The Polish Hill Voice a Publication of the Polish Hill Civic Association
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The Polish Hill Voice A publication of the Polish Hill Civic Association We are the community … we are one voice! 3060 Brereton Street ☼ Pittsburgh, PA 15219 ☼ (412) 681-1950 ☼ [email protected] ☼ www.phcapgh.org November Work begins on implementing 2012 community plan goals and partly in Lawrenceville. This project is Contents important because of its size, proximity to the bus line and potential for a large-scale devel- PHCA Updates 2 opment that would impact Polish Hill resi- dents and their quality of life. 3 News and When projects involve property owned by Announcements others, the PHCA's role is to act as an advo- cate for residents, and help ensure that the principles and guideposts from our commu- More News and 4 nity plan are represented during the public- Announcements input process. While the organization can't After the Polish Hill Community Plan dictate what happens at sites we don't control, was completed in November 2011, the next we can have a say in, and some influence over, step was to identify which projects should be Iron City Brewery the type of development that occurs. Many of tackled first. Several meetings were held in Site Development 5 these initiatives are ongoing and will unfold early 2012 to help create an implementation over several years. Some involve adjacent matrix -- a spreadsheet quantifying short- neighborhoods while others include multiple and long-term goals, ranking level of diffi- Traces of Previous 6 partnerships and citywide or even regional culty and cross-referencing project overlap. Occupants planning. We are fortunate to be armed with Creating this matrix, an essential component our own community plan, which brings of a community plan, would help identify strength to our collective voice. Traces, continued 7 which projects were the highest priority. The community plan contains many worthy goals, Green space restoration ranging from longer-term projects involving funding and partnerships, to smaller initia- Starting the Development tives that can be done on our own or solved Process for the Polish Hill Community 8 by teaming up with local officials. Brereton Street Fire Site Plan reaches citywide By Alexis Miller strategy In June of this year, the new PHCA leadership began moving ahead on the items identified On Nov. 7, 2007, a fire that started at 3109 as priorities. Near-term efforts include traffic Brereton destroyed three homes. What be- Traffic Updates 9 calming, where we already have been able to gan as a neighborhood tragedy will soon be- claim a few small victories, and come an opportunity. expanding our volunteer base -- something we continue to do. The Polish Hill Civic Association has been Mineral Extraction 10 Legislation working with Pittsburgh Housing Develop- The long-term projects that combine a num- ment Corporation (PHDC) and its parent ber of goals connect to locations in which new organization, the Urban Redevelopment development or redevelopment of existing Authority (URA) to secure this and several Membership 11 buildings could occur. One such project is the surrounding properties for future develop- Application and Brereton-Dobson Fire Site, where a 2007 ment. Other partners over the past five years PHCA items for sale blaze claimed three buildings near the sym- have included the Design Center (formerly bolic center of our neighborhood. Another CDCP), Tai + Lee Architects, PHCA housing longer term goal is to help facilitate the even- committee members and board directors. The Voice is a quarterly tual redevelopment of the Immaculate Heart The Brereton-Dobson Fire Site Project in- published in February, of Mary School, which is now privately owned cludes three parcels with two vacant lots and May, August and and sitting empty. And we’re participating in November. four houses that front Brereton and Dobson the community-input phase of the Iron City streets. Although much of the work on the Brewery site, which sits partly in Polish Hill Continued on page 8 Page 2 Polish Hill Voice From the PHCA Again this year: P-Rogue™ holiday cards President’s Message Redstone Candies Fundraiser to benefit the PHCA Twice a year, Polish Hill resident This fall, the PHCA is seeing a lot more Julia Sinicki coordinates a Redstone change than just the leaves. Allow me to Candies fundraiser on behalf of the share some of our laundry list with you: PHCA. Product lists and order forms are now available at the PHCA office; We're getting ready to vote on the largest orders are due with payment by No- revision to the PHCA bylaws in over a vember 16. To see the full Christmas decade, which will ensure that the by- selection in full color, log onto the laws reflect the current and future state Redstone Candies website (http:// of the organization, residents and mem- www.redstonecandies.com). bership. We're