Stakeholders met in Pittsburgh Council chambers Monday to try and answer questions posed by council members about the proposed “Riverfront Landing” development by Buncher Co. in the Strip District.
Councilman Patrick Dowd lead the information gathering session and many of his questions for Buncher Company, the city planning department, and Riverlife revolved around recommendations included in the Allegheny River Vision Front Plan. That document lays out usage guidelines for 6.5 miles of land along the Allegheny River and was put together by the mayor, city council, non-profits, developers and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Much of the discussion centered on how much green space would sit between Buncher’s development and the river’s edge. But URA Director Rob Rubinstein stressed that various suggested plans, including the Green Boulevard plan, were only recommendations. “To enforce that as a requirement private property opens a whole can of legal issues,” said Rubinstein.
Currently the zoning plan for the development includes a 70 foot set back from the river for green space. But Elisabeth Schroeder, head of the non-profit Riverlife, says the setback should at minimum be 95 feet. “Every riverfront project since the year 2000 includes more than 95 feet along the riverfront, anything less will be a step backwards from the current standard that has been established at Pittsburgh’s most popular riverfront parks.”
But Buncher CEO Tom Balesrieri said a potential roadway that would run through the property prevents them from making the setback any deeper. He notes Buncher owns more than one million square feet in the Strip District, and that it is attuned to the needs of the neighborhood, but cannot please everyone. “Everybody has their own platform, some are worried about water and sewers, some are worried about trees, some are worried about traffic, but we’re taking all that into consideration and with our experience we’re making decisions and hopefully they’ll be the right decisions,” said Balesrieri.
However, all of the discussion could be moot. The Allegheny Valley Railroad Co. sued Monday to halt Buncher’s development, citing a 1981 agreement with the URA, stipulating that the produce terminal – part of which would be torn down to make way for the project – would be used for “railroad oriented” business. The lawsuit was filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Nevertheless, Dowd says a public hearing on the project will proceed as planned Tuesday in council chambers.
