Good morning and welcome to Pittsburgh City Council Cablecast public hearing on Friday, March sixth, two thousand twenty-six, relative to Bill Two thousand twenty-five, nineteen ninety three.

Would a clerk please read the title of the bill.

Per section 922.05.b dot two of the zoning code, an application to amend the boundaries of the zoning map may be proposed by the City Council, the Planning Commission, the owner of the subject property, or the owner's agent.

The largest properties was within the proposed rezoning area are owned by public utility companies such as the railroads and a recycling center.

The proposed RIV IMU subdistrict allows a broader range of uses, including residential, retail, educational, cultural activities, and limited industrial uses.

In contrast, the existing RIV GI subdistrict is more permissive of heavy industrial uses such as car washes, construction related activities, and other intensive operations.

The use table can be referenced in section 911.02 of the zoning code.

The parcels proposed for rezoning are adjacent to a mix of zoning designations, including the R1AVH, GI, UI, R1AH, and the SP 10, which is the Hazelwood Green special district.

Given the proximity of residential districts and existing homes, the RIV IMU designation is more appropriate.

It provides a transitional zoning framework that limits high intensity industrial activity near residential areas while allowing compatible mixed use development in the future.

City staff conducted a review of existing land uses within the rezoning area and confirmed that all existing businesses and uses are permitted under the proposed RIV IMU zoning.

Any nonconforming uses that may exist will be allowed to continue operating in accordance with existing nonconforming use provisions.

Based on these findings of fact, the planning commission of the City of Pittsburgh held a public hearing on November 18, 2025, where the Commission made a positive recommendation on Council Bill 2025, 1993 for a zoning map amendment to change from RIV GI to RIV IMU in the Hazelwood neighborhood with the following condition.

The Council office and majority property owners, such as CSX Transportation and Republic Services meet with residents and community organizations to address and improve existing health and safety conditions in the neighborhood and to collaborate on shared goals following the rezoning.

A copy of the Planning Commission's report and decision was attached to the package forwarded to Council.

Public notice for this public hearing was posted on February 12, 2026, and postcards were mailed to adjacent property owners in line with the 21-day noticing requirement in the zoning code.

That concludes our presentation.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Let the record reflect that we've also been joined by Councilman Wilson as well as Councilwoman Erica Strasberger.

Our next order of business is going to be testimony from those who have registered to speak.

Our first register speaker is Chief Pomai Chakman Yahelehee.

So our next speaker is Brandon O'Donnell.

I represent Allegheny Valley Railroad.

Allegheny Valley Railroad operates the Glenwood Yard, which is located within the boundaries that are proposed to be rezoned in Bill 2025-1993.

On behalf of my client, we recommend that City Council vote no on this proposed legislation.

I'd like to identify a few basic overall points of procedure and context, and you'll hear directly from my client later.

First of all, the geographic area that we're talking about here, it's an economically active area of town.

It's not an area of abandoned wasteland.

There's not empty factories.

Rezoning isn't necessary in order to prompt economic activity.

There's already businesses there, and there's not new area for businesses to come into if a rezoning happens.

There's just not area for retail, residential, etc.

There are existing businesses, including railroads.

On that point, the overwhelming majority of the land is active railroad property used for rail transportation purposes.

As the council is aware, federal law puts the jurisdiction of Congress as the body that regulates rail transportation activities, not states, not localities.

And this causes a specific problem with the downzoning from RIV GI to RIV IMU.

And this focuses on a specific issue that I'll just exemplify here.

The zoning code defines a freight terminal as a facility designed for the moving and storage of goods, including railroad and trucking terminals and railroad repair shops.

This is a use permitted by right in the existing RIV GI district.

But in the RIV IMU district, it's a special exception, which would require approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustment for railroads to operate a railroad freight terminal.

That clearly hits on an issue of preemption.

Preemption was repeatedly presented before the planning commission and it wasn't taken seriously.

We urged the council to take a more practical view of this issue to avoid friction.

Additionally, we submit that the planning commission's action was untimely.

Planning commission had to act by October 13.

It didn't do that.

There was a presumably favorable recommendation on November 18th, but it was too late.

This body had passed a resolution in mid-October authorizing additional time for the planning commission to have act, but we submitted that it was too late.

Finally, there are many prompts associated with this draft bill dealing with community concerns and issues.

You'll hear from my client later on.

