Planning Commission again tables action on plan to fence in Pittsburgh Playhouse courtyard, terrace
Members of the city’s Planning Commission say the latest proposal by Point Park University to fence in an outdoor courtyard and terrace at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Downtown is a step in the right direction — but still not good enough.
While encouraged by the latest attempt, the commission tabled action Tuesday to give Point Park more time to work with an artist and an architect and perhaps the city’s design review panel to fine tune it.
“You’re on the way and it feels good. I just want you to keep your foot on the gas and let’s get to what I feel could be a real resolution,” said LaShawn Burton-Faulk, commission vice chairwoman.
The university is seeking to install 6½foot high fencing and two gates to block off at night what are now open archways and stairs leading to a courtyard and secondfloor terrace at the playhouse.
Under the plan, the courtyard and terrace would be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily or later if someone is attending an event or is a guest of the university.
Point Park attorney Shawn Gallagher has said that the college needed to take action because some people were treating the space as a “Downtown urinal” and that it had become a “haven for criminal activity” after hours.
But the commission so far has resisted the effort, fearing that a fence and gates would make the space much less inviting to the public. It tabled the university’s initial plan to secure the space in September.
With the playhouse opening in 2018, the city mandated that the university keep the courtyard and terrace open to the public. Commission members required the open spaces in approving the project at 350 Forbes Ave. in 2015.
Point Park’s latest proposal involved replacing the railing in the fencing with a boxed cable grid in a bid to create a “window frame” look and more of an open, light, and airy feel.
“It’s a challenging problem. The primary objective here is safety and security,” said Christopher Haupt of DLA + Architecture and Interior Design. “As the university’s described, there’s been a lot of questionable activity and risk to people who occupy and move through this parklet into the building, particularly after hours.”
He and other university representatives said they had considered other options but that none of them were as good as the revised proposal presented Tuesday.
“I’m not really sure frankly what else we could do here to try to satisfy the university’s requirement for security,” Mr. Haupt said.
Commission members seemed to be most intrigued by an option that included the boxed cable grid and images of the comedy and tragedy masks on each of the two gates that would be opened in the morning and closed at night.
With that option, “You’re inching in the right direction,” Ms. Burton-Faulk said.” I think there can be some extra steps. I’m really excited about the possibility of exploring that.”
Point Park is working with local artist John Walter in trying to craft a new design. Ms. Burton-Faulk said she also would like to see the university consult the city’s design review panel on a possible solution.
While Mr. Gallagher ultimately agreed to further discussions, he was concerned about the effort becoming bogged down. He said the proposal presented Tuesday was “legally sufficient” to meet city zoning code standards.
“I’m a little concerned that if we don’t go forward now, we’re not going to be advancing the ball and we’re going to be in the same situation in two weeks, in four weeks.”
In the end, the university probably had little choice but to agree to a delay. The planning department had recommended against the revised design.
Kate Rakus of the planning department said that with the fencing and gates, “it really just doesn’t feel like a public open space.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, the commission did approve a plan by Duquesne University to build a 12-story residence hall on vacant land on Forbes Avenue near its Power Center. The dorm, bounded by Watson and Magee streets, will house 229 units.