South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association
"Neighbors working together to make the Slopes a more livable, beautiful, and safe community"
Last night, South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association President Brian Oswald and former President Brad Palmisiano celebrated the inauguration of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and the election of new City Council President Bruce Kraus. Congratulations to our new officials, and we look forward to working with you going forward.
If you haven’t heard of it, the Dirty Dozen is an annual bike race in Pittsburgh that climbs the city’s 12 steepest hills. The event is now in its 30th year and attracts hundreds of bikers. Needless to say, the race passes through the South Side Slopes.
The race occurs on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and features Welsh Way and Eleanor Street. If you’re home, show some support and cheer them on as they struggle up our streets!
More Information: http://wesa.fm/post/going-dirty-dozen-bike-race-rides-again-weekend
Photo: Welsh Way, Dirty Dozen 2012
Did you know there are multiple war memorials on the South Side Slopes?
Along 103-105 Pius Street, you can see the “All Wars Memorial”. This memorial was restored with an Elm Street grant in 2007 with new landscaping, sidewalk, fencing, and a flagstone.
Additionally, there are 2 honor rolls in the South Side Slopes. One is on Mission Street across from St Josephat’s church. Another is at the intersection of 18th St and Quarry St. For a full list of Pittsburgh memorials, click here.
There are at least 2 sides to every story.
From our perspective: 10 of the residents of Monastery street received letters on June 27, 2013 that the city had funding to replace the Monastery Street Sidewalk & Steps this year. They were directed to a contact number at the Department of Public Works if they wanted more information.
Throughout the summer, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association (SSSNA) met with city officials (including the city’s public works director Rob Kaczorowski) to discuss our plans for the 13th annual StepTrek and make requests for step repairs. Many minor repairs were made. The Monastery Street project was never mentioned.
On October 5, StepTrek brought ~800 people onto the Monastery Street Steps – unknown to us that they were considered dangerous and structurally deficient by the city. We just thought they were another set of steps.
A board member who lives on Monastery Street (but did not receive notice) woke up Monday morning to the sound of steps being demolished, and since then the SSSNA has been on full alert to this project.
The original plans call for reducing the number of stairs from 118 to 30. To remove these stairs, requires a very steep grade of 17.5% along the sidewalk. A benefit with this plan is that all of the houses on Monastery Street would have direct access to the roadway. It is also cheaper.
As an association, we want to reach a compromise that will bring the grade into standard architectural guidelines (maximum of 10%) while improving the safety and livability of our neighbors. Furthermore, we demand an opportunity to learn about capital projects in our neighborhood before the backhoe shows up. The city publishes paving schedules for the season ahead of time. The city requires all zoning hearings to be published in the newspaper and open to public discussion. Why isn’t a $177K re-design of our steps and sidewalks given the same requirements for public disclosure? With time, we could potentially have raised private funds to offset the city’s cost and create a win-win situation for everybody as opposed to a last-minute frantic compromise.
Additionally, we want to work with the city to come up with a reasonable set of guidelines that the city will follow for determining which steps need to be replaced. Currently, Mr Kaczorowski says that the city guideline for a maximum sidewalk grade is 20%. For reference, here is a 20% grade hill:
Both KDKA and the Post-Gazette have given some coverage to the sensitive issue of tearing down city steps without adequate public input.
Post-Gazette: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2013/11/06/Tearing-down-city-steps-draws-ire-in-Slopes/stories/201311060085
Board members are meeting with the Department of Public Works this morning to try to reach a compromise. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for timely updates as we make any progress in this important safety issue.
UPDATE (11/5/2013 – 10AM): According to Chuck Half at the Mayor’s office: “The City’s Director of Public Works is Shutting Down the job for now. Did any of you receive notification letters…..From: Kaczorowski, Rob <rob.kaczorowski@pittsburghpa.gov>”?
UPDATE (11/4/2013): The assistant director of DPW is supposed to be calling in AM. We will post an update then.