We're not insensitive to those issues.

We absolutely want to sit down and talk with folks about those issues and to take them seriously.

We believe this process has allowed us to do it, and we're committed to continuing to do it.

However, we do not believe that a rezoning of the entire swath of land is the appropriate means to resolve these issues with the community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Jody Chowder, which will be followed by Bill City.

Good morning.

My name is Jody Chowder.

I live at 7665 Lockway West at the Highland Park Dam in the old Lockmaster's House.

We were actively involved in 2015 when the city started the whole riverfront zoning process.

It was a very comprehensive process.

And we are zoned as RIV MU.

We're in a very odd spot.

We're surrounded by the Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Pittsburgh, Public Works, and PWSA.

The process that we went through in 2015 through 2018 to establish the current zoning was very comprehensive.

It solicited a lot of community input.

And I felt it was a very well-done process.

And I feel that any changes should be well thought out.

And it's concerning that you could just come in and briefly rezone without as much thought and care as I felt we went into in the first round.

Also, the second thing, with regard to the Allegheny Valley Railroad, they've been a really great neighbor.

As I said, we live in a very unusual spot.

And PWSA is currently in the process of constructing the Brecon Pump Station.

It's going to be a five-year process.

There's going to be heavy construction going on.

We've had meetings with PWSA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Railroad, the City, the County, all of the affected parties.

And whenever we raised concerns about issues, the railroad has been very, very responsive, really willing to work with us.

And it's just our family, so it's not like we're a community organization, that there was a lot of community to support us.

It was just one simple family, and they've been really great at supporting us.

And I think they're a great community partner and a great neighbor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Bill Siddick, followed by Michael Fallone.

Morning, Mr.

President, members of council.

My name is Bill Siddick, and I represent CSX.

CSX is a predominant landowner in this 230-plus acre rezoning effort.

About 80% of the property is owned by CSX.

The large percentage of that, the operable piece is operated by AVR with CSX having trail and trans flow operations throughout a large part of it.

It's updated, rails, roadways, fencing, lighting, everything.

When you go to this site, you'd be extremely impressed with how this facility is operated.

This is not a blighted area, it's not distressed, it's thriving, and it's the only rail yard in the city of Pittsburgh.

This rezoning effort on the railroad properties should never have made it this far.

And while we don't take issue with rezoning other pieces of this, the rezoning of the railroad properties is misplaced.

Mr.

O'Donnell said it's preempted by federal law.

He noted that the planning commission didn't take it seriously.

Actually, we think the planning department and the planning commission actively ignored the preemption issue.

We literally begged them to get an opinion from the law department before they sent it to council.

Um that didn't happen.

Uh we got involved in the process late.

We own most of the property and we never had notice.

We never sat with these community meetings.

So we went to the planning commission and said, We're the stakeholder.

Imagine me coming before council or zoning board or planning commission and saying, you know, Hazelwood Initiative or someone was never consulted before the legislation was proposed.

We were never consulted.

Nonetheless, it got here.

Um I'm comfortable, my clients are comfortable, AVR is comfortable, that the law department, we've been in touch with Jack Miller.

We ask City Council to rely on Mr.

Miller's opinion.

We haven't seen it, but we believe and trust in his legal ability and that he's decided it's preempted.

There's a failure on many levels, starting with the planning department, even processing this, not consulting with something so significant with the law department and the planning commission also refusing to do that.

We believe Mayor O'Connor has taken steps to address these types of issues so that it truly is development and zoning by collaboration and not consensus.

Um we're hopeful of that.

Now, the good points.

Uh CSX is actively involved with the community on some very transformational projects in the strip district, transfer of property for the trails along the riverfront, transfer of property and duck hollow.

This has not derailed that effort, fortunately.

Uh those things have continued.

We have not linked my client has stood above this, has not linked this attack on their rail yard.

An attack, and I know many members of council there's a bigger issue going on here, it's not for today.

Happy to talk about it.

But my client hasn't derailed that.

The other thing is we are very fortunate to get meet with our neighbors.

Sonia Tillman, Hazelwood Initiative, very productive meetings, great people.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

We look forward to continuing those relationships.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Michael Fallone.

Good morning.

My name is Michael Fallone.

I'm the chief marketing officer for the Allegheny Valley Railroad.

I'm a 32-year career railroader.

I've spent 22 of those years at Allegheny Valley Railroad.

