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As you know Burt Hill Architects, in cooperation with the MWCDC, created a serene rain garden in Charles Lewis Memorial Park (next to the fire station on Virginia Avenue). To complete the project, and add little bit of urban sophistication and style, an artist wants to transform the back wall of the enclosed park space into a mural.

The mural is a nod to our brave neighborhood fire fighters and aesthetically, it will add a lot of interest and dimension to the rain garden. The supplies are not free, however, so the CDC is asking for donations. For just $25 (or $50 if you’re so inclined) you can help to create this work of art. And as a thank you, you’ll get an 11″ x 17″ or 18″ x 24″ replica of the proposed mural. Please call the CDC office at 412.481.3220 for more information.

Speaking of the rain garden, has anyone noticed the weeds cropping up? I’m wondering if Burt Hill is responsible for maintaining the garden or if the CDC and community should take on that responsibility. I think we could round up some volunteers, but I’m afraid I would yank out a plant thinking it was a weed. Perhaps someone with a green thumb can offer their services.

If you haven’t checked out the new SeeClickFix on our menu [between Message Boards and Events Calendar], you should.

SeeClickFix was designed by a small group of community-lovin’ folks in Connecticut and we incorporated it into our site because we believe that we’re all responsible for what happens in Mt. Washington. It allows any individual to report non-emergency issues such as graffiti, potholes or traffic safety issues on a map for everyone to see.

Here’s how it works:

See - see a non-emergency issue in your neighborhood

Click - open a ticket describing the issue and what can be done to resolve it

Fix - publicly report the issue to everyone for resolution

It’s just as simple as calling 311. So next time, the neighbors put their trash out on a Wednesday…to be picked up on the following Tuesday or you SEE fresh graffiti on someone’s garage door, CLICK to report it on 15211 and check back to confirm that the issue has been FIXED.

SeeClickFix is a new tool and still in the development stage. We think the issues are being tracked and sent to local police, but we can’t confirm. At the very least, it’s a way for us to keep track of what’s going on and where–so please be sure to come back and close out your ticket if you know a problem you reported has been resolved.

The Mount Washington Community Development Corporation, in conjunction with the Allentown Community Development Corporation and the Friends of Grandview Park, is sponsoring the Grandview Park Marketplace on Saturday, August 23rd from 9 am to 4 pm in Mt. Washington’s historic Grandview Park, part of the Grand View Scenic Byway Park, Pittsburgh’s Fifth Regional Park.

The Grandview Park Marketplace will feature artists and vendors selling everything from jewelry to food mixes, and dog training to pottery. Grandview Park is a turn of the century park, providing a spectacular view of the City of Pittsburgh. It is located on Bailey Avenue, connecting the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Mt. Washington and Allentown.

It isn’t too late for new vendors to sign up to participate. Tables are only $50 and all proceeds from this event will go toward the 100th Birthday Celebration for the park next year.

“We’re really looking forward to showcasing the park for this event and hope that the Marketplace will become an annual event.” says Jess Smith, an organizer of the event and member of Friends of Grandview Park. Join the fun, and see what Pittsburgh’s Fifth Regional Park has to offer!

For more information on the Grandview Park Marketplace, contact Ilyssa Manspeizer - Park Resource Manager, Grand View Scenic Byway Park (imanspeizer@mwcdc.org; 412-481-3220) or Jess Smith - Friends of Grandview Park (grandviewparkfriends@gmail.com; 412-481-4686).

Hooray to the Mayor and City Council for approving use of surveillance cameras in the City of Pittsburgh. I know there are mixed reviews on their effectiveness, but if measures are put into to place to protect our privacy then I say let’s use them to try and make our communities safer.

According to an article in today’s Post-Gazette, Councilwoman Payne offered her opinions on where the first cameras should be installed.

“I think we want to put [cameras] where we see the majority of crimes taking place,” said Councilwoman Tonya Payne, citing the North Side, Hill District, Homewood, Garfield and East Liberty as starting points.

I can only hope she was speaking off the cuff and that elected officials will use crime statistics and other quantitative measures to determine placement rather than put cameras in neighborhoods based on perceptions of certain areas. As you can see below, Mt. Washington suffers from more personal crime than Garfield and more property crime than North Side and part of the Hill District. I pulled these stats from homefair.com. I’m sure the city police have more detailed and up-to-date statistics that council members can use as a guide.

                                                *Personal Crime Risk              **Property Crime Risk

Mt. Washington                      255                                          168

North Side                              264                                          156

Hill District (15219)                176                                          156

Hill District (15213)                245                                          114

Homewood                             270                                          230

Garfield                                   236                                          199

E. Liberty                                270                                          203

Risks are in Index (100=National Average) and Homefair cites the following sources:
The data is drawn from an array of sources, and is updated at least once a year:

• U.S. Census Bureau estimates and projections, including latest monthly estimates for population at the city level.
• Bureau of Labor for employment data by industry and occupation.
• Internal Revenue Service statistics on tax filers and year-to-year migration.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police departments and municipalities for crime information.  

*Personal Crime Risk (in Index) - Index score (100=National Average) that represents the combined risks of rape, murder, assault and robbery.
**Property Crime Risk (in Index) - Index score (100=National Average) that represents the combined risks of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.

The last thing I want to do is criticize a writer on the angle s/he chose for a story, but I’m a bit confused about Sam Spatter’s decision to lead an article about The Edge development with the Grand Staircase. I wasn’t at the interview with Mr. Desmone though and maybe he was the one fixated on this aspect of the project.