Today our organization and our neighborhood received a slap in the face from the City of Pittsburgh. We have long worked at being stewards to the stairways that make our neighborhood unique. StepTrek is a prime example of the effort our neighbors put forth to ensure our infrastructure remains in the fabric of our historic hillside. Without public process, today the city’s contractors began demolishing the Monastery St Steps (63 years old) to replace with an “at grade” sidewalk. Have you ever walked this street? If you did StepTrek Gold Route this year, you have and these steps allow you to do so without dealing with the insane grade of the street itself. After contacting our councilman and the mayors office, nobody knew of this project. We are working to halt this demolition! Please share this post and/or contact anyone who may have a say to help us save the Monastery St Steps!
The Fall 2013 South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association newsletter has articles on City Parks Plans, Paper Streets, StepTrek, Trash Eradication, and more! Click here to read the newsletter!
A message of thanks to our Trekkers, volunteers, and sponsors from the South Side Slopes Association President, Brian Oswald:
The first Saturday of October is fast becoming a favorite of people both near and far as they make their annual pilgrimage to the South Side Slopes. This year we welcomed over 700 people that enjoyed gorgeous 80+ degree weather as they sweated out the their boredom with cookie cutter neighborhoods and suburbs as they climbed the steeps of the slopes. In our most financially successful trek in the 13 years of its existence we expanded our signature event to include an orienteering course thanks to the Western Pennsylvania Orienteering Club and Alexis Rzewski, as well as having mobile maps for smart phone users. The expanded StepTrek Marketplace welcomed both food trucks and fashion trucks to create a great atmosphere among the music, volunteers, and trekkers. The PPG Zoo and Aquarium even got in the fun this year with a chalk artist and Shark mascot. This event is defying the theme of this year’s event of “what goes up must come down” as we grow to entertain and work out a consistent crowd of enthusiasts falling in love with what our neighborhood has to offer year after year. The successes of the past few years are going to allow us to even further expand this event in the years to come as the financial gains increase our ability to promote the event to an even wider audience.
If you’d like to know the exact revenues and attendance of this year’s event come join us at our general meeting on Tuesday October 15 at the St. Paul of the Cross Monastery Retreat center at 7 PM.
Last chance to buy tickets at the advanced price is today! Save $3! (Children under 12 are always free!)
Never been to StepTrek before? It’s a great way to get outside and explore a gem of a neighborhood in Pittsburgh – the South Side Slopes. The South Side Slopes has the most sets of stairs of any neighborhood in the city (and probably the world) and this is an opportunity to take 1 (or 2) self-guided tours up and down the steps visiting historic sites in the neighborhood and enjoying spectacular views of Downtown and Oakland.
But don’t just trust us:
Post-Gazette http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/city-walkabout/39238-she-discovered-her-study-city-by-steps
Come hungry! There will be 4 food trucks in the staging area to give you energy to climb those stairs!
Advanced tickets are only $12 (including the booklet with map, water, and fresh fruit). All proceeds benefit the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association. Tickets will be available at the event for $15. Children under 12 are free.
Make October 3rd a Day of GIVING to the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association!
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The annual Day of Giving is just around the corner…October 3rd! Please mark your calendar and make a donation on that day if possible.
What?
Each year, the Pittsburgh Foundation offers this special opportunity to make donations go further!
This year’s matching pool is $750,000 and all participating charities (within Allegheny County) will receive a portion of that amount with each donation made.
Why?
Donations to South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association help further our work towards making the South Side Slopes a more livable, beautiful and safe community !
How?
It’s easy!
Meanwhile, please keep in mind that there is a minimum donation of $25 and that ONLY Visa and Mastercard donations made on October 3rd will qualify for the Day of Giving match.
Last year Harvard Graduate student, Anna Cawrse, received a Penny White Grant to study the paper streets of Pittsburgh. She came to visit our city, walked StepTrek, and had a great time. Click here to read her thoughts: Paper Streets of Pittsburgh
Come to StepTrek this October 5 to see for yourself how the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association is improving the neighborhood ‘one step at a time.’