working with Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation on The three holiday plans for new development on three par- card designs by Recommendations artist Myra Falisz. cels near the intersection of Brereton submitted for revisions Each card carries and Dobson streets, one of the biggest the traditional changes to our housing landscape in to PHCA bylaws greeting of nearly a decade. Sto Lat, for 100 A bylaws committee began meeting years of health We worked with multiple City officials in June 2012 to discuss revisions to the and happiness. and departments to see some of the most PHCA bylaws to make them more clear improvements by the City to our cross- and applicable to how the organization currently operates. The committee is walks, traffic signage and stop signs in This year the PHCA will again offer composed of Janice Heagy (board many years. We hosted a near record holiday cards by Polish Hill artist Myra number of volunteers to clean up our member and committee chair), Alexis Miller (PHCA president), Josiah Park- Falisz, featuring her pierogi characters, streets, city steps, hillsides, public gar- known as P-Rogues™. One design fea- dens and lots. inson (board member), Tom Ogden (board member) and John Rhoades tures a red sleigh with a pierogi couple moving through a snowy landscape; We marched in the Bloomfield Hallow- (subscription member). The committee also received assistance from the another shows a dancing pierogi girl een Parade for the first time. We're wearing a colorful Polish costume. The about to start working with web design- Community Technical Assistance Center. third design sports a festive P-Rogue ers on an exciting new website for our couple coasting downhill on a red tan- organization. We voiced our thoughts The committee presented the proposed dem bike. All cards include the phrase and concerns about major plans and of celebration, Sto Lat, wishing you 100 development in the Strip District and bylaw revisions at the membership years of great joy and good cheer. former Iron City Brewery. meeting on October 2. Copies of the changes were also available at the Pricing: six cards for $15 (plus $2.50 We reopened communication with the PHCA office and on our website. shipping); payable by cash or check. owner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Voting on the revisions took place at Choose whether you prefer all six of School, and have been meeting with peo- the membership meeting on Wednes- ple to help find an interested third-party one design, or a mixed set with two of day, November 7, 2012. Members who developer as well as requesting assis- each. Cards also are sold individually were paid for calendar year 2012 and tance from the Mayor's Office for ways for $3.50. For more information, present at the November membership to clean up the exterior of the site. We email [email protected], or call us at meeting were eligible to vote on the have hired a real estate and community 412.681.1950. Cards can be purchased bylaw amendments. Members are also development consultant to help us at the PHCA office, 3060 Brereton St., welcome to make motions for other strategize and fundraise for these pro- Pittsburgh, PA 15219, Tuesday through changes to the bylaws. If the member- Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 6 p.m. jects, and other renovation and facade initiated revisions need more discus- improvements in the neighborhood. Proceeds from selling the cards will sion or research, they will be voted on help support community projects. at a future membership meeting and As the winter chill sets in, we'll still be treated as a separate amendment. busy, so stop by, drop us a line, give us a Want to continue ring or come to a community meeting The bylaws are a living document and and find out how you can help be a can be revised at any time as long as the receiving the Voice? change-maker too. revision is approved by the PHCA membership. Moving forward, it is the Use the form on page 11 Alexis Miller intention of the PHCA to review the to renew for 2013! bylaws annually. Polish Hill Voice Page 3 News and Announcements New owners for PHCA receives One Young World Delegates donations on the get a warm welcome Lili Cafe Pittsburgh Day of Giving in Polish Hill October 3 was a special day for the PHCA and hundreds of other area non- profits -- it was the Pittsburgh Gives 2012 Day of Giving. The Day of Giving is an annual event presented by the Pittsburgh Foundation. It features one day in which donations made to eligi- ble nonprofits are increased by a per- centage of matching funds. During the event, more than 20 people donated to Photo by Leslie Clague the Polish Hill Civic Association. Sup- porters rallied both nearby and far On October 20, 2012, Polish Hill par- Photo by Leslie Clague away -- from our own backyard to ticipated in a unique and inspiring event Maryland, California and even Hawaii.