Oakland stories – 1960's World Series

By Madalyn Jenkins - OPDC News Runner Intern, University of Pittsburgh Class of 2024

Once upon a time, there was a ballpark in Oakland. From 1909 until 1970, Forbes Field – which stood where Posvar Hall and Katz stand today – was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and their tens of thousands of fans. All that physically remains of Forbes Field now is the fragment of its outfield wall by Mazeroski Field, and home plate, preserved under glass in Posvar’s lobby; but the memories are still alive in the hearts of countless Pittsburghers, and those memories still draw them back to Oakland.

On October 13, 1985, a Squirrel Hill resident, Saul Finkelstein, decided to personally commemorate the 25th anniversary of the seventh game of the 1960 World Series, when the Pirates played the Yankees. Finklestein went to that remaining fragment of the outfield wall, sat down with several hot dogs and a tape recorder, and listened to a recording of the game until it concluded with the Pirates' second baseman Bill Mazeroski’s famous home run – Pittsburgh’s very own "shot heard around the world."

Since 1993, it has become an annual tradition for people of all ages to gather at the Forbes Field wall on October 13. When Finkelstein passed away, a group of Pirates fans, aka the "Game 7 gang," took over the tradition of organizing the yearly remembrance.

This year I had the pleasure of attending the commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Pirates’ victory.  I witnessed pure fan culture: people from all over gather at the wall with foldable chairs to listen to the game, catch up with their fellow Pirates fans, and cheer on the Bucs.

At this year's event, I met Rene Abel. She is an 85-year-old who told me about the game like she was there yesterday. Ms. Abel met her husband, Enos, that day and was engaged to him one year later.

Her daughter added, "My brother and I wouldn't be here if Bill Mazeroski hadn't hit that home run!"

The day the Pirates won, Ms. Abel told me, was a whirlwind of a day. She was in the office at Koppers Company in downtown Pittsburgh when her coworker brought in a TV set. Her boss allowed them to watch the big Game 7 and they had a wonderful time whooping it up. When Mazeroski hit the home run that won the series, she threw her typewriter on the ground. Across the city, you could see paper towels, toilet paper, confetti, and keypunch cards thrown through windows. She told me that the debris was up to her knees when she left the office to celebrate. She called her friend, Mary Eileen, and told her to come pick her up later because they were going to go party with the Pirates.

Mary Eileen was riding in the car of Renee's future husband, Enos. He kept telling Mary that he couldn't pick up Renee because he had a full car. Enos eventually gave in. Because he stopped being so stubborn, he met his wife.

Renee told me they hit every bar in Oakland and Downtown Pittsburgh that night. She even sat next to the pitcher, Tom Cheney. He gave Enos a wad of cash and said, "Buy everyone some drinks," which he did. She described this day as a simpler time full of fun, laughter, and new friends.

After attending this year's event and meeting people like the Abels, I think I may be a new Pirates fan. After hearing that story, how could I not be?

Opening remarks by the Game 7 Gang

Jim O’Brien, author of “Maz and the ‘60 Bucs”

Updates to the Residential Parking Permit Program and What that Means for Oakland Residents

By: Sam Gallagher, OPDC Communications Coordinator

Oakland offers many parking options: metered parking near business districts, off-street private lots tucked behind houses and apartment buildings, surface lots for lease-holders, garages large and small, and of course, legendary on-street, bumper-to-bumper parking. No matter how you stow your car in Oakland, there is some amount of stress involved.

The Residential Parking Permit Program (RPPP), a program jointly overseen by The Pittsburgh Parking Authority and the Department of City Planning, was established in 1981. This program was designed to limit on-street parking to residents of that area. For example, if you live in a residential parking permit area, which in Oakland could include regions B, C, D, E, K, M, Q, or FF, you can apply for a yearly permit for $20 per year (a rate that has not changed since the program was first introduced!). With a permit, you can utilize any available on-street parking within your designated letter area. While the program doesn’t guarantee you a spot, it ensures most parked people live nearby. Seems great for Oakland residents, right?

However, while good in theory, the RPPP has many flaws. For starters, the program is not well-enforced and is generally oversubscribed, as there are more permits issued than there are spaces on the street. This oversubscription makes for a competitive on-street market. On top of that, residents also compete to park with visitors who can park for one hour within the district for free.

Earlier this spring, the Department of City Planning invited public comment on the RPPP through an online survey. The results of that survey informed proposed changes to the program, and a public hearing before City Council is scheduled for this Thursday, November 4 at 10:00 a.m.

