Oakcliffe Housing Club – Meeting Minutes

 

Meeting Minutes: Thursday, June 14, 2012

 

Attendance: David Panasiuk (Chair), Michelle Panasiuk (Secretary), John Berkman, Bernardine Swiech, Theresa Sobkiewicz, Pamela Lupinacci, Harry Johnson, Phil Garrow, Franny Monahan, Trevor Smith, Gail Mitchell Hall, Patricia Panasiuk, Bernardine Swiech, Liz Gray, Vince Mach, Jordan Walsh, Moira Quigley, Bryant Andrews-Nino, Candice A. Gonzalez

 

Next meeting: July 11, 2012, 7 – 8:30, Community Human Services, 374 Lawn St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

 

1. Announcements

a. BRYANT – (OPDC) Working on several initiatives that focus on long-term resident and student resident relations. This includes the “trash talk” magnet and other great things that will educate students more on the community of Oakland and lead to more good will between everyone!

b. MICHAEL WURZER (OPDC) – A. Bruk from Engineers for a Sustainable World (Pitt): The team is planning completion of the Oakcliffe Garden rain catchment system Sunday, June 17. The Rain Catchment System should provide 200-300 gallons of water to the gardeners per month with an average Pittsburgh rainfall. As of June 22nd, the project is running a bit behind, but is still in progress. B. OPDC “Love Your Block” volunteer project: What: Landscaping the side, part of the front, and building window boxes; and possibly door knocking around the block to seek new tree requests. When: June 16, 1-5 PM. Where: Corner of Louisa and Semple Streets (opposite side of the fire station on McKee Place, previously the Oakland Senior Center). Why: To fulfill the requirements of the City of Pittsburgh “Love Your Block” campaign. How: Volunteers who love outdoor activity, enjoy beautify in green space, and want to enhance their community through easy, visible, and lasting projects, Contact: Brian BPerry@opdc.org or Michael MWurzer@opdc.org for more information. Thank you to all volunteers that participated in this project.

c. MARTI PRISTAS (University of Pittsburgh)- About 6 spaces left in the summer camp program for MIDDLE SCHOOL Boys & Girls Entering Grades 5th through 8th by Fall ’12. Camp is from June 25th—July 26th, 2012 Mon. thru Thurs., 11am to 3:15pm A free* campus-based summer camp for youth from underserved neighborhoods (* $50 Registration Fee per child applies; Reduced rate for additional children in family.) For more information contact Martha Pristas MSW, Program Director, Community Leisure-Learn Program, Dept. of Health & Physical Activity, 146 Trees Hall, Pittsburgh , PA. 15261. www.cll.pitt.edu Phone: (412) 648-8278 / Fax: 412-648-7092.

d. CANDICE GONZALEZ (Mayor’s Office) – As of March 19th, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s Neighborhood Initiatives Coordinator. She will provide a Report of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Contact Information: City of Pittsburgh, City County Building, Fifth Floor, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, Office: 412.255.2792, Fax: 412.255.2988 candice.gonzalez@pittsburghpa.gov.

e. REBEKKAH RANALLO (OPDC)– Communications Director OPDC A. Next OakWatch (Oakland Code Enforcement Task Force) meeting is next Wednesday, June, 20th at Noon, Forbes Tower, 11th Floor. Lunch Provided. B. – Properties appearing in Housing Court before Judge Ricciardi: featured on the docket is 3109 Forbes Ave. (next to the Blvd of the Allies Bridge) Hearing to be held at 1700 East Carson Street, 3rd Floor. See Schedule for further Property Addresses. Thank you to all that came out, the 3109 Forbes was continued for 45 days. New date will be announced when available. C. – Link to June Newsletter: http://bit.ly/MHDnvp

f. INNOVATION OAKLAND – Thursday, June 14th, 5:00-7:00, Revv Oakland, 122 Meyran Ave. Refeshments Provided: Tour Oakland’s First Tech Incubator Space, Network with fellow OBID members, Hear about exciting plans for Innovation Oakland, the launch of Scenable (Oakland’s mobile app), and more!

g. WHITNEY BOSNYAK (OPDC) – Programming Director at The Corner, 200 Robinson St., The Corner is hosting an exciting summer kick-off event to gather community members together, promote Corner activities, and generally just have a great time. Our kick-off will be held on June 23 from 10am-3pm and will feature a variety of food/art vendors, music, and more.

