Council committee advances Oakland rezoning and Central Catholic institutional plan after public outreach

Pittsburgh City Council standing committees on Feb. 12 recommended approval of a rezoning of parcels in North Oakland and approved an institutional master plan for Central Catholic High School after city planners described extensive outreach and safeguards to preserve neighborhood character.

City planning staff said the rezoning implements the Oakland plan adopted after more than a year of public work and is intended to align zoning with the community vision for mixed-use, walkable blocks. "We're sticking with the Oakland plan," said Krishn Namba, neighborhood planner with the Department of City Planning. "These zoning recommendations directly come from the plan and the land use strategy." Anther Ratandon, principal planner in the Zoning and Development Review Division, said the proposed zoning would not exceed existing heights and would require sidewalks, street trees and measures to avoid long, opaque building facades.

The rezoning ordinance (Bill 13-03) would change parcels bounded by Neville Street, Forbes Avenue, South Bellaire Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard in North Oakland from a mix of residential and industrial categories to Urban Center Employment and Urban Center Mixed Use. Planners said the change allows for mixed-use development that can support ground-floor retail, services and housing while preserving ten-foot sidewalks, street trees every 30 feet and mandatory green space requirements. "Density can be vibrant," a planner told council, describing how mixed-use zoning can support neighborhood amenities such as bakeries and coffee shops at street level.

Council members pressed planning staff on outreach. Planning staff described a multi-stage process beginning with two working sessions with the Oakland plan steering committee in spring, public outreach in August and September, meetings with the Bill Belfield Area Citizens Association, an Oakland Planning and Development Corporation roundtable, a North Oakland block party and follow-up conversations after the initial Planning Commission meeting. Councilwoman Kale Smith asked how steering committee members were chosen; staff said the steering committee included representative community leaders and that additional follow-up meetings were held with neighborhood residents after the Planning Commission review.

Council members also advanced an institutional master plan for Central Catholic High School (Bill 13-43). Planning staff said the plan was required because a prior institutional master plan amendment for Carnegie Mellon University had extended Educational/Institutional zoning into areas adjacent to the Central Catholic campus. Ratandon said Central Catholic engaged in outreach to multiple neighborhood groups, including communities beyond its immediate borders.

The standing committees gave both measures an affirmative recommendation. Council members and planning staff reiterated that large developments will continue to trigger community review processes, including RCO (registered community organization) meetings and Planning Commission review where applicable.

The rezoning and institutional master plan now go forward with the committee recommendations for final action by the full council.