Pittsburgh City Council may pause a program that allows property owners to buy neighboring vacant lots at a discounted price
The city’s side yard sale program makes it possible to purchase city-owned vacant lots for around $200. It’s intended to move vacant lots off the city’s plate and back on the tax rolls — while allowing residents to acquire green space and yards.
Councilor Deb Gross initially sponsored legislation at the end of August that would only offer the bargain price to people who actually live next to the lot: She sought the change to prevent landlords and absentee owners from getting the discount. In presenting the bill, she said that as the real estate market has heated up, speculators have become more aggressive about acquiring city property.
That bill has been held since then, and following debate and discussion, Gross decided Wednesday to pause the program while it’s being reconsidered.
“Since we didn’t have consensus, most members just preferred that we just kind of put a pause on the program until we figure out what is the appropriate program for 2024 and moving forward,” said Gross. The delay, she said, would give councilors time “to evaluate what are the merits, and what is the best thing for their districts or the neighborhoods that they represent.”
Gross replaced her bill’s initial text with language to put the sale program on hold, a proposal that received preliminary approval Wednesday with 6 yes votes. Councilor Theresa Kail Smith abstained, Councilor Bob Charland voted no, and Councilor Anthony Coghill was absent.
Charland said he wouldn’t vote for the bill because he didn’t like the idea of preventing the city from moving properties back on to the tax rolls. He previously raised concerns about limiting the side yard sale program to people who live next door, arguing the restriction could unfairly impede landlords from maintaining adjacent property.
“I would rather see it revised and have it still be in existence while we are working on the revisions,” he said Wednesday. “I have a strong desire to see us move properties from the city’s inventory into residents’ hands.”
But others said a pause made sense, given the fact that the city is poised to consider new zoning rules that could free up some parcels for new uses.
Currently, a parcel sold through the side-yard program comes with deed restrictions that prevent the purchaser from putting a new building on that property: Purchasers are limited to making non-structure improvements like creating a garden, green space, a pool or a deck.
But Councilor Bobby Wilson noted that the zoning changes council will consider include a measure to allow construction of new homes on smaller lots than previously permitted. That possibility meant it might be a good time to rethink aspects of the side yard program, he said.
“We need to devise a strategy where we’re identifying all parcels that can be developed,” he said. “I think in a time when we’re looking at reforming our zoning code so that building on these parcels is easier, meaning you could do houses that couldn’t be built previously could be built on these lots … there’s a hard look we should take at all the vacant and abandoned property.”
He noted that there are lots that are larger than can be sold through the side yard program, but many are not developable.
“We could sell those for a cheaper price, too, to homeowners that would maintain it,” he said. “I think there is a good opportunity here to recognize that there’s more we can do than just cut the grass on these lots.”
Even though the side yard program is suspended, people can still purchase vacant lots that are owned by the city. But they’d be doing so through its regular purchasing process, which doesn’t offer the $200 discounted price.
