School board approves TRID-related development after debate over Manchester outreach

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Board of Public Education on April 30 approved item 12.02, a measure tied to a tax-incentive/Trade District (TRID) development project in the Manchester neighborhood, after a lengthy discussion about whether the board should delay the vote to allow more direct meetings between residents and the developer. The vote on the item was recorded as 5 yes, 1 abstention and 1 no.

Board members said they were weighing competing priorities: honoring resident requests for more direct engagement and moving forward with a development the district and some city leaders say will bring housing, jobs and neighborhood investment.

Director Barker (board member), who moved to table the item until the next legislative meeting to allow the neighborhood more time to meet with the developer, cited a petition and residents’ complaints that they had not been given adequate opportunity to participate. "Our job as elected officials is to listen to all voices," Barker said during the discussion. Supporters of delaying the vote pointed to a petition with more…