2. DAVID PANASIUK (OHC) Additional Oakcliffe Announcements:

a. City Pools Open Tomorrow June 14. City of Pittsburgh residents (proof of residency required) $60 – family of four, $10 – each additional family member, $30 – adult (16 years and older), $15 – youth (3 – 15 years old), free – child (2 and under). One Session Pass: $3 for children ages 3 – 15 and $4 for individuals 16 and older.

b. Swim Teams- All pools for children and teens 6 to 18 years old. Join your local swim team, head off to compete against teams from other Citiparks pools throughout the summer, then compete at the Championship Swim Meet at Highland Park Pool. Ask the head lifeguard at your local pool how to become a member of a swim team. :: Practice: Mondays – Fridays, June 18 – August 3, Noon – 12:45 p.m.

c. Lessons – Infant/Preschool Swimming Lessons for children 18 months – 5 years old. Bloomfield, Highland, Jack Stack, Magee, Moore, Phillips, Schenley and Westwood. Join your youngster in the pool for five, fun half-hour classes. Your child will learn water entry, kicks, glides, arm movements and water play. Please note: Parents must participate in the water. :: Saturdays, June 23 – July 21. Noon – 12:30 p.m. $10 fee for 5 classes.

d. Children’s Learn-to-Swim All pools for children 6 – 15 years old. Enroll your child in 10 swimming classes this summer. Your youngster learns basic water skills while focusing on water safety. Two-week sessions. Monday – Friday, 11 – 11:45 a.m. $20 fee/session, Session 1 – June 25 – July 6, Session 2 – July 9 – 20, Session 3 – July 23 – August 3.

e. Adult’s Learn-to-Swim for individuals 16 and older. Ammon, Highland, Moore, Ormsby, Riverview, Schenley and Sheraden. Any age is the perfect age to learn to swim! Overcome your fear of the water and gain basic water skills by registering for an adults-only class. Saturdays: June 23 – July 21, 11:00-11:45 a.m., $10 fee for 5 classes.

f. Free Learn-to-Swim Camp for children 6 – 15 years old. Ammon, Bloomfield and Ormsby, Homewood and Sue Murray. Certified lifeguards teach swimming and general safety practices in and around the water. Your child receives 10 free lessons during a two-week period. Instructors teach two separate classes each weekday: Mondays through Fridays, 10 – 10:45 a.m., and Mondays through Fridays, 11 – 11:45 a.m. Please note: Due to limited class size, applicants can enroll in only one session. Pool tags are not required for the free Learn-to-Swim camp. For Information: 412-323-7928 :: Two-week sessions: Session 1 – June 25 – July 6, Session 2 – July 9 – 20.

g. Bob O’Connor Summer Tennis Classic: Dates: June 16-24, 2012, Locations: Schenley Park Tennis Center and Stanton Avenue Courts, Highland Park. Fees: $10 singles; $15 doubles.

h. 2012 Summer Tennis Camp for children 4 – 17 years old. This program features a game-based approach and is led by coaches certified in PTR Junior Development. These young tennis enthusiasts also learn about other important aspects of playing tennis, including social skills and sportsmanship. All skill levels—beginner to tournament player—are welcome, and players who register for a week receive a USTA JTT t-shirt! Dates: One-week sessions: Mondays – Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – Noon (Tiny Tots 9-10 a.m. only) Week 1: June 18 – 22, 2: June 25 – 29, 3: July 2-6 (no camp on July 4), 4: July 9 – 13, 5: July 16 – 20, 6: July 23 – 27, 7: July 30 – August 3, 8: August 6 – 10 Location: Schenley Park Tennis Center, Overlook Drive Fees: Juniors – $120/week or $30/day; Tiny Tots – $50/week or $12/day.

