Negley Corridor - City of Pittsburgh

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I. Overview *NOTE: To avoid confusion, in this report "Highland Park" will be used to refer to the regional park; the neighborhood will be specified as "Highland Park neighborhood." Negley Avenue is a primary corridor in Pittsburgh’s East End. It connects neighborhoods and commercial centers, is a major transportation thoroughfare, and provides access to Highland Park and the Pittsburgh Zoo. Many neighborhoods border on Negley; it can connect neighborhoods and be a boundary between them. Unfortunately, Negley Avenue has often been more of a barrier than a connection, with no community taking "ownership" of the corridor. This report and the broader Negley Corridor Initiative is an attempt to view Negley Avenue as a common thread weaving together the neighborhoods of East Liberty, Highland Park, Garfield, and Friendship. Several East End neighborhood groups have joined together in an effort to focus attention on development strategies for northern Negley Avenue. This report is the product of that effort and can be used as a resource document for all those involved in development on this corridor. The Negley Corridor is defined in this report as properties fronting onto Negley Avenue from Centre Avenue north to the street’s terminus in Highland Park. The Department of City Planning has completed this document on behalf of the East End Neighborhood Forum (EENF) and the Negley Corridor Initiative Oversight Committee, a collection of community representatives from each neighborhood adjacent to the Negley Corridor study area. This development strategy details a long-term vision for the corridor to set the context for future private and public development decisions. Rather than describing short-term fixes, this vision articulates what the corridor can become with the concerted effort of residents who live along the corridor, private and non-profit developers, community organizations, and the public sector. City Planning Role While the Department of City Planning is preparing this phase of the Negley Corridor Development Strategy, it is not a city-initiated effort. City Planning is acting as a consultant to the Negley Corridor Initiative under the auspices of EENF; Phase One, Existing Conditions, was undertaken by Environmental Planning and Design (see Chapter V). The planners involved are offering their expertise and their perspective, but are acting under the direction of the Negley Corridor Initiative Committee. Moreover, although the Department of City Planning is Overview 3
producing the report, it should not be considered a plan detailing future city budget expenditures. The City of Pittsburgh currently has no funds budgeted for the implementation of this plan. Upon completion of the strategy, the Negley Corridor Initiative Committee may elect to seek funding, both public and private to see that the recommendations are implemented. This document is meant to guide all development that takes place along the corridor, most of which will be private development. A Vision for the Negley Corridor When the strategy recommendations are implemented, what will the Negley Corridor be like? The following statements offer a sense of how one may experience the new Negley Avenue. The vision for the Negley Corridor is that of a grand residential street that culminates at one of the city’s premier regional parks. At the corridor’s southern boundary, one finds an abundance of large-scale, auto-oriented commercial activity on Baum Boulevard. Even so, the intersection of Baum Boulevard and Negley Avenue is a beautiful, lushly landscaped gateway to the Negley Corridor. Although there is not actually a park there, the amount of landscaping on each property facing the intersection reminds one of Highland Park at Negley Avenue’s northern terminus. Commercial activity is located at specific focal points and faces the side streets, rather than fronting on Negley. Parking for commercial uses is provided either at the rear or side of the structures. The corridor’s zoning accurately reflects these various land uses. Directional signage points the way from Negley Avenue to nearby neighborhood commercial districts. Technically, Negley Avenue is the border separating four neighborhoods along the corridor’s length. However, instead of each neighborhood turning its back to Negley Avenue, it is a focal point for development activity and has been the vehicle for the various neighborhoods to jointly work toward common goals. Negley Avenue now functions as a seam that binds several neighborhoods. The corridor contains many amenities, including street trees, attractive bus shelters and trash receptacles, consistent lighting, clear and uniform signage, and highly visible textured crosswalks. There is a consistent pattern of development along the corridor because a common setback – distance between buildings and the street – has been established for nearly all the buildings and their front yards. Traffic is calmed, but still flows efficiently along the corridor because there is consistent on-street parking and well-timed lights. The on-street parking contributes to pedestrian safety by creating a buffer between moving vehicles and persons on the sidewalk. Bus shelters, street trees, and visible textured crosswalks also help to improve conditions for pedestrians. All structures along the corridor are well maintained and in compliance with city codes. Single family structures are maintained for single family use. Multiple family structures are kept clean, have adequate parking for residents, and contribute to Negley Avenue’s residential identity; their front yards, porches, and landscaping are similar to that of single family homes. Porches are no longer removed from the fronts of homes. In fact, porches have been restored to those facades from which they were once removed. These homes now have a much stronger presence along the street because their porches provide gracious entry points to the home and maintain the common setback along the corridor. These characteristics create an important sense of place and a unique identity for the Negley Corridor. 4 Overview
Page 2 and 3: Negley Corridor Development Strateg
Page 4 and 5: The Negley Corridor Initiative is a
Page 8 and 9: Community Contribution to the Docum
Page 10 and 11: II. Development Strategy and Action
Page 12 and 13: The Negley Corridor Figure II a. N
Page 14 and 15: Companion Document: Negley Corridor
Page 16 and 17: This property at the corner of Baum
Page 18 and 19: Residential Development Priorities
Page 20 and 21: In the longer term, the Negley Corr
Page 22 and 23: (URA Programs, cont.) HOME IMPROVEM
Page 24 and 25: Restore Porches The removal of porc
Page 26 and 27: Greening the Corridor Landscaping i
Page 28 and 29: The City of Pittsburgh is fortunate
Page 30 and 31: 28 Development Strategey and Action
Page 32 and 33: III. Negley Corridor Development St
Page 34 and 35: Project/Activity Responsible Party
Page 36 and 37: IV. Development Principles Negley C
Page 38 and 39: Architectural Principles The Archit
Page 40 and 41: STREET TREES Acer buergeranum - Tri
Page 42 and 43: BUILDING & SITE MATERIALS ROOF WALL
Page 44 and 45: V. Existing Conditions: Challenges
Page 46 and 47: traffic on the street each day. Man
Page 48 and 49: Existing Conditions Data This secti
Page 50 and 51: The following is a list of the zoni
Page 52 and 53: Appendix 55
Page 54: Appendix 57 1

Negley Corridor - City of Pittsburgh

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