc showed underground mining and made recommendations to remediate this issue so a strong foundation could be built. The costs (estimating around $100K) are only absorbable when considering a multi-family building. We are still looking into the falling ice issue.
Transportation: We spoke to Pittsburgh Regional Transit, formerly called the Port Authority, about increasing the frequency of the Fineview 11 bus. They are working on a new bus re-routing strategy in 2023 and will be taking future development plans such as this into account. Future advocacy will be needed to ensure adequate transportation is provided.
Parking: Parking will be provided according to the size of the building and what zoning requires for the number of residents living there. Right now the plan includes parking underneath the housing site where it will not be seen at street level for the most part, since the land dips below Lanark Street. We are requesting a parking study, so more information can further guide plans.
Views: We are told the proposed structures would have a minimal impact on the views from pre-existing homes. Additional space between the houses and greenspace has been added to the latest designs.
Privacy: We are requesting a substantial landscape buffer as part of the development.
Concentration of Poverty: The development will provide homes for people with a mix of incomes, which will create a balance of affordability in the community and deconcentrate poverty. There will be a special supportive services fund to help the tenants access various health, employment, and education services..
Single family home preference: We wish it was possible for this to be achieved. However, due to the difficulty of acquiring the land, the cost of building the buildings, and the difficulty of
managing the property we don’t see this as a possibility. We are asking that the plans include as many townhouses as possible.
Shift from past plans: In its previous housing developments, the FCC sought to replicate and emulate existing single-family detached homes within the neighborhood. Now we seek to replicate and emulate our neighborhood's existing multi-family buildings and single-family row houses. For example, our 2020 Five-Year Affordable Housing Plan envisioned rowhouse-like density along lower Lanark Street and the 2022 Choice Draft Plan proposes a mixed-use multi-family building at Lanark and Television Hill..
Density: The latest proposal reduces the number of units from 53 units to 38 units with four 3-bedroom townhouses. Green space has been added to the plans with space between several townhouses on Marsonia. Density, within a certain range, can actually be a benefit to residents. The increase in the number of people will mean that there can be additional amenities like improved bus service, as well as a community room, workout space, and business center for residents onsite. It’s possible that in the long run, a slightly more dense neighborhood could support the return of crucial neighborhood amenities like a small grocery store or even a church.
Learn more and share your thoughts at Allegheny Dwellings Choice Community Meeting on Wednesday, October 12, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Allegheny Dwellings (rear lot near basketball court). The event will have an open house style format, so you can come when you are available. Refreshments will be provided for the first 100 attendees.
Thank you for being a part of this process and for sharing your concerns. If you would like to meet, talk, or text your comments before October 12th, please reach out to us at 412-206-9402.
Please note: We need to talk about race and racism as part of this process. This can be uncomfortable and triggering for many of us. It’s impossible to move forward without recognizing the harm of racial and economic segregation that our community has experienced and listening to our Black and Brown neighbors’ experiences today.