Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

um or slightly under just to make sure everybody is feeling good and here. I just want to do a little bit of a check for our court reporter. Hello, Commissioner Dick. I see you. Hello there. All right. Looking good. Our court reporter is here. I am here. Thank you so very much and welcome to today. Thank you.

All right, we're a short moment out and then we will begin. All right, we are at time. It is 2 o'clock. So, good afternoon, good and beautiful people of the city of Pittsburgh. Welcome to the planning commission for the February 24th, 2026 agenda. Uh today marks a moment in time where uh some of the commissioners that you'll see here today will be their uh last day. Want to acknowledge that and uh then we'll move forward into our agenda. Uh and before I do that, I will uh do a roll call for commissioners. Final roll call. Commissioner Blackwell,

present. Thank you. Commissioner Burton Faulk, present. Commissioner Dick, present. Thank you so much. Commissioner Gam, present. Thank you so much. Commissioner O'Neal, present. Thank you. Uh, Commissioner Kinttonia, present. Thank you. Commissioner Ruiz and Commissioner Woo, present.

Thank you so much. All right. Now that we have the commissioners here, I'm going to read through the agenda for February 24, 2026. And it is as follows. Agenda item A is approval of minutes. Agenda item B is correspondence. Agenda item C is plan of lots. There are three items under plan of lots for today. Agenda item D is hearing and action. and agenda item which we have one item under hearing and action and agenda item E is the director's report. Moving up to agenda item A which is approval of minutes. Commissioners, we are in receipt of two sets of minutes. We'll take them separately uh for the first set of minutes for January 13. Uh if there are no edits, can I have a motion from the floor to approve?

So moved. Thank you, Commissioner Black. Second. Second from Commissioner Dick. Appreciate you. Now I'll do roll call. Commissioner Blackwell. I. Thank you. Commissioner Burton Faulk. I Commissioner Dick. I. Thank you. Commissioner Gam. I. Thank you. Commissioner O'Neal. I. Thank you. Commissioner Kinttonia. I. Thank you. And Commissioner Woo. I. Thank you. Moving on to the second set of minutes for uh February 24, 2024. uh 2026 approval are January 27th. Uh do I have a motion from the floor if there are no edits? So moved.

Thank you, Commissioner Dick. Do I have a second? Second. All right. Commissioner O'Neal on a second. I'm going to do roll call. Commissioner Blackwell. I. Thank you, Commissioner Burton Faulk. I Commissioner Dick. I. Thank you, Commissioner Gam. I. Thank you, Commissioner O'Neal. I thank you, Commissioner Kinttonia. I thank you and Commissioner Woo. I

thank you. Okay, moving from agenda item A to agenda item B. Agenda item B is correspondence planning commission correspondence for February 24th, 2026 regarding item BDA-2025-12382 Banksville. We are in receipt of correspondence from Doug Seminara, Rose Marie Seminara, Michelle Hickey Seminara. If I uh did not pronounce that correctly, please I I apologize uh in advance. That concludes the correspondence. Under agenda item C, we are at plan of lots. For plan of lots, we have three items. I'll read through and then move them to Mr. Shepki. Um, plan of lots item number one is DCP-Lot-2026-000025. This is 2544 Crisen Street Lot line revision. Item two is DCP hash lot-2026-000018. I think we need to put that on mute, please. And thank you. Uh item number three under plan of lots is DCP-lot-2025-0000309 at Penn Avenue consolidation. Moving up to item number one, DCP-lot-2026-000025 2544 Crispen Street Lot line revision. This is a major lot line revision in the Perry South neighborhood. Uh leaving this over to Mr. Shepki.

Thank you. Um this is the Crispen Street lot line revision. It's a proposed lot line revision involving four parcels. The proposed parcel 45D31 would be 8,200 ft in area and would have frontage on Marshall Avenue. The proposed parcel 45D35 would be 11,100 ft in area and would have frontage on Marshall Avenue. The proposed parcel 45D37 would be 11,700 ft in area and would have frontage on Marshall Avenue. And the proposed parcel 45H264 would be 232,287 ft in area and would have frontage on Crisen Street. Houses are located on the parcels fronting onto Marshall Avenue and a farm is located on a portion of parcel N parcel number 45H264. Uh the recommended motion from staff is uh for preliminary preliminary approval uh with final review scheduled on March 10th, 2026.

