Pre-Agenda Interviews for Seven Planning Commission Appointees – March 3, 2026

The Committee on Hearings and Policy of the Pittsburgh City Council held pre-agenda interviews on March 3, 2026, beginning at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers, for seven nominees to the Planning Commission. Council President led the meeting with members present except Councilman Coghill and Councilwoman Gross (who later joined). The meeting lasted approximately three and a half hours and featured detailed questioning on housing policy, zoning reform, community engagement, racial equity, and infrastructure. Each nominee introduced themselves and answered questions from council members.

Discussion Items

• Nominee Introductions and Backgrounds: Each nominee gave a brief biography.
  • Darrin Kelly: Retired Pittsburgh firefighter, former president of Allegheny County Labor Council, stressed the importance of family-sustaining wages and local labor in development.
  • David Vatz: Founder of Pro-Housing Pittsburgh, advocated for making housing easier to build through zoning reform and emphasized market-rate housing as part of the solution alongside deeply affordable units.
  • Diamonte Walker: Former URA deputy executive director, now COO at Rising Tide, spoke forcefully about racial segregation, the need to treat Pittsburgh as a single city, and using a full toolbox of policies rather than a single tool like inclusionary zoning.
  • Gerardo Interiano: An immigrant from El Salvador, technology executive, stressed the power to convene stakeholders and learn from other cities.
  • Justin Hunt: Real estate development director at Elmhurst, emphasized effective partnerships and learning from other markets like Charlotte.
  • Bob Reppe: Former city planner and zoning administrator, now university architect at Carnegie Mellon, focused on the importance of consistent, transparent process and addressing infrastructure deficits.
  • LaShawn Burton-Faulk: Incumbent planning commissioner, highlighted the role of zoning in enabling developments like the Esplanade in Manchester-Chateau and the need for neighborhood plans.
• Housing Growth vs. Neighborhood Change: Councilman Wilson asked how nominees would handle the tension between building much-needed housing and residents’ fears of change. Nominees generally called for robust community engagement, predictable processes, and honesty about trade-offs.
• Community Engagement and Whose Voice Matters: Councilwoman Warwick pressed David Vatz on past social media comments dismissing community engagement. Vatz responded that he has evolved and sees public testimony as a data point, but also noted that engagement often excludes working people. Other nominees emphasized listening to council members and respecting elected voices.
• Racial Segregation and Equitable Development: Councilwoman Warwick and Councilwoman Gross discussed Pittsburgh’s deep segregation and the displacement of 10,000 Black residents from 2010-2020. Diamonte Walker argued that the market alone cannot fix this and that the city must proactively invest in neglected neighborhoods, use tools like LITEC and New Markets Tax Credits, and address wage stagnation. Justin Hunt and others acknowledged past racist policies and the need to rectify them.
• Infrastructure Deficiencies: Bob Reppe and others noted that aging sewers, water lines, and roads are a competitive disadvantage. Walker suggested a “housing in our sites” program similar to business-attraction programs to prepare pad-ready sites with infrastructure. Councilwoman Gross emphasized that infrastructure repair has been deferred for decades and must be addressed alongside new development.
• Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Reform: Several nominees expressed support for a comprehensive plan but criticized the current process for low engagement. Bob Reppe advocated for first tackling land-use controls and updating the outdated zoning code.
• Inclusionary Zoning: Nominees offered nuanced views. David Vatz and Justin Hunt opposed the previous mayor’s unfunded mandate but supported voluntary, funded versions. Diamonte Walker cautioned against a one-size-fits-all approach and stressed the need for multiple tools.

Key Outcomes

• All seven pre-agenda interviews were held; no votes were taken. The council will consider the appointments (Resolutions 2026-0139 through 2026-0145) at a future meeting. The interviews serve as the council’s primary check on appointments, as the mayor can remove commissioners at will after confirmation.

Notable Quotations

• “We are not in the business of standing still.” — Darrin Kelly
• “The market will be fine. Our responsibility is to send healthy market signals and directly invest in neglected places.” — Diamonte Walker
• “Community engagement is a data point, but we must remove bias and look at each case.” — David Vatz
• “Our infrastructure is a competitive disadvantage; we need to plan elevator outages before they plan themselves.” — Bob Reppe