Planners delay hearing on Oakland project
Will assess revised proposal for 2 weeks
A day after reaching a deal with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on a plan to remake part of Oakland, developer Walnut Capital will have to wait a bit longer to get started.
City Planning Commission members on Tuesday delayed a hearing on the revised zoning proposal for two more weeks so that they and members of the public have a chance to review the agreement cut between Mr. Gainey and the Shadyside developer.
But overall, commission members seemed to be far more supportive of the amended proposal than they were of the first one that came before them in December, when they voiced concerns about the process and issues like affordable housing, equity and inclusion.
Commission Chairwoman Christine Mondor said the new proposal negotiated by the mayor and Walnut Capital and announced Monday may be “one of the most transformational changes we’ve seen in a project moving forward.”
“It certainly seems to be very much on the right track towards meeting some of the concerns that we had on the first time through,” she said.
“I feel very heartened by the changes and really commend the whole team for all of the hard work,” added commission member Jennifer Askey.
The revised plan will do away with a proposal to add a new subdistrict to the five existing public realm districts in Oakland. Instead, it creates an entirely new zoning classification — urban center-mixed use.
But the deal also limits the reach of what Walnut Capital originally was proposing as part of its Oakland Crossings plan.
Eliminated from the overall footprint are McKee Place, Louisa Street and Zulema Park.
The new development — and the revised zoning — will be centered on Halket Street, the former Quality Inn and Suites site at the end of Halket and the historic Isaly’s site on the Boulevard of the Allies.
In all, Walnut Capital will be redeveloping 13 acres as opposed to nearly 18 in the original plan.
The deal will allow the developer to move forward in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh on a plan to convert the former Quality Inn site into non-student housing and to build a grocery on the first floor, a long-sought neighborhood amenity.
Walnut Capital also will be able to build apartments along Halket across from UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.
Between those two sites, about 400 apartments could be
erected, including nearly 50 affordable units.
The revised zoning provides for a base height of 65 feet along Halket. With various bonuses, Walnut Capital can build as high as 120 feet north of Louisa toward Forbes Avenue and to 185 feet south of Louisa toward the boulevard.
That’s far above the 40 feet Walnut Capital would have been limited to on Halket in a draft zoning proposal pitched by city planners as part of the Oakland master plan process.
At the Isaly’s site, the developer is limited to 85 feet in height near Niagara Street but can go as high as 185 feet at the back of the site.
One of the cornerstones to the deal is the affordable housing, a top priority of Mr. Gainey.
As part of a public benefits agreement, Walnut Capital has committed to making at least 10% of the units it builds affordable to households at or below 50% of the area median income for a minimum of 35 years and to using the city Housing Authority’s choice voucher program.
Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak told the commission the commitment and the use of the choice voucher program may be “unprecedented” in city history and could be used as a model for other developments in the future.
“There is much to build on here,” he said.
The revised code also sets standards for groceries in that at least 25% of the inventory by volume must be perishable goods like dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables, and frozen foods that may include fresh meats, poultry and fish.
Jonathan Kamin, attorney for Walnut Capital, said the revised zoning and the accompanying community benefits agreement also represents a model for equitable, sustainable and transit-oriented development.
“”We’re going to not just have affordable housing, we’re going to create affordable living,” he said.
Both he and Mr. Pawlak said the agreement and the revised zoning are in keeping with the goals of the Oakland master plan, or Oakland Plan, which is nearing its completion.
The original Walnut Capital-backed zoning proposal, introduced by former Mayor Bill Peduto, divided Oakland residents and community groups. Oakland Planning and Development Corp., one neighborhood group, vehemently opposed, while the Oakland Business Improvement District, whose members include Walnut Capital, supported it.
Oakland BID already has voiced its support for the revised plan. OPDC stated that the deal involves “substantial and transformative changes” to the zoning but stopped short of endorsing it, as it was still reviewing it.
“We believe we have arrived at a favorable conclusion for the public,” Mr. Pawlak told commission members.
City Councilman Bruce Kraus, who represents the parts of Oakland affected by the Walnut Capital plan, said the changes were “substantive and they are in the best interests of the project and in the best interests of the neighborhood of Oakland.”