Pittsburgh zoning change would eliminate parking spot requirement for row housing

Pittsburgh’s proposal to eliminate a parking requirement for new row houses would help stimulate affordable housing, promote sidewalk safety and preserve the historic integrity of neighborhoods, officials said.

City Council on Tuesday introduced a resolution crafted by Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration that would eliminate a zoning requirement for single-family row houses to have at least one off-street parking space for each house.

The change would apply only to new construction.

The problem is that driveways cut through curbs and cross public sidewalks, according to Dan Gilman, Peduto’s chief of staff. It takes away from street parking and creates a safety hazard for pedestrians as residents pull vehicles in and out of their spots, he said. It also inflates the cost of housing.

The zoning change would eliminate those problems and help reduce vehicle numbers, Gilman said.

“It both sends a message that we’re not a car-driven society and city, and that you can live in an area like Lawrenceville or the Mexican War Streets or East Allegheny and walk,” Gilman said. “Also, we hope that for some people, it encourages them to not have a car, because it’s not as easy to just pull right into a parking pad that’s been cut into the front yard of a property,” he said.

William Gatti Jr., president of Trek Development Group, and Alfred DePasquale, a partner in October Development, agreed that the proposal would help reduce housing costs, but DePasquale expressed reservations. Both companies for years have built “infill” housing — homes built in gaps in row houses — on vacant lots across the city.

DePasquale described parking pads and garages as “big selling points” and said he would have to think “long and hard” about taking on a project without off-street parking.

“If I can do an infill home without having to do a garage, it’s going to be less expensive,” he said. “It makes it a more affordable home, and a lot of affordable home buyers don’t even own cars. Personally, I’m not sure I would build a home in the city of Pittsburgh if I did not have parking on the property.”

Gatti said the proposal would help rehabilitate depressed neighborhoods.

“The new legislation will be a much-needed shot in arm for the redevelopment efforts in transitional neighborhoods struggling to redensify while promoting continued vitality,” Gatti said.

City Councilwoman Deb Gross, who represents the Strip District and Lawrenceville neighborhoods where residential construction has been booming for years, said community groups want a ban on off-street parking at row houses.

She said attached housing has become prolific across the city, and it happened so quickly that city leaders and zoning rules haven’t had time to catch up.

“There’s two things: Put a driveway in and you’ve lost that pedestrian safety for yourself, your kid and people in wheelchairs,” Gross said. “The other thing on the streets is that you’ve lost public parking. From Bloomfield and Lawrenceville, the initial feedback is that this actually isn’t strong enough in removing those private driveways.”

Gross said she would be working with community groups to possibly create an amendment that would ban garages and pads at new row houses.

Gilman said the administration is willing to listen.

“This legislation simply eliminates the requirement, but we’ll continue to engage with neighborhood organizations to look at the future and whether or not a full prohibition makes sense for Pittsburgh,” he said.