I grew up in Pittsburgh.

I lived most of my life here, and I'm old enough to remember all of the mills along 2nd Avenue.

The railroads, Hazelwood, and the mills all grew up together starting 150 years ago.

Just like Pittsburgh when the mills closed, the railroads adapted.

There is an incorrect assumption by some parties that rail usage is decreasing and that the Glenwood Yard property could someday be used for other purposes.

The zoning proposal to change the use of the land in the RIV GI zone is therefore misguided and based on incorrect assumptions.

The facts are the vast majority of the land is owned by the railroads and has remained in continuous use for over 150 years.

It's also a fact that the AVR has more than doubled our rail traffic over the past 20 years, and we've invested over 50 million dollars in our infrastructure and facilities, which are now world class.

The rail yard is the hub of our operations for the entire region and is an irreplaceable transportation asset to not only the city but all of Western Pennsylvania.

Allegheny Valley Railroad trains move many of the raw materials that supply key manufacturing facilities and large employers in our region.

We move hundreds of thousands of tons of steel, lumber, road salt, construction, and paving materials that are essential to maintaining our infrastructure and helping the Pittsburgh region grow.

If we were not around to do this, this would all be on city streets and uh in truck.

Allegheny Valley Railroads trains also handle tens of thousands of tons of recycled materials, such as recycled cardboard and scrap steel, which allow those materials to be used to benefit beneficial re use instead of going to a landfill.

We do this while being safer and having a carbon footprint four times less than truck.

We like to brag that the city is consistently one of America's most livable cities.

I wholehearted with this.

Most of the riverfront land in the city is already zoned for uses other than RIV or GI or GI and hosts some world-class entertainment venues, housing, and recreation.

The zoning changes that led to these developments were result of careful consideration for a defined new purpose, including desire by the property owners within the zone affected to change the character of use.

As noted, neither Allegheny Valley nor public services nor the other businesses across the river and case were consulted, and we don't have any plans to change the use of our properties.

Therefore, the zoning is not desired nor appropriate.

So I urge you to please vote no on this proposal.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is John Aspridge.

Thank you.

My name is John Ashbridge.

I'm president of the Allegheny Valley Railroad, commonly referred to as AVR.

AVR is a Pittsburgh-based business, and we serve customers throughout the region by moving goods by rail.

Our operations are centered at the Glenwood Yard in Hazelwood.

This Glenwood yard represents the overwhelming majority, some 80% of the property affected.

Nearly half of this property is woodland bordered by other undeveloped woodlands.

The Glenwood Yard is not a new development, nor is it the cause of issues being claimed.

We prioritize safety service and being a good neighbor.

AVR has invested more than 50 million in the Glenwood Yard to ensure that it is a modern state of the art facility.

Our welded rail and low operating speeds, 10 miles per hour or less, enhance safety, and significantly reduced noise.

Rail transportation is the most efficient and environmentally responsible method of moving goods over land.

Each year, AVR removes more than 200,000 trucks from local PA roads.

The environmental equivalent of planting 4.5 million trees annually.

The clear purpose of this ordinance is to make it more difficult for us and our railroad partners to conduct our business.

AVR cannot accept this.

There's never been a legitimate reason for the railroads to be targeted in this way, and we're simply being swept into an initiative that was never intended for us.

AVR has a long track record of collaboration.

We've worked closely with Allegheny County to transfer the Brilliant Branch for public trail use, creating new connections between neighborhoods and the Allegheny River Trail Network.

We continue to collaborate with the Duck Hollow Connection with Friends of the Riverfront.

Once complete, this will be truly transformational.

We understand and respect the quality of life concerns.

AVR has performed light and noise testing and does not believe the railroads where Glenwood Yard is the primary source of these concerns.

We've met with residents to understand their concerns.

We've met with Sonia Tigman of the Hazelwood Initiative.

Together with CSX, I believe we've established an actionable path forward to address the community concerns related to railroad operations.

What we don't understand is why our rail yard is being misrepresented as an industrial wasteland or an environmental problem that is simply inaccurate and does not reflect the reality of our operations or the stewardship of the land that we manage.

For those reasons, we respectfully urge City Council to vote no on the proposed zoning legislation and allow us to continue the collaborative approach that AVR has consistently demonstrated.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Brett Sebastian, which will be followed by Michael Tettler.