Okay. Thank you. Um at this time we open the floor for any public testimony. Is there anyone here? Thank you so much. Uh given none, uh commissioners, at this time we are asking for a preliminary approval and final approval on March 10. Do I have a motion from the floor for preliminary approval? Motion to recommend for preliminary approval. Thank you, Commissioner Woo. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you. Can uh Commissioner Blackwell, I'll do roll call. Commissioner Blackwell. Hi. Thank you. Commissioner Burton Faulk. I Commissioner Dick. Hi.

Thank you. Commissioner Gam. I. Thank you. Commissioner O'Neal. I. Thank you. Commissioner Cantonia. I. Thank you. And Commissioner Woo. I.

Thank you. All right. Moving on to item number two under plan of lots, which is DCP-lot-2026-000018. This is Heron Avenue consolidation. This is a major consolidation in the Polish Hill neighborhood. Uh handing it over to Mr. Shepki. This is the Heron Avenue consolidation. I'll wait for it to come up. Actually, um this is the proposed consolidation of 34 parcels into one parcel. The proposed lot would have frontage on Heron Avenue and would be 93,36 ft in area. Several structures are located on the subject property which are proposed to be demolished. And the recommended motion is to preliminarily approve the Heron Avenue consolidation and schedule final review on March 10th, 2026.

All right. Thank you so much. We open the floor for public testimony. Is there anyone here regarding this plan of lots? None online, none here in person. Thank you so much. Commissioners, uh, do we have a motion for a preliminary approval for today? Final approval on March 10. So move. So move. Thank you, uh, Commissioner Kenttonia for the move. Thank you for the second. Dick, do roll call. Commissioner Blackwell, I. Thank you, Commissioner Burton Faulk. I, Commissioner Dick, I. Thank you, Commissioner Gam. I Thank you, Commissioner O'Neal. I Thank you, Commissioner Kinttonia. I Thank you. And Commissioner Woo, I

thank you. All right, moving on to uh the third item under agenda item C, Plan of Lots, and it is as follows. DCP-lot-2025-0000309, Penn Avenue consolidation. This is a major consolidation in the East Liberty neighborhood. Handing it over to Mr. Shepki.

This is the Penn Avenue consolidation. It's the proposed consolidation of four parcels into one parcel. The proposed parcel would have frontage on Penn Avenue and would be 102,599 ft in area. A surface parking lot is located on the subject property. and uh staff's recommended motion is for preliminary approval of the consolidation with final review scheduled for March 10th, 2026.

Fantastic. Thank you, Mr. Shepki. Um is there anyone for public testimony? No. Uh hearing none online. Seeing none in the room. Thank you so much. Commissioners, uh do we have a motion from the floor for preliminary approval today? Final March 10. So move. Thank you, Commissioner Kinttonia. Thank you for the second. Commissioner Blackwell, roll call. Commissioner Blackwell, I. Thank you, Commissioner Burton Faulk. I, Commissioner Dick, I. Thank you, Commissioner Gam. I, thank you, Commissioner O'Neal. I, thank you, Commissioner Kenttonia. I, thank you. And Commissioner Woo, I.

Thank you. All right, commissioners. Here we are at agenda item uh number agenda item D hearing and action. We have one item and that one item is as follows. BDA-2025-12689 at 2037 Forbes Avenue. This is new construction of three-story town homes in the Bluff neighborhood. Uh handing it over to Mr. Johnson. Good afternoon, commissioners. An application for project development plan BDA-2025-12689 was filed by Fukui Architects and Epic Development for new construction of three three-story town homes in the Uptown Public Realm District B at 2037 Forbes Avenue. The application includes site improvements and new construction of three three-story town homes for multi-unit residential. The town homes will face Senica and have back patios facing a rear courtyard. The homes will each have a single car garage fronting Senakica. The required street trees are to be planted along Forbes and/or Senica in accordance with the landscape plan of PRT. Existing on the site is a duplex and a formal church to the rear of the town homes also being completed by the developer. This structure will remain. There were no requests to the zoning board of adjustment for this case. No design review was required as the scope of this project is under four units. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure conducted a subpermit confirmation review and notified the applicant of necessary sub permits. A development activities meeting was held virtually on January 20th, 2026 with Uptown Partners, Hill CDC, Hill Consensus Group, and Hill Collaborative, the registered community organizations for this area. New addresses were obtained along Senica. A plan conformance report showing conformance with the uptown ecoinnovation plan was conducted. Planning commission will