On Tuesday, October 5, Andrew Dash of the Department of City Planning (DCP) summarized the four big changes that are being proposed, including the transfer of administrative duties, the introduction of hybrid parking, the expansion of visitor permits, and the establishment of a progressive pay structure. Keep reading to learn more about these RPPP changes and what that could mean for Oakland residents:

Transfer of Administrative Duties

The Department of City Planning proposes to transfer duties such as administrative code-changes and RPP Area certification and recertification to the Pittsburgh Parking Authority (PPA), which currently oversees the program. This transfer is intended to streamline communications and reduce confusion. However, the PPA’s RPP program manager position is currently vacant, so this transition might not be entirely seamless.  

Hybrid Parking

Hybrid parking is a system by which residents and non-residents can both utilize on-street parking within a designated RPP Area. An RPP area that falls within a half-mile of a hospital or a college or university may opt for hybrid designation, which would allow some residential areas to be metered for commuter use. This system might not make sense for Oakland RPP areas, but any change to existing Oakland areas would involve a public review process to determine its feasibility.

Visitor Permits and Non-Resident Permits

The current visitor policy allows permit holders to register visitors for any three consecutive weekdays. The proposed changes to the visitor permits would still allow visitors to park for three consecutive days but would limit individual visitors to no more than 12 days per month. Under a new provision for non-resident permits, medical caretakers, contractors, childcare professionals, and landlords would be newly eligible for permits within a designated RPP area. Non-residential permits would be available for purchase on a sliding scale, and only with appropriate documentation. Residents of Oakland might have to contend with an increase in the number of permitted on-street parkers, but the expanded program would make it easier for residents with regular at-home caregivers and long-term contractors to accommodate those supports.

Progressive Pay Structure

The last of the big changes is the introduction of a progressive pay structure for the RPPP: Beginning in 2022, households with multiple vehicles could pay more than $20 for their second or third vehicles. This change is not included in the bill currently before City Council.  

To read more about the changes to the RPPP, and to see the presentation from the public meeting on October 5, go to: www.engage.pittsburghpa.gov/rpp-program-updates. A recording of the public meeting is also available on the City’s YouTube page.

These updates to the RPP program go before City Council on November 4, 2021. If you wish to provide feedback, you can register to make public comment via the city’s website at www.pittsburghpa.gov/clerk/council-meetings by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the hearing.

Zoning Update

Last Tuesday, City Council hosted a public hearing regarding bill 2021-1906, and 35 people signed up to speak. Of the 31 who actually appeared, 27 spoke clearly in opposition to either the contents of the bill, or the way it was introduced – or both. 10 speakers were residents of adjacent neighborhoods, community organizers and community development professionals who spoke to the dangerous precedent that would be set by sending this bill to the Planning Commission, undermining the public process. 17 speakers were Oakland residents – from Central Oakland, Panther Hollow, North Oakland, West Oakland, Schenley Farms, South Oakland, and Oakcliffe. Every Oakland resident asked Council to hold the bill pending conclusion of the Oakland Plan process. Regardless of each individual’s particular perspective or reason for being there, every testifier made it clear: what’s at stake is more than just a few residential blocks, it’s the integrity of public planning everywhere. 

Following the hearing, OPDC and a number of Oakland residents reached out to Councilman Bruce Kraus’s office to request a meeting to discuss the matter further. No one received any acknowledgment. 

Yesterday morning (October 12), Councilman Kraus announced that he, his legislative aide, and Walnut Capital’s lawyer had spent every day since the hearing behind closed doors working on a set of amendments, which he introduced at the same time that he asked Council to approve them. After some brief discussion, Council voted 8-0 to send the amended bill to the Planning Commission for its review.

The Planning Commission now until January 11, 2022 to review this bill, hold a public hearing, and return its recommendation to Council. Regardless of the Planning Commission’s review, however, if seven Council members vote to approve the bill, it will be passed. (Councilman Ricky Burgess took the opportunity this morning to announce that he, for one, would vote to pass this bill even if the Planning Commission recommends rejecting it. And it is clear he wouldn’t be alone.) 

OPDC will be tracking the bill closely at the Planning Commission and will help to get the word out when a hearing date is set. Meanwhile, if you have thoughts to share with Councilman Kraus, he can be reached via email and by phone at 412-255-2130.

The Public Process is Working for Oakland. Developers Should Wait Their Turn.

Normally, the story of a zoning bill has a very long prelude and a pretty quick conclusion. Someone – a planner, a resident, a local stakeholder, or an organization – will make a recommendation to the Department of City Planning that the existing zoning for a particular area should be re-examined. City Planning will study the area, and make a proposal for how the zoning could be altered. They’ll then take that proposal and hold public meetings to invite comment and feedback on the proposal, and they’ll make edits based on the feedback they receive. Depending on how complicated a change we’re talking about, this process could involve several back-and-forth drafts and public input. Only once City Planning is confident about their zoning change proposal will they forward it to the Planning Commission, which will review and vote on the proposal before sending it to City Council. 

Sometimes, though, the story gets told backwards. 