Good morning, thank you all for having me.

My name is Brett Sebastian.

Neighborhood is actually the great city of Houston, Texas.

So joining all from uh several states away, but I wanted to provide perspective.

I'm with an organization called Go Rail, and we work uh with the Class 1 railroads, shortline railroads, rail suppliers on a wide variety of different rail issues.

Want to provide a little bit of a 30,000 foot view as to why this issue can pertain to the broader transportation network and the broader rail network across western Pennsylvania as well as the rest of the country.

Uh starting with some basic history, which I'm sure you all are far more familiar with than I am myself.

Pittsburgh is one of America's great railroading cities, and rail helped build this region, its industry, its workforce, its neighborhoods, and its identity as a place that makes moves and exports real tangible products.

Even as Pittsburgh has evolved into a modern economy, rail itself has not become irrelevant.

It remains part of the transportation background that keeps this region supplied, competitive, and connected.

This facility and this land uh parcel in question is a working part of a much larger transportation system, one that supports jobs, supports the tax base, supports downstream businesses, and supports the resilience of supply chains that the city and the broader western Pennsylvania region depend on.

Zones like this are designed to perform a function moving goods efficiently, safely, and at scale.

And that function, while not always pretty, produces very real public benefits.

Those benefits range in a wide variety of different topics.

Some are economic, some are going to be social.

Freight rail is a major driver of national economic activity.

Rail transportation in general generated over $233 billion in total economic output in 2023.

That equates to about $1 invested in every rail operation drives about $2.50 across the general economy.

That matters because rail is not an isolated industry.

Its connective tissue behind manufacturing, construction materials, energy, agriculture, and retail supply chains.

Those benefits translate to local and statewide.

This state is home to over 50 freight railroads operating on over 5,000 miles of track, employing over 4300 people.

It's estimated in 2023 that rail handed freight volumes that would have required roughly 9.5 million additional trucks on Pennsylvania roads, and that rail movement prevented over 4.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The last thing I'm going to note because I am running short on time here is I want to provide a little bit of perspective from Houston.

Once a zoning use or something that removes rail from a community happens, it's incredibly difficult for that rail to come back into a community.

In the mid-1990s, when Southern Pacific merged with Union Pacific, there were instances where we had rail connections into the downtown in the Port of Houston area where once those railroads uh sold off that land to the city of Houston to Harris County.

There were attempts to make that into commuter lines or continue to connect into the Port of Houston.

Those failed, and there's a reason that where I live has a 26 uh lane freeway running across western Houston.

You see this in DFW, you see this in other places.

Once they're gone, they're gone.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Michael Tettler.

Good morning.

I'm Michael Tettler.

I'm executive vice president of Parlow Express, and I'm speaking today on behalf of Allegheny Valley Railroad Company.

Others have addressed our operations in the history of Glenwood Yard.

I want to instead focus on this as a matter of public policy.

As you've heard from the public, the properties affected by this legislation are currently zoned RIV GI, which was part of Pittsburgh's major riverfront rezoning initiative undertaken in the last decade.

That district was specifically created to accommodate heavy industrial uses while preventing the encroachment of incompatible uses in its established industrial areas.

By contrast, the Riv IME district was intended for riverfront areas transitioning towards mixed use development.

This area is not such a transition zone.

Continues to function as a vital hub of freight activity, one that receives significant investment and provides substantial environmental and public benefit, and will continue to do so well into the future.

Zoning districts adjacent to Hazelwood's River GI district continue to permit warehouses, recycling facilities, and other industrial uses by right.

Yet those areas have not been proposed for rezoning.

That inconsistency raises an important question.

Whether this amendment represents a comprehensive planning effort or whether zoning is being used to create the perception of addressing day-to-day concerns about particular industries or facilities without actually resolving those concerns.

Throughout this process, the stated justification for zoning has shifted.

At the same time, some of the rhetoric surrounding these businesses has become increasingly inflammatory, portraying long-standing industrial operations as problems to be eliminated rather than stakeholders in the future of this community and partners in its development.

Hazelwood deserves a planning process that brings residents, businesses, and policymakers together to create durable solutions, not a zoning amendment that risks creating new conflicts while residing resolving none of the concerns of neighborhood residents or businesses.

For those reasons, I respectfully urge council to vote no on Council Bill 2025, 1993.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is David Clay Spangler.

Mr.