review the project development plan according to the criteria under section 922.10.e.2 in the zoning code also outlined in the report. Recommended motion that the planning commission of the city of Pittsburgh approves the project development plan BDA 2025-12689 with the following conditions. All DOI permits will be reviewed and approved prior to issuing the final record of zoning approval. And the final construction plans, including site plans and elevations, be reviewed and approved by the zoning administrator prior to issuing the final record of zoning approval. I will now turn it over to the applicant. Thank you.

Thank you. Good afternoon. Uh, Kento Omorei, Fukui Architects, uh, K N O H M O R I, uh, architect a record for the project. Um, try to keep it pretty quick, um, and simple. Uh, as mentioned, three new town homes on a, um, vacant endcap of the block. We are um uh as described uh redeveloping an existing church into a duplex as well. Um really the context of the uh site in the project and this is outlined in the criteria uh that was mentioned the 92210.2 but the context of the site and the surrounding neighborhood is essentially attached single family and two family dwellings. This is really a continuation of that same context. Floor plans of the units fairly compact um three-bedroom units. Uh really nothing um earthshattering here. Uh rendering of the Senica Street side. Um and then the Forbes Avenue side. Uh you see a rendering of the church uh to the left of the image that we're converting to a duplex rear elevation. Uh this is the side that faces the interior courtyard which is partially shielded from Forbes Avenue. Uh we're saving and kind of um

stabilizing the buttress from the church. The courtyard is behind that um open archway. Um, any questions? Commissioner, are there any questions?

All right. If that concludes your uh presentation at this time, we'll open the floor uh for public testimony if there is any. Uh, is anyone in the room or online to speak to this project? No. Okay. No hands raised. Okay. So, commission, given there are no questions, uh, is there a motion from the floor to approve with the two conditions as stated in our report regarding 2037 Forbes Avenue? So moved. I have a a motion from Commissioner Blackwell. Do I have a second? Second.

Thank you. I have a second from Commissioner Dick. I will uh move forward with roll call. Commissioner Blackwell. I Thank you, Commissioner Burton Faulk. I Commissioner Dick. I thank you Commissioner Gam. I thank you Commissioner O'Neal. I thank you Commissioner Kenttonia. I thank you and Commissioner Woo. I

All right. Thank you so much. Uh motion is approved. Thank you so much. Have a great rest of your day. All right. We are moving on to the next agenda item which is agenda item E which is the director's report. Um we have a director's report today. All right, great. And thank you. So, how do we like that sun outside? Very nice. Right. I haven't left spill it. Yeah.

Um, good afternoon everybody. Um, I will keep it short today, but I primarily wanted to thank everybody who's been um, serving on planning commission. And I know you guys have very complicated day jobs and roles in your neighborhoods too. So, um I know Kate and the team is, you know, very grateful for that. But I just wanted to say thank you even though I haven't overlap with many of you on planning commission and thank you to those of you that are staying on and will hopefully provide continuity as we um welcome new members to the commission and um yeah and just uh you know hopefully uh move forward with the work of city planning and we're excited also to um have some updates on the comprehensive plan which will um in the end hopefully provide more structure and more um a better framework for how you guys do your job here. So um looking forward to the comprehensive plan laying out that vision for the city so that um we can have you know great conversations here. So thank you.

Sounds wonderful. Uh greatly appreciated. Uh okay. Hi excuse me. This is a core reporter. Can I have her name, please? Oh, sure. If you I'm sorry. I should have introduced myself. I Mongalo Winston, director of city planning. Okay. Thank you. Thanks. That was my fault, too. So, I do apologize. Uh, you came up with such a big smile. I was like, "Okay, we got it. We're right here." So, that was good. Uh, okay. Commissioners, uh, this, uh, might be the final for some of us. Is there anything anybody would like to say uh before concluding and adjourning today?