i. Citiparks Summer Magazine: 62-Pages Click link to view: http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/assets/12-summer-magazine.pdf

j. Senior Lunches at City Senior Centers Monday through Friday, at 15 senior centers throughout the City, those ages 60+ can enjoy a nutritious and satisfying meal with Citiparks. The meals are provided through a partnership with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services/Area Agency on Aging. In order to have lunch at the senior centers, please pre-register by noon the day before going to the center. Lunches are usually served at noon, but please contact your center directly for more information. Program Office: 412-422-6401 5344 Second Ave.

k. Job fair: Your input is needed Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and State Rep. Jake Wheatley will be sponsoring an employment and resource fair on Oct. 13 at Point Park University’s Student Activities Center. To best serve the community, we need to know what the employment needs of community members are and what resources would be most useful to you. Please help by answering their survey. http://bit.ly/MSeKvj

l. CHS Playground – The CHS playground will not be opening for the community this summer. The playground is no longer property of CHS and they apologize for the miscommunication.

m. THANK YOU FROM PITTSBURGH CARES: Hi all, I wanted to send out a sincere and BIG THANK YOU for hosting our Pittsburgh Promise volunteers last week! Thursday we had a little over 700 volunteers show up, give back, and have a great time volunteering! Friday we only ended up having a little over 40 volunteers, but they were all so full of energy! I appreciate you opening your doors to these young volunteers and showing them how good it feels to give back to the community that invested in them. Again, that you so much for all that you do! I look forward to working with you again in the future! In service, Holly M. McGraw, Pittsburgh Cares, Director of Youth Programs.

3. Agenda Items

a. University of Pittsburgh Performance Collaborative “Romeo & Juliet” Production: Jordan Matthew Walsh (Director) and Moira Quigley (actor) discussed their upcoming production on the streets of the Oakcliffe Neighborhood. Early in the month the circulated a letter to residents with homes in the vicinity of the production; Ophelia St., Hamlet St., Craft Pl., Joe Hammer Sq., and Kennett Sq. They explained that this is the first time they’ve done a production of this type and it has been a learning experience. They will be operating under busking or street performance guidelines of the City of Pittsburgh and apologize for putting the letters in mailboxes. They are going to encourage attendees to walk or use public transportation if possible. Residents in attendance thanked them for presenting at the meeting and for the letters. If you would like to attend their performances there is a special viewing for Oakcliffe residents on July 3rd at 8PM. Email uppcollaborative@gmail.com with your name, telephone number and number attending. Other performances are July 5-7 and July 12-14. For more information, please contact the Jordan jmatthewwalsh@gmail.com , 412-841-4516 or Moira moiraquig@gmail.com, 215-219-3856.

b. City Councilman Lavelle’s Mobile Office – Executive Assistant Harry Johnson was in representation of Councilman Lavelle this week. The Councilman will be briefed on all information brought before him. Councilman Lavelle’s office encourages everyone to fill out the surveys for the job fair. Councilman Lavelle will be available next month before our monthly meeting from 6pm-7pm.

c. Residential Permit Parking Recertification Meeting. There was a slim turnout, however, topics were covered such as extended hours, increased patrol, increased revenue through changes in renewal dates and more. Residents will receive information regarding changes for approval from the Department of City Planning when it is available. Regarding Lawn St. Extension of the area, petitions and surveys will not be available until August. Just hang in there and we will keep you updated.

d. Niagara Playground tour with Mayor’s Representative Candice Gonzalez Following the meeting, we took a tour of the Niagara Playground with Candice Gonzalez, the Mayor’s Neighborhood Initiatives Coordinator. We identified problems with the landscaping maintenance, broken equipment and graffiti. Thank you goes out the Candice and the DPW for coming out the next day and cleaning everything up. Broken equipment pieces have been ordered and will be installed as soon as they are available.

