The neighboring riverfront communities of
Neville Island,
McKees Rocks, and Stowe face many shared obstacles. Over a year ago, community officials hired the firm
Environmental Planning and Design
(EPD) to conduct a cross-community study in order to identify and
propose solutions to those obstacles. Their efforts concluded at a
public meeting last week with the release of the
Char-West Municipal Comprehensive Plan.
The
160-page plan, funded in part by a $90,000 state grant, identifies many
common problems and offers concrete solutions. Perhaps the greatest
hurdles are that 50% of land in these communities is vacant or
industrial, and that 40% of the population was lost between 1970 and
2000. Essentially, the plan states that if the communities are going to
attract new businesses to fuel future development, they must start by
attracting new residents.
"There are
recommendations on where they should be focusing their redevelopment
efforts. New riverfront housing akin to what they've done in Blawnox and
Washington's Landing is needed. They need to get new people moving into
new housing," says Andrew Schwartz, managing principal of EPD.
While
reclaiming the riverfront is a key step, a great deal of existing
housing is vacant and burdened with unpaid property taxes. Thus, the
plan suggests the creation of a housing bank. "A housing bank uses some
federal funding to eliminate tax delinquent properties and demolish
those properties, so they can then focus on new construction along the
riverfront," explains Schwartz.
But new
residents won't come just for the housing. Quality of life must be
improved. Thus, the plan calls for 12 essential implementation
initiatives, aimed largely at reconnecting the communities with their
natural assets. Among the recommendations are improvements to parks and
the creation of new recreational opportunities, forming and connecting
new community organizations, and a major transition from
industry-friendly transportation and infrastructural systems to
community-friendly ones with two-way streets, more traffic lights, and
greater accessibility. The plan also indicates multiple sources of
funding for these projects.
In early summer,
the community governments will likely vote whether or not to officially
adopt the plan and begin implementing changes. "The plan is drafted.
What they do after that is the great question," says Schwartz.
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Writer:
John FarleySource: Andrew Schwartz, EPD