Trees left unchecked create massive problems for infrastructure

I agree with the point but there's not much room for them downtown

I’m not sure what you’re on about, this is written like an AI language model would write something after being asked to integrate a new term it isn’t really familiar with— in this case “yield.”

The yield is assessed versus the entire construction cost of the project— why I mentioned that in the first place— which is why these sums do not really matter. It’s equivalent in cost to something like four days of a tower crane rental, and does not have a substantive impact on developable yield. Period.

And these developers— Millcraft, Walnut Capital, etc— are not building elsewhere. Development is a field highly dependent on local knowledge, and these firms exist with portfolios exclusively in this area for this reason. The city-especially areas like Oakland— remain extremely compelling for development by anyone, but are particularly important to these local development firms because they have a strategy and portfolio hinging on almost exclusive development here. It would be far more costly and risky for them to go elsewhere. They are not.

Increasing interest rates and inflation matter, but are happening regardless of this policy. These are much larger costs, and the real thing holding development right now. Developers could still build in areas like Oakland in this climate, but are waiting on doing so because they foresee lowering interest rates in the future which will reduce ultimate project cost.

I’m not sure what you’re saying about the “little guys,” but the percentages outlined here should be the same or lower for them— before it was a flat rate of $15,000, now it is variable on project cost.

And I agree the zoning needs to be improved, I am arguing it will improve as a result of better staffing from better funding. I do not know anyone at DCP that is happy with the way things are going, but they are currently underwater and are struggling to keep things moving. This should help, not harm, zoning efforts.

Did you read my comment?

The bureaucratic red tap in Pittsburgh is truly absurd. I already have clients that are reticent to develop in the City because of development review reputation, and its only going to get worse. None of the City departments effectively communicate with each other, and they all have their own little fiefdoms. I can't really complain, because it keeps me employed, but its definitely going to hurt investment in the City in the long run.

>Millcraft Development says it will be paying in excess of $400,000 for a zoning review of its proposed Esplanade North Shore redevelopment project.

$400k sounds like an absolute steal for the amount of land and scale of the Chateau Esplanade project. It's like 10 city blocks and half of a City neighborhood.

The reality is that these huge projects need to be reviewed and that costs money to get right. Developers don't want to pay? No one should be surprised.

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So it sounds like you recognize that these are separate issues, which is why it's mystifying that you brought up speed bumps in the first place. [shrug]

> all city mayors are criticized constantly

that was my point I was attempting to make

Peduto was a city council member for 12 years. He was hands on in the technology departments at the city and worked on updating systems. His downfall was embracing technology when he supported Uber and other automated driving tech. He also wasn’t as tough on UPMC as activists wanted. In retrospect he wasn’t good at keeping bridges in good shaped.

Gainey spent some time in random jobs at the city level and was a state level politician for ten years. I feel like the local news was critical of gainey from the start and hasn’t given him a chance

Ravenstahl was a joke. He grew up in cranberry, went to college in Washington, and was elected to city council less than a year after moving to the city.

I get the feeling the issue is that Gainey spent all his time in Harrisburg as a legislator in the minority party who never really had to "get anything done." Anything he was going to sponsor, talk up, or vote for was at the end of the day either a statement for statements' sake or so totally non-controversial that it would pass the PA legislature with broad bipartisan support. He's great for a soundbite on just about any topic, but...that...doesn't translate at all to "head of an administration that wields actual power and has responsibilities to accomplish things." I think some of that is evident not just in his own actions, but in the folks he has in high positions. (Also great activists who don't have much experience actually being able to execute.)

Gainey is in over his head. He is looking for anything quick and easy that might give him political points. For him, political points are the issue. The speed bump binge is the quickest and easiest way he has found to score political points, which gives him breathing room on harder issues, such as zoning.

It's basic local politics.

Zoning administrators are tasked with enforcing a Byzantine shithouse maize of restrictions contained within an enigma of a process. Gainey didn't promise much of anything before he was elected - his biggest asset in the primary was not being Peduto. It's no surprise he isn't delivering much when he never promised much in the first place.