President, distinguished council members, thank you for your time today.

My name is Clay Spangler.

I'm the general manager of the Tex.

The techs are comprised of three galvanizing lines in and around Pittsburgh and are a division of Steel Dynamics, a Fortune 500 company.

In fact, steel dynamics was recently recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the world's most admired companies for the ninth consecutive year.

To give you some familiarity with our local operations, two of our tax facilities are located inside the city of Pittsburgh.

One on Second Avenue, Metal Tech, and one in Hayes, GalvTech.

The tax facilities receive rolled steel coils and apply zinc coatings producing galvanized flat roll steel.

Here in Pittsburgh, we believe we provide tremendous opportunity, security, and stability for our 235 employees.

On average, our tax production employees owned earned over 125,000 each last year.

Our Pittsburgh history and pride run deep.

Having operated Metal Tech, our facility on 2nd Avenue since 1984, and GalvTech, our facility in Hayes, since 1996.

Over the past five years alone, we've invested over 25 million dollars into our three Pittsburgh facilities.

While the steel industry has experienced significant decline in recent decades, we've grown and continued to reinvest locally, creating more high-paying jobs.

Our commitment to our facilities continues to pay off.

In 2025 alone, the techs produced nearly a million tons of galvanized steel right here in Pittsburgh.

In fact, in 2025, we had our highest volume shipping year since 2008.

We've done this remarkably safely and with considerable environmental sustainability.

In fact, as an organization, Steel Dynamic recycles millions of tons of scrap metal each year, and thousands of tons of the galvanized steel we produce here in Pittsburgh are used in solar power manufacturing facilities.

We believe we're good for our employees and good for Pittsburgh.

I'm speaking here today in support of the strong partnership we have with our railroad suppliers, most notably the Allegheny Valley Railroad.

The railroad is essential to the tech's continued success and viability in the region.

The railroad directly enhances the safety and livability of our community while reducing traffic, congestion, and improving quality of life.

Every rail car that delivers products to Metal Tech replaces four trucks operating on and around Second Avenue.

Last year, the railroad service to Metal Tech eliminated approximately 12,000 trucks from Second Avenue, and at our Galtech facility eliminated nearly 10,000 trucks from local roads.

As a good neighbor, a significant manufacturer and reliable employer here, the AVR is critical to keeping hardworking men and women galvanizing steel right here in Pittsburgh.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Michael Tettler.

Oh, sorry.

You're on my list twice, sorry.

Our next speaker is Christopher Volks.

Good morning.

Christopher Voltz, City Resident and Employee of Tucker Arnsburg here on behalf of Republic Services.

As you are aware, Republic Services operates a recycling processing center in the area subject to this bill.

If approved, this bill would rezone certain properties from RIVGI to RIV MIU, even though this area has long been used for industrial uses, some for more than 100 years, and was specifically designated RIVGI approximately 10 years ago.

So if this goes through, what will remain the same?

Cell towers remain special exceptions or conditional uses in this area.

Firearm establishes are still special exceptions.

Manufacturing and assembly will still be permitted, as will vehicle equipment and repair.

Moreover, as we have heard, rail yards, which all own approximately 80% of the subjective area have raised preemption issues on the city's ability to regulate them.

So who will this impact?

It will impact the welding and machine shops in the area.

It will impact the salvage yards and of course the recycling processing center.

These have existed in the area and continue to exist and will become non-conforming uses if this legislation passes.

And this matters because if it becomes a non-conforming use, our zoning code limits expansion to no more than 25% and prohibits the possibility of acquiring new property to increase your lot size.

And if the argument is made that they're nonconforming uses, so it doesn't matter, then why go through with this rezoning?

Republic Services has been a good neighbor to the community.

It has been a partner with the City of Pittsburgh's recycling program.

Please ask your Department of Public Works about our transparency and our efficiency in working with the City of Pittsburgh.

So please vote no so Republic Services can continue to effectively serve the City of Pittsburgh.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Sonia Tillman.

Good morning, Council.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak again.

I'm the executive director of Hazelwood Initiative.

We are the community development corporation and the registered community organization representing both the Glen Hazel and Hazelwood neighborhoods of the City of Pittsburgh.

Without preventing or removing existing uses as has been alluded to here.

Several quality of life issues were raised by dozens of residents at the Planning Commission hearing and throughout this process.