Um I will. Commissioner Blackwell, I have served under I was first nominated um and appointed by Mayor Bill Paduda and then reappointed by Mayor Gayy. and I now will be um ending my tenure, 12 years serving with the city planning commission. And I'm so grateful and honored to have had that opportunity to walk past, drive past and see so many beautiful um thoughtful um projects and developments and knowing I was a part of that happening. Um I'll always take that with me. I'll still be around in the city um doing good work and just thank you. Well, you better not leave the city.

You better be staying here and and it's bittersweet. It's bittersweet. Definitely. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'll go stick first. But yeah. Um, other commissioners? No, Commissioner Woo.

Yeah, I'll go. Uh, this is Commissioner Woo. Um uh unlike uh Commissioner Blackwell, I've only been here for two years. Um but uh you know, I've really enjoyed the um you know, my time here and you know, seeing all the different projects that have come before the commission and interacting with all my fellow commissioners um and you know, applicants and city planning staff. Um yeah, it's uh you know, it's I I think we play a really important role in the city and um you know, it's um it it's been an honor to you know, to to have been appointed um you know, to the commission and to be able to, you know, play a role in in you guiding the the city's uh um you know, uh planning and uh you know, future development. So, um, yeah, hopefully, uh, I can still be involved in the city government in some form or fashion, even if it's not with the planning commission. But, um, yeah, I've, uh, really enjoyed, uh, getting to know everyone. Um, and, uh, you know, and, uh, it's been been good as a continuation, uh, from when I was a staff member at, uh, Department of City Planning. um just to be able to continue to see uh the same faces um and work with the same folks. So um yeah uh bittersweet also but um uh yeah, thank you to everyone uh for um to city staff for putting these meetings together every two weeks and um to everyone who tunes in to these meetings um and and plays a role in in uh democratic uh in democratic process. So, um, yeah. Um, that's all I have to say.

Thank you, Commissioner Woo. Um, anyone else? Commissioner Dick.

Yeah. Well, I will sort of second what Commissioner Blackwell said. I have been serving here for not quite as long as she has, but since uh 2000 September of 2015, appointed by uh Mayor Padutoo and reappointed by U. Mayor Gayy. And uh it has been a real pleasure working with you all. And I've learned so much uh from this and I hope I've contributed a bit to the development of Pittsburgh. It's been a really meaningful meaningful process and I also am very bittersweet about this. Uh and I will um hopefully be able to contri contribute in some ways uh to the uh betterment and improvement of the city of Pittsburgh. So thank you all.

Fantastic. Thank you so much. Um, would you like to say anything, Commissioner Fi? I don't have as many words to say. I don't really know the number of years. I know I'm like in the two-ish year time frame because I started around the same time as Commissioner Woo.

Um, yeah, it was it was nice. It was a great um I think this is a great opportunity to work and see kind of the work that this goes on with the city from the other side. As an architect, I'm usually in the, you know, in the weeds of everything being like, I just want this project to get done. But it's nice to see that it's very thoughtful how we kind of think about all the projects and how they connect to each other. I will leave saying while I go, I hope that we still pay attention to the beauty of the projects that go on because there have been a lot of dusty projects that come by. And it would be awesome to know that there is still a champion out there to say we do not want to become a basic beige city.

Very good. If you haven't noticed, she doesn't like the color beige, right? It's not just beige. It's gray. Gray. That gray was a big one for you. Millennial gray. I would agree. Yeah, I would agree. And you're not alone. You're not alone. Uh well um Vice Chair O'Neal, is there anything you'd like to say? Uh shortly, thank you to all the members who are rolling off. Um you know, your expertise has been invaluable and I can't say enough words about how wonderful it's been to serve with you all. So, thank you and I will be seeing you outside of commission.

Absolutely. And in parting words, I'll say that um it has been a pleasure serving with this commission body. Honestly, um your dedication, your service, uh your impact on us as as uh fellow commissioners and on the city of Pittsburgh uh will will live on and we appreciate you. Thank you for your service. So with that, um I guess this will be uh an adjournment. Do we have a motion from the floor to adjurnn? So motion from Commissioner Dick. No. Uh not to adjurnn, but also with a great big thank you to your leadership and to Rachel's leadership, too. It's meant a great deal to me over the years. I move that we adjourn.

Thank you. So that is a motion from Commissioner Dick. Do we have a second? Second. Second from Commissioner Blackwell. Uh all at once. I Very good. We'll close this out. Thank you, Commissioner Dick. Thank you. All right.