e. “Love Your Block” 2012 Application. David & Michelle Panasiuk submitted a Love Your Block grant application to purchase blue recycle trash cans with lids for the neighborhood. Neighbors will be solicited to accept a free can and volunteers will secure lids to the cans, stencil house numbers and distribute. If we receive this grant we will present this project to the Oakland Task Force in the hopes of secure a couple matching grants. Our goal is $4000 by August. We will also work with partner organizations, such as Black and Gold goes green, the organization responsible for the bags that were distributed last month. Our hope is to raise awareness for recycling in our neighborhood and raising our responsibility level above the 70% mark targeted by the city. If you would like to be a part of this project, please contact Dave or Michelle at OakcliffeHousingClub@gmail.com / 412-246-1619 or Liz Gray lizabethgray@gmail.com, the project leaders.

4. Action Items

a. We will be working on a Priority list of neighborhood needs for your approval. This action list will be updated on a monthly basis and copied to Councilman Lavelle’s Office, Mayor Ravenstahl’s Office and State Rep. Wheatley Office. Items will be removed as they are accomplished or resolved.

See You at the Next Meeting and don’t forget to bring a neighbor!!!!

 

Rock Alley Action Team: Meeting with Justin Miller

 

Meeting Minutes: Friday, January 6th, 2012

 

Attendance: Dave Panasiuk, Justin Miller, Phil Garrow, Samuel Su, Wanda Wilson

 

1. Recap the history of the site/our goals

a. The engineering company that we spoke to wants us to determine if we have the right of way.
b. If we are able to find out this information, the engineering firm may be able to do the feasibility study at a lower price.
c. Phil stated that Steve Patchen was confident that local funding could be found (even for non-ADA compliant trails)

2. Justin’s comments on our Rock Alley project

a. Believes the lighting and safety issue will not be a problem with PennDot or the City
b. The sewer lines/electrical lines also should not be an issue (Schenley Park trails have these lines as well)
c. It will not cost anything to vacate the streets; it is just a process that we have to go through
d. We do not have to worry about determining the right of way or vacating the streets as of now. This is a simple legal issue for later.
e. There should not be an issue with obtaining “permission” for a feasibility study from the City, but once the study comes back, the City will want to review the engineers’ recommendations.
f. We will still try to obtain an email or letter from the City that states it is okay to pursue the feasibility study (“If there are any obstacles or objections, please let us know now.”)
g. City Planning will act as a facilitator for the project to other City departments.
h. Utilize Pat Hassett as a resource for connecting with PennDot and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC).

3. Discussion of other trail connection projects: BRADY STREET

a. Brady Street (see http://rockalley.org/routes/bike-routes/brady-street/)
b. PennDot would lease the parking lot on this route and fence off parking spaces
c. Link this project with Oakcliffe Housing Club, OPDC/Oakland 2025, and Uptown Partners to create a strong base of support.
d. Speak to Councilman Lavelle’s office to put this on his radar for budget hearings. Try to schedule a presentation of our projects with Lavelle’s office. Justin’s contact at Lavelle’s office is Karen Fitch. Harry Johnson is Oakcliffe Housing Club @ OPDC usual connection.
e. Justin’s comments: He is in favor of the Brady Street project and wants to help us make this connector happen. Brady Street may be a better bike trail candidate than Rock Alley. Rock Alley may want to focus more on feet/pedestrian traffic.

4. Discussion of other trail connection projects: HODGE STREET

a. Hodge Street (see http://rockalley.org/routes/bike-routes/hodge-street/)
b. Justin’s comments: The street will not be too high on the list for paving, but rather, it will be a possible candidate for closing this street. Replacing the wooden staircase may not be too high on the city’s priorities since there are many other staircases in the city with higher traffic volume. Speak to DPW.