So it's important to note that in alignment with the Planning Commission's request leading up to this hearing.

Similarly, we are pleased by Recycle Resources efforts to engage with and participate in the community.

Simultaneously, this zoning change is a forward-looking change.

Its allowable uses are better aligned with community goals.

So we continue to strongly support the proposed change and urge your approval.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And our last registered speaker is Lori Kozinski.

Hope I said that correctly.

Thank you.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

I am Lori Kolczynski, the general manager of BFI Waste Services of Pennsylvania LLC, a local subsidiary of Republic Services.

We are the owner of the recycling plant in the proposed rezoning parcel in Hazelwood.

Recycling processing is currently permitted by right in the RIV GI zoning.

Recycling processing is not permitted by right in the proposed RIV IMU zoning.

We handle all of the city's residential recycling processing and have invested heavily in the health, safety, and operation of this facility since our acquisition of it last year as a recycling processing plant.

Our contract with the city has a revenue share where the process recycling is rebated to the city.

The city should have a vested interest in our ability to upgrade and enhance our facility.

Processing technologies are ever changing and necessary to allow us to rebate as much of the city's recycling as possible.

By eliminating recycling processing from the zoning where we are located, you are causing harm to the city's financial future and the benefits of the recycling collected throughout the city.

When the planning commission made a positive recommendation on November 18th, Commissioner Black included a condition that the council and business owners work with the residents and community organizers to improve the health and safety of the neighborhood.

It was also stated that this rezoning would not address the concerns that were brought by those residents.

To address those concerns, more conversation, more collaboration, and the ability to upgrade and enhance the facility as permitted by right is what is needed.

We request that you vote this rezoning down or at a minimum carve out the recycling processing to remain permitted by right, so we can continue to serve the community and the city in the best possible way.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That exhausts our list of registered speakers.

If there's anyone else in chambers wishing to speak, please come forward at this time, provide your name, neighborhood for the record.

You'll give be given one minute to speak.

Is there anyone else wishing to speak?

If not, we now turn it over to council members to provide comment, and I'll turn it over to the Councilman Warwick.

Thank you, Council President.

All right, I do have a presentation, so let me get that up here.

Where are we going?

Okay.

All right.

Oops.

Oops, oops, oops, oops, oops, sorry.

Alrighty.

Are we up on the screen?

I think I did.

Oh, I see, I see.

Sorry about that.

Thank you.

All right.

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Is that working here?

Perfect.

All right.

Thank you.

Okay.

Yeah.

So this is similar to the presentation that I gave at the Planning Commission.

So yeah, so what we're obviously looking to do here is rezone the Hazelwood Riverfront from Riv GI to Riv IMU.

So this is the text.

All right.

So this is the area that we're talking about, the area of riverfront.

So you can see it is a very large area.

It is not any one property.

It is a large area that spans the entire riverfront of District 5 for the most for the most part.

Just to address some of the comments from folks from the railroad.

This is some of our other riv and other places in the city.

So as you can see, you know, we have a mix of RIV GI and RIV IMU along the North Shore into downtown.

Here in addition around Lawrenceville.

So this is not out of the ordinary, right?

This is something that we're doing across the city to rezone our riverfronts to move away from these historical industrial zoning, right?

To um, you know, future looking to um less less harmful uses.

So here's just a listing of what is possible, you know, what what could be built in the future, right, in the RIV GI.

So there's there are a number of things, but of course, the hazardous operations, the incinerator for solid waste.

Um, you know, there's a number of facilities here that uh you know are not conducive to being next to homes and businesses.

Um these are the uses that are allowed in the IMU.

Um obviously there's uh a lot more, right?

It also includes housing.

Um I think it is important to note that it includes um freight yards, but you know, as we've heard from our folks at the railroads, um, I'll address that later.

Um railroad properties have preemption, right?

Uh so we really, as as a city, there's not a we can't do much.

Um but we'll address that.

So this is just the activity to date, um, the various hearings.

Um here we are today.

There was some question about notice.

These are just some slides, some from uh the uh our folks at city planning.

Thank you very much for these uh just about the notices that were posted and mailed.

Um so again, this is so that we can see a little bit better view of the community that is right next to this riverfront, right?

Not only community, but lots of green space.

Um and a water park.

So why why the zoning changed now?

Um, you know, over the past decade or plus, Pittsburgh's relationship with its riverfronts has evolved drastically, right?

