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Nonprofit touts new homeownership units; residents urge action on dock dam safety and rental complaints
Summary
During public comment Tri-County Housing announced a May ribbon-cutting for five townhouses funded in part by a $750,000 Affordable Housing Program grant; other residents raised concerns about downtown property damage, landlord behavior and repeated deaths at the Dock Street Dam, urging engineering and safety fixes.
At the end of the council work session, Tri-County Housing’s executive director, Gary Lenker, gave an overview of his nonprofit’s North 4th Street homeownership project and invited council to a ribbon-cutting scheduled for Wednesday, May 13. Lenker said the project produced five townhouses for low- and moderate-income buyers and that the organization received a $750,000 Affordable Housing Program grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh.
A second speaker, who identified himself as Darian ("they call me Mr. D"), described repeated instances of property damage downtown, difficulties obtaining police reports and practices by property managers he described as unfair. He asked for clearer information on where to report property damage and for greater responsiveness from authorities.
Lewis Butts, speaking from Midtown, raised long-standing safety concerns about the Dock Street Dam, saying dozens of deaths have occurred there and urging the city to explore engineering fixes. He proposed retrofitting the dam with turbines as both a safety and revenue measure and said he intends to work with engineers to pursue solutions.
Council thanked the speakers and the public-comment period closed; no council action was taken on the public comments during the work session.
