Pittsburgh hearing on Bill 21‑49 would ease vending rules, expand farm‑stand access; business districts urge protections

Pittsburgh City Council staff and public commenters on Oct. 22, 2025, discussed Bill 21‑49, a zoning text amendment intended to align the city’s zoning rules with a separate repeal-and-replace of Chapter 7‑19 (vending) and to modernize how mobile and stationary vending operate in the city.

Deputy Director Andrew Dash of the Department of City Planning opened the staff presentation and said the two companion pieces — the zoning text amendment and a vending ordinance — aim to create more entrepreneurial opportunity while protecting brick‑and‑mortar businesses. "This is amendment to the zoning code, which is part of a pair of amendments," Dash said. He described vending broadly as sales from non‑permanent structures, including food trucks, carts and mobile services.

Melissa Hill, economic opportunity planner in the Department of City Planning, described how vending is presently governed by separate licensing and zoning processes that do not align. "Mobile vendors are required to move every 4 hours and can only use the parking lane," Hill said, noting that the four‑hour requirement has been difficult to enforce. Staff told the council the proposed changes would create a single annual vending license, standardize location criteria to address traffic safety and accessibility, and replace duplicative paperwork by tying required approvals to the vending license where applicable.

The zoning amendment would revise three chapters of Title 9: primary uses, accessory uses and development review procedures. Staff said it would replace the current outdoor retail-sales entries with a clearer primary‑use classification, allow outdoor retail sales and services by right in most mixed‑use districts, and permit accessory outdoor retail sales by right in non‑residential districts and in some residential cases when accessory to uses such as community centers, parks, religious assembly and schools. Staff also said the amendment would remove a private‑property competition clause (retained in the right of way) and would clarify when a full zoning review is required so temporary setups do not trigger lengthy processes.

Staff said operational and enforcement details — including a fee schedule, priority rules and program guidance — will be contained in the companion vending ordinance or in administrative rules. Dash said one operational intent is to create a priority pathway for outdoor dining and retail at storefronts so that a vendor located at a storefront would not block a restaurant seeking outdoor dining.

Public testimony largely split along usage lines. Several vendors and nonprofit food‑access organizations urged adoption, saying reduced barriers would help small growers and mobile entrepreneurs. Christopher Rosado, owner of Steel City Hot Dogs, said he "strongly support[s] the proposed vending amendments" and asked the city to "structure this program to fairly prioritize or credit established vendors so that we are not supplanted by incoming competition." Hannah Mosca of Grow Pittsburgh and Daniel McCarthy of Just Harvest said allowing accessory farm stands in residential zones and easing private‑property vending would expand local food access and help small urban farmers financially.

Other speakers representing business districts and long‑standing neighborhood establishments urged caution. Howard Todd, owner of Deepfures Ice Cream Delight on Grandview Avenue in Mount Washington, told councilors that a 1995 ordinance (Section 7‑19‑o‑5‑a‑h) prohibits vending in parts of his district and that enforcement has been necessary to protect brick‑and‑mortar businesses. "Mobile vending directly competes with brick and mortar businesses and have an unfair advantage," Todd said, and he provided the council with a petition opposing vending in his area. Edward Lasud of the East Liberty Chamber of Commerce said East Liberty has experienced harm from unmanaged vending in the past and asked staff to coordinate directly with the chamber.

Speakers also raised specific operational concerns: Mike Andrews, a long‑time North Shore vendor, urged stronger traffic signage and event‑day speed restrictions on General Robinson Street to reduce pedestrian–vehicle conflicts; other commenters asked staff to ensure that fee changes and licensing priorities do not disadvantage vendors who have operated in good faith under the existing system.

No formal vote was taken; the clerk said the public hearing record will be forwarded and the matter "will come up for discussion at next week's standing committee meeting." The hearing was then adjourned.

Provenance: the presentation and staff summaries appear in the transcript beginning with the clerk’s reading of the bill title (00:00:32) and the Department of City Planning presentation (starting at 00:01:07); public testimony begins at 00:16:57 (Christopher Rosado) and concludes with the adjournment notice (00:44:24).