Um rather than treating them sort of as just you know industrial sites, uh, you know, sort of a dumping ground for heavy industry and leaving them uh uh sort of as polluting places.

We recognize our riverfronts as valuable natural resources that boost our city's economy and prove quality of life for everyone.

Uh obviously again, looking at the North Shore, the South Side, the Strip District, Lawrenceville, right, to see the future potential of our riverfronts, even our riverfronts that have rail on them, right?

And and we understand that rail is not going anywhere.

Um the environmental justice angle here, uh, zoning for heavy industry.

The environmental justice angle here, uh, zoning for heavy industry.

We heard someone mention that this was zoned uh, you know, rezoned 10 years ago.

And again, zoning for heavy industry and lower income communities like Hazelwood has a disproportionately negative impact on the health and well-being of those uh of historically marginalized Pittsburghers, right?

We should be righting the wrongs of the past, not making them worse by ensuring that our zoning protects nearby residents now and also in the long term.

Um, and finally, Hazelwood is growing.

Uh the idea that that Hazelwood is just, you know, like it is a growing community.

We have uh you are the city is investing millions in affordable housing, the city and foundations as well into affordable housing, safer streets, economic development, uh Pittsburgh, the URA, all our local nonprofit foundations, our university partners are investing heavily in the future of Hazelwood, including the Robotics Innovation Center at CMU and Pitts BioForge, right?

It's Hazelwood is slated to be the hub, the future hub of health and wellness for the globe, right?

And uh, you know, updating our zoning code uh is part of supporting that growth and ensuring a safe and healthy environment for current residents, as well as an inviting and enticing space for future residents.

So, this is the Hazelwood Riverfront.

This is what the water looks like right by Hazelwood Green.

It's pretty gross.

Um I'm not saying that this is all because of the industry, but this is but this is the riverfront.

This is what happens when you have heavy industry and don't take care of your riverfronts and your rivers.

I also want to note for everyone here, and especially for our friend from Highland Park, that Hazelwood is a community where people live.

Not one person, not two people, but lots of people.

People with families and kids, people who get up and go to work every day.

This is our playground down below the tracks, war memorial, you know, just some more of our houses.

This is a community.

This is not just a smattering of people who, you know, refuse.

This isn't like that movie up, right?

Where it's just the one little place.

No, this is an entire community.

And in that community, from our friend, and by the way, I'm very glad that all of our friends here today have now discovered this community.

Because for years, Hazelwood has experienced excessive trash, especially through the 2nd Avenue business district and below the tracks from trucks coming in and out constantly.

Umise, air pollution, truck hazelwood has you know a higher incidence of asthma than elsewhere in the city, trucks driving through the community, noise at all hours of the day and night for residents living below the tracks, bright lights at all hours of the day and night, make it impossible to have your windows open at night, and smells from rodents and smells and rodents, uh, you know, from specifically the recycling plant.

This has been going on for a very long time, much longer than I've been here, and longer than I think anyone else maybe has been here.

So I just want to talk about life in Hazelwood next to the Riv GI.

So this is a picture from someone's front porch.

Just to make it clear how close this community lives next to the operations of all the folks here in the room.

This is the recycling plant.

This is these are current pictures.

Open air on the ground.

There's another picture, big trucks, loud machinery.

And those are where the houses are.

It's very close.

There's another picture.

Another picture.

So you can see how close we're talking about.

People's homes.

This is a day and night.

So you can see the light.

This is at night.

That's how bright it is.

If you look on you can't, you the sky can't even be dark.

That's by the recycling plant.

Here's some more nighttime pictures.

This is on Langhorn Street.

Some more nighttime.

This is nighttime.

Night time in these pictures.

So I would ask everyone here to imagine if this was where you lived at night with these lights.

Oh, this is Aaron McQueen.

I do have a video.

I don't think I can play it on here, but I am, because you know, and I do want to say we we did have, you know, at the it.

This is a low-income community.

It is very hard for the people who live in this community to come out and testify on their behalf.

They do not have the money to hire an army of lawyers to come out and testify on their behalf.

But they did come out to the planning commission hearing.

And there are about, I think there are about 50 residents who turned out, and you know, maybe 15 or so that testified.

Um, as as we were, you know, letting people know about that hearing, and it's a huge lift, right?

It's a huge lift.

