REPORT on the PUBLIC USE of SOUTH SIDE PARK Report on the Public Use of South Side Park Pittsburgh, PA Fall 2016
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REPORT ON THE PUBLIC USE OF SOUTH SIDE PARK Report on the Public Use of South Side Park Pittsburgh, PA Fall 2016 !1 REPORT ON THE PUBLIC USE OF SOUTH SIDE PARK Report on the Public Use of South Side Park CONTENTS i. List of Figures ii. Preface and Acknowledgements iii. Executive Summary iv. Introduction v. Analysis vi. Methodology vii. Appendices viii. Credits !2 REPORT ON THE PUBLIC USE OF SOUTH SIDE PARK LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 : Map - South Side Park Trail System Figure 32 : Map - Quarry Field Figure 2 : Historical Photos of South Side Park Figure 33 : Importance of Park Amenities Figure 3 : South Side Park - Stormwater Concept, Figure 34 : General Issues and Concerns with South PWSA Side Park I Figure 4 : Map - All Responses Figure 35 : General Issues and Concerns with South Figure 5 : Map - City of Pittsburgh Responses Side Park II Figure 6 : Map - Hilltop and South Side Flats residents Figure 36 : Poor and Fair Ratings - Bathrooms Figure 7 : Seasonal Patterns I Figure 37 : Poor and Fair Ratings - ADA Access Figure 8 : Seasonal Patterns II Figure 38 : Poor and Fair Ratings - Shelters Figure 9 : Park Entrances Figure 39 : Poor and Fair Ratings - Park Information Figure 10 : Map - Park Entrances Figure 40 : Poor and Fair Ratings - Benches Figure 11 : Map - Parking Locations Figure 41 : Fair and Good Ratings - Arlington Figure 12 : Parking Locations Playground Figure 13 : Distance Traveled Figure 42 : Fair and Good Ratings - Park Cleanliness Figure 14 : Active vs. Passive Recreation Figure 43 : Fair and Good Ratings - South Side Field Figure 15 : SSSNA Survey - Recreation (Arlington) Figure 16 : Park Areas Visited I Figure 44 : Fair and Good Ratings - Quarry Field Figure 17 : Park Areas Visited II Figure 45 : Fair and Good Ratings - Car Access Figure 18 : SSSNA Survey - Park Areas Visited Figure 46 : Fair and Good Ratings - Park Maintenance Figure 19 : Frequency of Visits Figure 47 : Fair and Good Ratings - Safety and Figure 20 : Time of Day I Security Figure 21 : Time of Day II Figure 48 : Fair and Good Ratings - Trails Figure 22 : Duration of Visit I Figure 49 : Good and Excellent Ratings - City Views Figure 23 : Duration of Visit II Figure 50 : Good and Excellent Ratings - Bike Access Figure 24 : Residence of Visitors Figure 51 : Installation Request by Amenity Figure 25 : Size of Household Figure 52 : Basic Amenity Issues Figure 26 : Age of Visitors Figure 53 : Survey Response Count Figure 27 : Gender Figure 54 : Interviewees Figure 28 : Ethnicity, Self Identified Figure 55 : Outreach - Social Media Figure 29 : Map - Primary Park Amenities Figure 56 : Outreach - Newsletter Figure 30 : Map - Bandi Schaum Figure 57 : Outreach - Community Event Figure 31 : Map - Upper South Side Park Amenities !3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Time of survey - Data collection methods - Based on survey results: overall visitors, when use park - Top percentage of where enter the park - How long people use the park - Residential stats of visitors (Hilltop, City of Pittsburgh, adjacent neighborhood, outside of City) - In person interview trends !4 INTRODUCTION South Side Park Bordered on all sides by neighborhood streets, South Side Park is unique in its location and topography. A hidden 65-acre gem four blocks south of bustling East Carson Street in the South Side Flats, bordering South Side Slopes and Arlington neighborhoods, this multi- neighborhood community park has been chronically underutilized and under maintained. Adjacent to 18th Street and Mission Street, South Side Park is one of the largest publicly- owned green spaces in South Pittsburgh. Principal entrances to the park are found at 21st Street, 18th Street, Saint Patrick Street and Arlington Avenue. On three sides of the park (east, west and south) adjacent land is residential, with mostly single-family homes. " !5 Historical Context The history of the site that is now South Side Park is varied and driven by the industrial history of Pittsburgh. Before the creation of South Side Park, the land was primarily residential, owned by the Ormsby family. A map from 1872 shows the area of the future South Side Park containing a stream along Quarry Road, Keeling & Co. with a railroad leading to an incline, and the Baddey Brothers coke ovens at the base of the Keeling & Co. incline. By 1876 the stream had been interrupted and the coke ovens had disappeared. By 1886 the stream was completely gone, and a new neighborhood had been established along the eastern edge. The St.Clair Incline Railroad, a resident focused incline, was operational through South Side Park between 1886 and 1935. A lower station on Josephine Street near South 22nd street brought residents to an upper station on Salisbury Street between Fernleaf and Sterling Street. The track ran up the western side of Greeley Street. By 1916, a zone of development was established between 18th Street and Quarry Street. The Sankey Brothers Brick Yard had been established to the east of Quarry Street, the Pumping Station had been built, a new industrial incline ran up the eastern edge, and Mission Street