On Friday, September 17, the Mayor’s Office forwarded a bill to City Council that had been written by attorneys representing Walnut Capital, to re-zone 17+ acres of Central and South Oakland to support Walnut Capital’s development goals. The parcels included in the proposed re-zoning include some zoned R3-M (three-unit residential moderate density), RM-H (multi-unit residential high density), and R1A-H (single-unit attached residential high density), as well as a segment of the existing OPR-D (Oakland Public Realm district D). City Planning had the chance to look at the bill before it went to City Council, but no opportunity to introduce it for consideration as part of the ongoing Oakland Plan process. 

At the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 21, Councilman Bobby Wilson introduced the bill as 2021-1906 and remanded it to the Land Use and Economic Development Committee, for that committee to refer to the Planning Commission. Oakland residents organized a petition for a public hearing on the bill and submitted it on Friday morning, September 24. At the next meeting of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday, September 29, the committee voted to hold the bill pending the citizen-demanded public hearing. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 5 at 3:00 p.m. All those who wish to testify at this Zoom meeting must register to speak with the City Clerk’s office via the form at pittsburghpa.gov/clerk/council-meetings or by calling 412.255.2138. You must register to speak by noon on October 5.

City Council now has a choice about how to handle this bill. 

If they decide to send it to the Planning Commission, the Commission will review the bill, the process by which it was developed, and its content. They will consult with the Department of City Planning, and they will hold their own public hearing of the bill at which any member of the public can speak and provide comment. Within 90 days, the Planning Commission must return the bill to Council for them to vote on it. 

Or – and this is not as crazy as it sounds – they can choose to just hold onto the bill for a while. It can sit on the Committee’s table until the Oakland Plan process is complete, and a new zoning map for Oakland has been drafted and sent to the Planning Commission for their review. The Department of City Planning estimates the final version of the Oakland Plan could be ready for Council’s vote as soon as this spring, so it’s not too long to wait. With the Oakland Plan in hand, builders and investors with grand ideas for Oakland will have plenty of tools available to them as they assemble the projects that will define the next few decades of development here – and the community will have the tools it needs to ensure those projects serve the public interest and address neighborhood priorities and needs. 

Sending the bill straight to the Planning Commission would short-change the Oakland community and would undercut the Oakland Plan process, disregarding the hundreds of hours that residents and stakeholders and planners have put into the plan so far. It would also force those same residents and stakeholders and planners to take more time to consider a single site in isolation, just to meet a single developer’s self-imposed project schedule. That isn’t fair to any of us. 

Tell Council what you think - contact your City Council member or testify at the hearing on Tuesday, October 5.

To watch the live stream of the meeting, visit pittsburghpa.gov/council/council-live OR www.youtube.com at 3:00 p.m. on October 5.

10.7.2021: Thanks to everyone who participated in the October 5 hearing. You can view the recording here.

Let's Talk...Zoning

Oakland’s “normal” is a state of flux. This is a neighborhood – or a collection of neighborhoods – that is constantly being changed in ways both subtle and dramatic, and the dynamism of this place is part of what draws people here. That draw can present a challenge: it sometimes seems like everyone in the region wants a piece of Oakland, and has an opinion about what it could or should be. Neighborhood planning here can be pretty contentious for this reason. There are a lot of opposing interests to balance. 

The most powerful tool in the neighborhood planning kit is the zoning map. Zoning defines what can and cannot be built in a given area, and can also include requirements about how new buildings relate to the streetscape and the neighborhood at large. A neighborhood zone could govern how tall or how massive a new building can be, how much greenspace it has to include, how many parking spaces it must provide, how much energy or water it must conserve. It can also lay out acceptable uses, such as housing, commercial, industrial, retail, cultural, recreation, or entertainment. 

Drawing a zoning map is a complicated business, and done right will involve a lengthy conversation with the community. Planners could propose a set of ideas; residents and stakeholders can provide feedback; planners then incorporate that feedback and present a new or revised set of ideas; and the public provides comment again. This iterative process can continue for months or even years, depending on the circumstances – but it’s important to get it right, and doing it right takes time. 

Oakland is currently engaged in a comprehensive neighborhood planning process. Over the past two years there have been many opportunities for participants to lay out Oakland’s needs and priorities, but the process is far from over, and there are still many things to talk about. What’s the best set of strategies to support the construction of more affordable housing? Where should Oakland development create more density, and where should we focus on preserving homeownership? How can property owners be supported to build back our tree canopy? What kinds of programs can the city and public partners invest in, to support residents connecting with employment and other opportunities? 

The next Let’s Talk meeting is Wednesday, September 22 at 6:00 p.m., and this month’s topic is all about zoning. Come learn about what Oakland’s zoning map looks like now, and what the process is for making changes to it. Bring your questions! Or tell us your thoughts and concerns in the comment box below.