5. Our priorities

a. Establish the RFP
b. Prioritize our Rock Alley projects: 1) Greenway Pedestrian Trail Connector. 2) Brady/2nd Ave. Bike Trail Connector.
c. Continue reaching out for a Oakland Trail & Greenspace Committee.
d. Explore funding sources & finding someone to spearhead/identify funding sources
e. Fundraising workshop with OPDC
f. See what we need with DPW. Invite someone from Pat Hassett’s office (DPW) to Rock Alley Meetings

Rock Alley Action Team

 

Meeting Minutes: Monday, December 19th, 2011

 

1. Landscape designer to lay out the trail–Phil has developed a contact at PennDot and the city

a. We need to do a feasibility study

b. Who has the city used for bike paths in the past?

c. Macken and Gateway are the companies used for the bike paths

d. Lenard Recor & Amanda Parcell (Chief Engineer- DPW)

e. See if Lenard Recor (from the city) can do the survey for us

2. OPDC could be most effective by

a. Have the feasibility study

b. $20,000 for the study–quoted from Macken Construction

c. CDCP can maybe fund this

d. We should have a meeting with them in the new year, bring them down to the site.

e. Fundraising for the bike trail

3. Duquesne Light (DL)

a. Putting in electrical conduit on Maurice street

b. Electrical, sewage, water under Maurice street

c. They have an easement to fix the conduit

d. There is a drain that may be in the way

4. PennDot, Duquesne Light, and the City didn’t know what was going on

a. See if we can get our hands on PennDot’s plans to see if we can modify them

b. Phil is going to call the guy at PennDot to ask the range of what they are going to do and see if they can rebuild it in a way that benefits our project

c. PennDot closed the tunnel because of the graffiti and the knocked out lights

d. We can try to include a mural and stronger light fixtures for the tunnel

5. RFP

a. Macken provided sample RFP’s for feasibility studies

b. Document current issues that have arisen (pretty much the same as the RFP)

6. Find someone to take charge of the Finance Committee

a. Sam and Michael can work with this person

b. We have some leads (Google Grants, CDCP)

c. The City has money for bike and walking trails, but it has been distributed for the next 3 years

7. What are the boundaries for these properties?

a. Are the paper streets a part of the greenway?

b. There are streets that run off of Hodge Street

c. We need to have a list of all the easements on these properties.

8. Invitees

a. Justin Miller (City Planning)

b. Jonathan Gesinski (PennDot) – thought it was a pretty feasible project

c. Steve Patchen (City Bike and Trail) – has resources for Grant Writing

d. Lenard Recor, Senior Surveyor (Public Works) – keep Pat Hasset in the loop too

e. Mavis Rainey (OTMA) – Email Mavis to stay in the loop

f. Eric Boerer (BikePGH)

g. Bill Waddell- started the greenway for all of South Oakland

h. Will be meeting with Justin Miller 1/4/12, and possibly Amanda Parcell

i. Call Justin and say we want to reroute/refine the current path and who else should we invite (someone from DPW?)

9. Expanding the group to broader Oakland trails

a. Phil would like to do Brady Street trail

b. Brady Street elevation is approx 20-40 ft

c. Using existing streets

10. Next Meeting: Evening meeting at CHS

Rock Alley Action Team

 

Meeting Minutes: Monday, October 17th, 2011

 

Attendance: 7 people

 
1. Recap of current Greenway Events

• a. The entrance project for the Love Your Block Grant is put on hold due to a safety concern for the Greenway.
• b. Penndot and DPW recently met at the greenway to discuss the removal of the fence for the entrance project.
• c. Although the greenway is owned by the city, Penndot owns the fence (because of the greenway is adjacent to 376). They will be padlocking the gate in the near future until a new fence is put in place, closer to the greenway’s drop off.
• d. This may affect the bike trail project due to its close proximity to our site
• e. PWSA- Was going to give us a spigot for the community garden/community orchard, but they don’t have any water on that side of the street
• f. DPW thinks we will overwater and cause the hillside to crumble