Peduto was able to generate positive national attention for Pgh, and attract outside business interest and investment. So far, Gainey has done neither.

I highly doubt Gainey believes speed bumps help alleviate the zoning review issue. Again, they are obviously completely separate issues.

More like "My mom needs to focus on getting rid of her cancer, but she's concentrating on eating healthier instead of taking the chemo her doctor recommended." Misplaced priorities indeed. Gainey threw yinz a political bone with the speed bumps, and yinz chomped down on it without question. It does nothing to improve transit or decrease car dependancy.

I'm pro bike lane for the record, at least it makes it easier to not use a full size vehicle. The speed bumps make driving worse and actually slow public transit down instead of improving it.

...it doesn't work that way. For one, Zoning Administrators should and do have a fair amount of autonomy/distance from the Administration. Also - mayors have come into office with all sorts of promises about changing zoning law and reforming the process. What exactly have any of them achieved? Namely, what did Peduto achieve, after promising all sorts of stuff? At the end of the day, it was all about "tweet at Dan Gilman if you need something"...a Kushner-esque process that was similarly ineffective

There isn't a city or state statute or regulation that specifically prohibits municipalities from raising revenue using review fees. However, there is a long line of appellate cases that have created that principle in common law. That precedent essentially has the same effect as if it was codified into law. A developer can sue the City, cite those cases, and have the same likelihood of success as if it were in a statute.

Gainey isn't pursuing a better city structure though. He's simply taking the path of least resistance. Taking a bare minimum approach that gives no thought to the long term concerns shouldn't be good enough IMO.

Speed bumps are the very worst method of traffic calming. Literally anything else would be better.

Um...

• all city mayors are criticized constantly
• Peduto didn't have any particular inside knowledge of the city or of City processes...no more or less than Gainey or Ravenstahl. He retweeted knowledgeable planners and urbanists, but he did so without absorbing much of the content in relation to governing PGH.
• Developers complained bitterly about Peduto, just like all other mayors.
• What levers could/did Peduto pull? Just curious if there are any examples.

Raising fees while interest rates are skyrocketing effectively kicks the projected yield rate while it's down. Use all the buzzwords you want, it won't change the fact that this fundamentally discourages development because it decreases the yield rate. Developers who have already submitted proposals might be more likely to move forward, because of their sunk costs. Developers who haven't already committed could decide to build elsewhere.

Even though they are assessed at a percentage rate, the fees still affect smaller developers more because the fees are a larger percentage of their net worth than they are for bigger developers. It's the same principle that renders a percentage based flat tax unfair. Even though it's the same percentage, it affects the little guys way more.

More staff to enforce the shitty zoning we have isn't a good thing unless we reform the zoning first. Other existing expensive non-refundable costs aren't a valid excuse to impose new ones.

[not a loaded question, just a request for information] Is the city breaking some law with this rate increase? Or is this a more subtle use of courts to manage public policy that I'm not familiar with? I was kinda surprised to see developers calling this "illegal". In my naivete, I'd have thought it was subject only to the laws of economics, not the laws of the city or state.

It’s Andy Sheehan of course he’s writing from the developers side. They actually have to pay a fair price instead of dirt cheap and they cry about it.

Hmm I didn't notice that. They must have built towards whatever the specs for the new travel and bike lane reconfiguration will be.

>Projects that used to take 3 months to review can now take over a year, and that’s before applying for a building permit.

I get the impression you know more about the process than I do, but as an outsider, can I suggest that maybe this is because they're woefully understaffed and underfunded?

the objective for this media org is to get hits and sell ads based on those numbers. Whether we like it or not, there are no other considerations or standards on the table.

This is akin to saying "my mom needs to focus on getting rid of her cancer, but instead she makes herself lunch every day! Misplaced priorities!" The two things have nothing to do with each other, and the slow pace on the monumental task does not in any way affect the more manageable task.

It feels like "speed bumps" are becoming the new "bike lanes" ........ some random shit bitter yinzers bring up as a non sequitur whenever they're upset about something.

Editors...wait, what? The Market fixes all, right?