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EAC greenlights dark‑skies subcommittee planning, schedules March meeting with experts
Summary
The Environmental Advisory Council discussed next steps on a proposed dark‑skies ordinance, with staff arranging a March 6 subcommittee meeting and identifying potential experts from Pittsburgh, Penn State and Carnegie Mellon to advise ordinance drafting.
Hannah Leeski, neighborhood resource coordinator in planning and zoning, told the EAC on Feb. 25 that staff are coordinating with city historic preservation planner Matthew Falconee and outside experts to begin ordinance research and to meet on March 6 to scope next steps.
“We are working with Matthew Falconee ... to connect with someone in Pittsburgh government, who has assisted in their dark skies ordinance creation,” Leeski said, and asked whether subject matter experts should attend the subcommittee’s first meeting or be invited later after the committee defines its priorities.
Board members clarified the subcommittee’s immediate focus will be a dark‑skies ordinance—starting with municipal property lighting controls—and that related topics such as bird‑friendly building design and glass impacts would be considered but might move on a separate track. Members suggested potential contributors including a school‑district contact, a Penn State expert who worked with the students on related projects, a Carnegie Mellon professor in physics and astronomy, and Katie Wickard from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Members also cautioned about Sunshine Act constraints: if more than three EAC members participate in a subcommittee meeting it may need advertising as an open meeting. The subcommittee plans to reconvene members who previously expressed interest and to invite additional EAC members who volunteer to join.
Staff said they will circulate a calendar invite for the March 6 meeting and follow up about whether to include subject matter experts at that initial session.