2. City’s legal dept and Jason Kambitsis from City Planning commented on the Rock Alley project

• a. A question posed in earlier meetings was: “Why can’t we build a trail on the greenway when other greenways also have trails?”
• b. The greenways in the city are passive, meaning they can’t be built upon. The trails that are on other greenways in the city were already in place prior to the greenway designation.
• c. In order to create a trail on the greenway, we will need to have the city change legislation or make an exemption.
• d. The exemption (or easement) seems to be the most practical way to achieve this goal, since change in legislation takes time

3. We want to generate more interest in the Rock Alley group

• a. Have OPDC’s community organizer, Tara Sherry-Torres, help spread the word
• b. Table at the Oakland 2025 event on October 27th at St. Nicholas’ Greek Orthodox Church from 6-8:30PM
• c. Send people to the www.rockalley.org website and the Facebook group.
• d. We also need to think about how we can get them involved, once we generate the interest.
• e. Large scale marketing plan may be to utilize Google Satellite. Google retakes aerial photos every three years, and they are about to do it again. If we do something large enough, they may be able to see it.

4. Looking for a landscape architect to look at the site

• a. We will not be able to use Pfaffman & Associates to do the trail design and soil testing.
• b. We will apply for funding from Community Design Center Pittsburgh (CDCP) to hire a landscape architect.
• c. However, we currently have a grant with them and we cannot apply for another until we use up the money that we have now. This will probably occur sometime early next year.
• d. Dave and Phil will compile a list of all the issues that we have run into on the Rock Alley project to present to the landscape architect.

5. To Do List

• a. Ask Penndot, what we need to do in order to open up the tunnel
• b. Visit the www.rockalley.org website and figure out what we need to add/delete/edit

6. Our next meeting will be Monday, November 21st, 2011 at Community Human Services from 6:00-7:30PM.

Rock Alley Action Team

 

Meeting Minutes: Thursday, September 8th, 2011

 

Attendance: 10

 
1. Recap of Last Meeting

• a. Focused on OPDC’s resources (specifically legal resources)
• b. Perhaps have a lawyer step in (which OPDC has available)
• c. However, we may need to hire a specialized lawyer to deal with our specific situation
• d. OPDC’s lawyer can provide a connection for us to do so
• e. Not necessary at this point, but something to keep in mind
• f. Additionally considering bringing in a landscape architect (and/or professional surveyor)
• g. We need to ask the architect what trail is needed
• h. The firm used to create the master plan does have one available
• i. Looking into hiring a student from CMU or WVU

2. Still no response

3. Website Concept For Design

• a. www.rockalley.org
• b. Phil Garrow gave an overview of the website
• c. He’s provided a brief introduction paragraph and a map, but he needs help filling out the other pages
• d. Homework: visit the website!
• e. Contemplating creating a Facebook group so that everyone can share information with one another
• f. We need somebody to run this group and the website—Maybe the Promotions & Distributions team

4. Things to Consider

• a. Area was designated as a greenway, which could be a potential problem with putting in trails
• b. Dave claimed that he has documentation stating that we are permitted to install trails when we designated the site a greenway
• c. The regulations put in place might force us to make a wider trail (ADA compliance)
• d. We need preliminary fundraising for these costs
• e. Community Design Center is a possibility (applications due November 1st)
• f. Entranceway to Greenway
• g. End of September
• h. Two day project

5. What Do We Want?

• a. We want a connection between Oakland and the Eliza Furnace trail at the bare minimum
• b. Ideally we would want an ADA compliant path, but that could turn into a multimillion dollar project
• c. So what if it costs more money? Let’s find the funding
• d. This will help us get the best project (shoot for the stars)

Rock Alley Action Team

 

Meeting Minutes: Thursday, August 11th, 2011

 

Attendance: 7

 

Purpose: Connect West Oakland, South Oakland, and the Business District with the Eliza Furnace Trail and 2nd Ave.

