the recent increase Rainstorms not only ruin the way to class – rainwater is actually a major pollutant in Pittsburgh’s rivers, and Beth Dutton said managing it can improve public health.
“Storm water is the number one pollutant in urban areas,” says Dutton, Senior group leader rainwater for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, called. “If we can better manage rainwater, we can reduce the amount of sewage and pollution entering our rivers, which is a public health benefit for us and our downstream neighbors.”
In addition to the rainwater management plan of the PWSA, Oakland Planning and Development Corp. discussed Carnegie Mellon University institutional master plan and UPMC’s proposal for a new bed tower at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Atwood Streets when they meet on Wednesday night.
Dutton – accompanied by Rebecca Zito, Senior Manager of Public Affairs at PWSA – said Pittsburgh’s current system is not built to counter the effects of climate change. Pittsburgh has one Mixed seweragewhich means that both sewage and rainwater go through a pipe to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority. With more sidewalks and hard surfaces, the city’s system is no longer able to effectively combat the threat of rainwater runoff.
To combat the problem, PWSA implemented a to plan to update the Rainwater management system. The construction and maintenance of drains are intended Keep as much rainwater out of the sewer system as possible so that river basins are not dammed with sewage during storms.
Dutton said PWSA built 13 green infrastructures pages across the city to absorb and slow down the flow of rainwater. With several other projects currently planned, PWSA will need an additional source of income, according to Dutton – the rainwater fee – to complete the projects.
The PWSA received Pushback in response to the fee, especially from nonprofits or corporations that do not pay water bills, such as school districts, churches, parking lots, or vacant landowners.
From 2022 and pending approval by the Local Commission, according to Dutton, homeowners have to pay a monthly rate. With this income, the PWSA secures the necessary funds to complete its projects and ensure that the rainwater is managed effectively.
The meeting also included a discussion of UPMC’s latest proposal – a bed tower on Fifth and Atwood. According to project manager Mike Scheshler, the new tower will accommodate 636 patient beds and include a parking garage for 450 cars. Schesler also said the building would take the slope directly to the left of the Pitt Public Health Building on Desoto Street.
Scheshler said the clear architectural choice for an all-glass facade was made because research “shows us that patient recovery is enhanced with access to views and natural light”.
Scheshler also said the glass allows the building to capture the spirit of Oakland.
“By capturing different colors and light patterns that change over the course of the day, the building becomes a bit chameleon-like as the colors and reflections of the surrounding buildings are clearly visible throughout the day,” said Scheshler.
Scheshler added that UPMC will prioritize the need for public space and pedestrian accessibility. A Lifestyle Village with restaurants, fitness suites, garden terraces and spiritual centers is located on the ground floor of the planned building. He said construction for the project is slated to begin in the summer of 2022, with an active facility hopefully opening in the fall of 2026.
On the opposite side of Oakland, the CMU discussed its institutional master plan aimed at building, renovating, and maintaining spaces on the CMU campus, according to Bob Reppe, senior director of planning and design at CMU. The map is divided into four different wards on Carnegie campus – the historic core, North Campus, South Craig Street and Schenley Park.
Reppe said renovations in the historic core are aimed at introducing new academic buildings while maintaining the architecturally significant corridor from the 1900s. Reppe said the CMU is giving priority to increasing housing space within the North Campus to ensure all undergraduate students are accommodated on campus.
In the South Craig Street district, Reppe said, the master plan aims to preserve and expand the mixed-use nature of the area, as well as both academic buildings and the denser urban areas for permanent residents of the city.
Reppe also said the plans include a new anchor building – a structure that will serve as a central hub for all of the university’s scientists. Despite the planned expansion to include a large academic building, Reppe said the university is still prioritizing access to South Craig Street.
“Mobility goals define all of the university’s plans,” said Reppe. “There are a number of ways to do this, including improving pedestrian walkways and connections, adding cycling facilities, and working with our institutional partners to develop shared shuttle systems.”
Comments are closed.