I just wanted, you know, I ran into Aaron McQueen, who lives on Langhorn Street.

She's a grandmother, you know, she takes care of her grandkids.

Um, and I just wanted to just play.

I'm gonna see if we can hear it.

I'm not, I don't think I'm able to play it on the Zoom, but I've in the 50.

I'm in the 50 50, 513 Langhorn Street, um tracks.

Um it's discussing down here with the railroad tracks and all the other stuff down here that's going on with the trash and everything.

I've been down here like going on 26 years, and they just do what they want to do, they come down here, all arms are tonight, they just like work, do whatever they want.

It's noisy down here, nobody had they don't have respect for us, they just come in here and do whatever they want.

We don't want nothing down here, no trash down here.

All right, I'm in the 50s 50.

So I think that's probably it.

Yeah, that's it for my presentation.

So, you know, with that in mind, I am glad that the folks on this side have discovered the hazelwood community.

And I am glad that you are taking the advice of the planning commission and working with the community partners to be better neighbors.

Because I've heard about the $50 million investment in the rail yard, but that investment includes building buildings with no contact with the city, no permitting from the city, which is fine, that's your right.

That's your right to do.

But it also includes putting up these horrific floodlights, no contact with the residents, no communication with the community group, cutting down an entire grove of trees that was serving as some protection to the folks to Aaron McQueen, who lives on Langhorn Street, ripping it out just one day to the next.

No conversation with the community groups, no conversation with council.

In fact, I've been on council for three years, and let me tell you, when you when you you join city council, it's almost overwhelming how many people like want, you know, sending you emails.

Oh, councilman, we want to meet, we want to talk to you about our business and the work that we're doing here and blah blah blah and all this stuff.

I never heard any of that from Republic Services or from any of the railroad companies.

So your question of why didn't we reach out to you?

Well, maybe because we've never even heard from you.

Um I want to underscore that everybody here understands that there is nothing we can do about existing facilities, right?

If your business is in a zone, it is in the zone.

And as far as the future, you know, I've heard about the expansion of the recycling plan.

Well, now I mean, so now they're talking of expanding.

Well, great.

The change in zoning would require now that unlike in past years, you actually come to the city if you want to grow your facility.

You actually come and engage with the planning commission with city council if you want to grow your facility.

I don't think that's too much to ask.

Um as far as getting rid of the I for the for the folks who the the um the executives at AVR, I feel like your your attorneys have been spinning you up because there has never been any, in fact, if you knew me at all, you would know that I am a transit advocate.

And I would love to see more than anything else in this city, the railroads actually engage with the city of Pittsburgh on transit, so that we can run commuter.

I mean, between Hazelwood and Oakland to have rail to be able to use the railroads that are connecting Hazelwood to the biggest, you know, employment hub in the city.

Yes, please.

That I mean that that's that's some visionary stuff that's above my pay grade.

But this notion that the rail yard would go away.

Um, you know, Galtech, I see you there.

I you know, Gaul Tech and I have been on the phone many, many times about the residents in Hayes with complaints about trucks idling.

It's all the same thing, right?

It's all the same problem.

This is about the future.

You are there now, and you have not been good neighbors.

Every single organization here has not been a good neighbor.

And I'm glad that you're here now, and that you're at the table and that you are engaging with Hazelwood Initiative and the Greater Hazelwood Community Collaborative.

I'm glad to see it.

But um we can't make we we we can't think about the future of Pittsburgh based on promises made by companies that come and companies that may go.

So I think that this rezone is a good thing for Hazelwood.

I think that yeah, I get it.

For the railroads, there's you know, the railroads are going to do what the railroads are gonna do.

Um but for all the other businesses, I think that it puts up, you know, if you want to expand, if you want to, you know, build you know, uh you know, do something new with your facility that you weren't able to do but that you weren't doing before, et cetera.

You know, it puts some safeguards in there for the neighbors who live next to you to at the very least ensure that you come to the city of Pittsburgh and to the residents and have a conversation.

Um anyway, so if nothing else, I'm glad that these conversations have started.

And um, I do appreciate everyone coming out.

You know, I know this has been long.

Um just for everyone's awareness, I believe that we have ninety days to take a vote on this, is my understanding.

Um yeah, thanks.

I will I will leave it at that.

Thank you.

Is there any f other comments from other members?

If not, then having exhausted the business of this public hearing, we are adjourned.