 

1. Dave Panasiuk took us on a walk down the actual site for the trail

• a. Visited the tunnel (…from behind the fence)
• b. Saw foundations of the old tenement housing
• c. Discussed history of the site

2. Updates

• a. Elly Fisher was able to talk to Jason Kambitsis from City Planning about setting up a meeting during the day.
• b. We will be visiting Mt Washington Community Development Corporation to discuss how they created their trail at Emerald View Park. This will also be a visit during the day.
• c. If anyone is interested in attending the meetings during the day, please email Samuel K Su at ssu@opdc.org with your availability. We will send out an email as soon as we get a set date and time.

3. Website information

• a. The site is up (http://rockalley.org)!
• b. Phil Garrow will be working on the site for our group and he is looking for some concepts for design. We touched on a few topics for the website, and we are still open to more related topics.
• c. 2 proposed paths for the trail: a direct route (possibly steps) and a bike path.
• d. History of the area
• e. A volunteer page
• f. Funding information
• g. What we have done as a group
• h. Please submit any information or related topics to http://rockalley.org/uncategorized/hello-world/#comments and Phil will be able to add it to the website

4. Next Meeting

• a. Thursday, August 25th from 6-7:30PM (bi-weekly meetings) at Community Human Services’ community space

Rock Alley – Connecting Oakland to the Eliza Furnace Trail

 

July 28, 2011

 

Attendance: 9

 

Meeting Minutes

Trail Concepts:

• Friends of the Riverfront sent costs to develop the trails that exist along the riverfronts.
• Security Issues around the tunnels were discussed. These are valid and important issues that we will have to figure out how to address when the time comes.

Fundraising:

• Love your block grant — $500 for an entrance to the greenway. Phil Garrow brought a design for the entrance. Other ideas to incorporate include bulletin boards and educational trail signs.
• Peoples Garden Grant Program – opportunity to apply for educational trail signs. Deferred to the Fundraising committee to evaluate and possibly apply.

Name:

• Rock Alley
• Connecting Oakland to the Eliza Furnace Trail
• Rock alley is the name of a former street that went through the greenway.

Next meeting:

• Bring content for website and press kit
• Committees will meet during the meeting and report out at the end.

Community Beautification, Greening, and Public Spaces Action Team

 

Meeting Minutes: Thursday, July 14th, 2011

 

Attendance: 14

 

Purpose: Connect West Oakland, South Oakland, and the Business District with the Eliza Furnace Trail and 2nd Ave and establish communication between organizations for other greening efforts.

 

1. Introductions

2. Recap Action Forum/Dialogue process

3. Review Phil Garrow’s Topographical Map of the area and a potential design for the trail

4. Sustainability projects of the Oakland Business Improvement District

• a. Contact Alex Coyne (alex@oaklandbid.org) if you want coffee grinds or if you want to donate used oil.

5. Identifying all key partners

• a. OBID, CHS, OTMA, One Call, PITT, Oakland Task Force (OTF), Graduate School of Public Health, Highmark, Carlow, CMU, Point Park, UPMC, Western PA Conservancy (surveyed this as a low-mid range cost project), Pittsburgh Trail Advocacy Group (PTAG), Technology Drive, Pittsburgh Historical Landmark, Innovation Works, URA, Allegheny Conference, BACA, Friendship Community Church, Schenley Farms, South Oakland Community Alliance, Oakland Community Council, Sponsor Change, Pittsburgh Cares, Venture Outdoors, REI, City Planning/City Engineering, Phipps Conservatory, Parks Conservancy
• b. Mt Washington CDC- They are currently building trails on similar terrain.
• c. Friends of the Riverfront- They are contracted by the city to steward the trails in Pittsburgh.
• d. Oakland Transportation Management Association- Georgia, the Executive Director of OTMA, has a close contact at Pittsburgh Historical Landmark
• e. Western Parks Conservancy & Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

