Update: Pittsburgh City Council gave final approval to the Oakland zoning changes on Feb. 28, 2023.
Legislation to rezone Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood received only muted discussion in City Council on Wednesday. The sweeping, and often contentious, overhaul sets the stage for the next decade of development in the community.
Council backed the proposed changes unanimously, but concerns remain about some aspects of the rules, which govern what can be built and where.
Councilor Deb Gross, for example, noted that the proposed regulations don’t seem likely to create as much housing as community members want. And there are also misgivings about the fact that the rules do little to rein in “community sprawl.” Community advocates asked council to disallow educational uses in part of the neighborhood, but members have so far not done so.
But during discussion of the bill, councilors noted the impossibility of crafting a set of regulations that will please every stakeholder in Oakland. The area is the third-largest job center in Pennsylvania – it ranks behind the central business districts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia – and it includes huge institutions and cultural gems alongside homes and small businesses.
“No one zoning bill, just like no one development, can solve every problem in Oakland,” said Councilor Erika Strassburger, whose district includes much of the neighborhood.
The bill is set for a final vote next week.