While the Staircase would be something to behold and could potentially draw more tourists, let’s not lose site of the most important aspect of this project…. demolishing an unsafe and unsightly structure and building something useful and sustainable (like what Mr. B and Desmone are proposing).

As far as tourist attractions go, we already have one in the view, yet that hasn’t yielded meaningful development in the adjacent business district. I remain optimistic that the community, developer and architects will come to a consensus on what will ultimately sit at One Grandview. Let’s focus on that first. If not, we may end up with a beautiful staircase to nowhere.

Luke Desmone, of Desmone and Associates Architects, attended the Responsible Economic Development (REDO) meeting last Wednesday and spoke at length about the site (currently home to the lovely Edge building). He brought some of his sketches and fielded questions about the project that he and a private developer, Mr. Beemsterboer, are committed to seeing through to completion. Although there are no specs for the actual building at this point, Desmone talked in detail about the 14 story, 140-room luxury, LEED-compliant hotel that will sit next to he Mon Incline. Features include:

• A high-end restaurant
• Condominiums. Desmone did not specify how many and he was not even sure if they would be one floor or multi-level. He did say that they will be approximately 900 sq. feet with terraces and access to common green space.
• 5-6 levels of underground parking (approximately 320 spaces), thus, alleviating strain on surrounding homes and businesses. There are also plans to increase parking on Sycamore for residents.
• A visitors’center.
• A Grand Staircase that runs parallel to the Incline. The Staircase would be a tourist destination in and of itself as it would give people the opportunity to ascend to Grandview Avenue on the Incline and walk all of the way back down to Carson Street if they so chose. Desmone mentioned that revenue-sharing with the Port Authority might be part of this deal.
• When asked if there would be retail space in the hotel, Desmone was quick to point out that the development was meant to spur economic activity for businesses on Shiloh Street so nothing is planned at this time.

As with any proposed development, there are dissenting opinions including concerns about run-off from the demolition and construction and increased traffic. The traffic study you may have seen on Sycamore was actually initiated by the developer and results will determine if there is any validity to this claim. Desmone said he is also working with someone from the city to ensure that any run-off is controlled and contained.

It seems as if Desmone and the developer have thought of everything, but let’s be diligent about monitoring this process. Priority number one is to change the antiquated zoning regulations (remnants of the Murphy administration) to facilitate this development. You can get more information about how the area needs to be re-zoned at the MWCDC forum on Thursday, August 21^st at 7PM at the Senior Center. It is important that you make yourself heard because those with opposing views will. Please attend the CDC meeting and find out when upcoming City Planning and City Council meetings will be.

Here’s a comment that we feel is worth highlighting with a post. It’s from a local business owner, so if you’re in the market for a scooter, give him a shout.

Hello to All,

My name is Ryan and I am resident of 15211. I recently began working with Scott at Mt. Washington Scooters. I have over ten years expierence in mechanical repair and service. 2 years of that in the scooter industry specifically. I look forward assisting my neighbors and others residents of Pittsburgh. Aside from the savings that come with owning a scooter, there are the enviromental savings with lower emissions and easy operation. No clutch handle to worry about. No tranmission lever to learn, just twist and go. All this and with the low and easy maintance coupled with high quality it makes these scooters suitable for almost anyone. Why suffer the summer heat in your gas guzzling SUV, when you cruise Grandview, taking in the Pittsburgh skyline with the wind in your face. Enjoy the bustling South Side and East Carson St. for pennies in gas and no more problems finding parking places. Please stop in and lets us answer any and all of your scooter questions. And Bobby and Livin’ please don’t worry about your manliness. With todays options and after market support, we can make your subtle lil gas saver into a roaring rocket. We have access to everything from trunks to chrome wheels. Thanks to all and we hope to see you real soon.

According to an article in today’s Tribune-Review, a special district within Mt. Washington may be chosen to study the effects light rail and more bus corridors would have on our community.

“Studies of East Liberty, Homewood/North Point Breeze, Beechview and Mt. Washington would determine if special districts in each neighborhood — called Transit Revitalization Investment Districts — could begin thriving from expanded mass transit, parking and curbside amenities such as street lights, benches and sidewalks.”

It seems that when a district is designated a “special transit district”, a portion of taxes generated by new businesses may be used to pay for transportation improvements. I just wonder what specific area they’ll choose. And if it includes The Edge, we need to keep current on what the development proposals are and help to ensure that they are actually implemented and implemented responsibly. Back door dealings and behind-the-scenes negotiations cannot co-exist with a transit program investment this large and this visible.

We asked, you voted and it looks like Squirrel Hill is the neighborhood we most admire. We thought it would be helpful to talk about the unique attributes of Squirrel Hill and then we can figure out why we like it. And perhaps that will even help us to determine what we want to be and how to get there.

Squirrel Hill was featured in a recent issue of Pop City and was described this way, “Squirrel Hill owes its easygoing prosperity to the fact that it wasn’t revived-most of it’s liberal, middle-class denizens never abandoned it”. Mt. Washington is different in this regard so even if we like certain things about Squirrel Hill, we have to think practically about our ability to replicate it.   

What is it you like most about Squirrel Hill? The restaurant choices and retail shops? The neighborhood services? Or maybe it’s the combination of all three.

Let us know!