6. Creating Committees

• a. Finance Committee
• b. Tina Reed (Chair), Justin Lamorella, Samuel Su
• c. Volunteer Committee
• d. Justin Lamorella (Chair), Patricia Richards, Dean Richards, Hayavadhan Thuppal, Jeriah McMillan, Jake Mohin
• e. Promotion & Distributions
• f. Michelle Panasiuk (Chair), Lizabeth Gray, Phil Garrow

7. Next Meeting

• a. Thursday, July 28 from 6-7:30PM (bi-weekly meetings) at Community Human Services’ community space
• b. Meeting Agenda: We will have a panel of guests who are experienced in trail building/trail maintenance to discuss the possible ways to approach this project: Friends of the Riverfront, Student Conservation Association, Mt Washington CDC, Western Parks Conservancy, Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID), and Oakland Transportation Management Association (OTMA).
• c. Bring a name for our Action Team (Green Team is already being used by the OPDC’s LEADS program)

Community Beautification, Greening, and Public Spaces Action Team

 

Meeting Minutes: Thursday, June 30th, 2011

 

Attendance: 11

 

Purpose: Connect West Oakland, South Oakland, and the Business District with the Eliza Furnace Trail and 2nd Ave and establish communication between organizations for other greening efforts.

 

1. Introductions

2. Recap Action Forum/Dialogue process

3. Priorities for Individual Team Members

• a. Repurposing vacant lots, cleaning parks, general cleanup, finding sustainable ways to clean up Oakland, connecting trails, creating signage, tree planting, bike path for Boundary St, improving the Greenway, proper communication between groups/organizations, make the trails look like it is not someone’s backyard
• b. Will focus on “connecting West Oakland, South Oakland, and the Business District with the Eliza Furnace Trail/2nd Ave.”
• c. Will seek organizations to work on the other related dialog items as to not duplicate efforts (e.g. Keep It Clean Oakland does cleanup projects)

4. Potential Partners

• a. Pittsburgh Trail Advocacy Group (PTAG)
• b. UPMC
• c. City Planning/City Engineering
• d. OPDC/OTMA/OBID
• e. Phipps Conservatory
• f. Technology Drive  Parks Conservancy
• g. Friendship Community Church
• h. Possible “Tour guides” for the trail
• i. Southside Slopes/Urban Hike/Oakcliffe Housing Club

5. Next Meeting

• a. Thursday, July 14 at 6PM (bi-weekly meetings) at Community Human Services’ community space
• b. Meeting Agenda: creating a work plan for connecting West Oakland, South Oakland, and the Business District with the Eliza Furnace Trail/2nd Ave.
• c. Bring a name for our Action Team (Green Team is already being used by the OPDC’s LEADS program)

Welcome!  This web site is dedicated to the redevelopment of part of the area formerly known as Soho, in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh PA.  This area is located on the Oakcliffe hillside behind Lawn Street and Ophelia Street.

The most emblematic area in Soho was called Rock Alley, a winding path along the hillside lined by workers’ homes.  The Soho area once housed more than 100 families, but was abandoned after the construction of Interstate 376 cut into the Oakcliff hillside.

In 2008, David Panasiuk petitioned the city of Pittsburgh to become the Steward of the Rock Alley area of Soho, with the intent of transforming the overgrown land into a public greenway.

In 2011, the city of Pittsburgh granted this petition, and the Rock Alley Community Action Team was formed.  This team, named after the Rock Alley path, is now working to create the Rock Alley Bike and Pedestrian Path that connects Lawn Street to Second Avenue, allowing people to easily travel from South Oakland to the Eliza Furnace Bicycle Trail.

As seen in the map below, the red line indicates the proposed location of the bike and pedestrian path, and the blue line indicates the already existing pedestrian tunnel below Interstate 376.

This Path will facilitate travel from Oakland to the Oakland Technology Park, as well as to Downtown Pittsburgh, the Southside, and Greenfield.