bridged the site. In 1934 the City of Pittsburgh received a gift of 5.5 acres of land along Saint Patrick Street and Quarry Street from the Frederick C. Renziehausen estate, which was transformed into a new park, the Sophia Everet Playground #1. In 1948, the Pittsburgh City Planning Commission approved a plan to construct a 65-acre park that would include the Sophia Everet playground, Arlington playground, properties in between the two locations and to the north, crossing Mission Street and ending near Josephine Street. An additional 9.5 acres of land were purchased within this process. By the mid-1960s pathways were built from the Arlington ball field area to the interior of the park. !6 " " " " Clockwise: 1872 Map, 1876 Map, 1916 Map, 1886 Map Park Plans and Current History In 2003, the South Side Local Development Company used a $10,000 grant through the Pittsburgh Community Design Center to commission a master site plan to create a new vision for South Side Park from Klavon Design Associates. Titled Master Site Plan: South Side Park, the study documented existing park conditions and used public participation through community meetings to suggest guiding design principles for the park. In 2006, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association (SSSNA) began mapping trails, springs, water and general park features to help facilitate park use. !7 In 2008, Janice Serra, SSSNA board member, developed a storm water management plan entitled “Where the Water Meets the Concrete: South Side Park Stream Daylighting Project.” In 2008, the South Side Local Development Company utilized $33,000 of Elm Street funding to hire SKELLY and LOY to complete the South Side Park Greenspace Management Plan, to investigate strategies to improve South Side Park by gathering, analyzing and assessing the environmental features of the park. Outcomes of this plan include the development of a safe, accessible, sustainable trail system within South Side Park, expanding upon the existing informal trail system, and suggested management strategies. In 2008 the South Side Local Development Company utilized $15,000 of Elm Street funding for Klavon Design Associates to develop the 18th Street Corridor Study: Streetscape Strategies, addressing entrances into South Side Park. 18th Street is a primary gateway to the South Side Slopes and the primary connector from the Flats to the Slopes neighborhoods. In February 2010, the Neville Ice Arena within the park collapsed under the weight of snow, and in May of 2010 caught on fire and was condemned by the City of Pittsburgh. The site was demolished. In May 2012, the Bandi Schaum Community Garden opened its gate to the community with the guidance of Grow Pittsburgh. In the summer of 2012, the Brashear Association and SSSNA funded the Student Conservation Association to perform invasive species removal and trail improvements. In 2013, a $45,000 grant from the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development allowed the SSSNA to partner with the Student Conservation Association, Mount Washington CDC, and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to continue park improvements. In 2013, SSSNA hosted a series of fundraisers to fund signage for the trail system, and led to the tentative naming of the main loop as Ol’ Reinziehausen trail, after a distiller who perfected Pure Monongahela Rye. On April 10, 2014, 60 designers, architects and environmentalists participated in the 3-day South Side Charrette to design an improved stormwater management plan for South Side Park and the 21st Street Corridor. In 2015 and 2016, PPC facilitated a volunteer event for Earth Day, sponsored by SSSNA. !8 Recent South Side Park Work The community has enlisted and coordinated a number of organization to help implement improvements in South Side Park. Physical Improvements • Landforce is a Pittsburgh based non-profit organization, focused on providing professional level land stewardship including trail building and maintenance, green infrastructure, and native plant restoration. Since 2014, Landforce has been working at the behest of South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association (SSSNA) to address the deteriorating and fragmented trails of South Side Park and to improve connectivity among the north, south and western areas of the park, providing community members with a means of transportations and recreation. The work has included: rehabilitating and building nearly a mile and a quarter of trails with proper drainage, closing old and eroded trails, and removing jump site debris. • Student Conservation Association (SCA), a local nonprofit organization, pays and trains high school students to build new trails, maintain existing trails, install erosion control structures, remove invasive species and clean up trash. Since 2014, Student Conservation Association has fielded 6 Community Conservation Crews in South Side Park and organized over 400 volunteers on service days that have focused on trail work and invasive species management. Since 2013 SCA crews and volunteers working in South Side Park have contributed 5,396 hours of conservation service, maintained and built 1,400 feet of trail, treated 40 acres of invasive species and saved 300+ trees from invasive vines.