So we have a decision to make. If everyone could put down the House Tour decorations for a minute, Councilwoman Harris has asked for the Civic Council to weigh in on the new proposed food truck legislation. You can read the proposed legislation here that loosens restrictions on food trucks. It’s a hard question and there are legitimate concerns on both sides that need to be considered before the neighborhood takes a position. The Board has been checking in with residents and business owners on Western (the trucks will still only be allowed on non-residential streets), to understand their concerns, but for the Civic Council to take a formal position we need to have a vote. I would encourage everyone who feels strongly either way to please come to the membership meeting on Tuesday to contribute to the discussion. We’ll do our best to keep the conversation focused so folks can go back to their house tour projects in a reasonable amount of time. If you’re interested in the subject and want to read up on the subject here are some resources on the topic:
- FOOD ON WHEELS: Mobile Vending Goes Mainstream: http://goo.gl/qykjHy
- ON THE GO: INSIGHTS INTO FOOD TRUCK REGULATION: http://goo.gl/
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…and, if you really want to go all out, here’s a dissertation about food trucks in North Carolina:
- An Empirical Study of the Emergence and Policy Implications of the Food Truck Industry in the Research Triangle Region: https://goo.gl/UJgKlw
Speaking of interesting studies, a bunch of folks in the neighborhood ended up at a conferences about Historic Preservation in Pittsburgh put together by the City. I’m super glad I decided to burn some vacation days to attend, since my commitment to Historic Preservation was why I wanted to live in Allegheny West in the first place. As much as I’m a cheerleader for the Historic Review Commission and the preservation guidelines, even I was surprised how clear the positive economic impacts for things like property values and even employment that the rules have. The Historic Review Commission has posted the study they commission for Pittsburgh.
I also have been to a Complete Streets meeting, a Zoning Board workshop, and a talk by Mayor Fetterman from Braddock about urban renewal. Let that be a warning to anyone who ends up next to me at the cheese table during the House Tour Volunteer party. I’ve been in historic preservation and urban planning nerd heaven lately.
On behalf of the Tour Committee I want to thank the incredible amount of people who have dedicated literally hundreds of hours to make this tour a success! We’ve all been overwhelmed by how willing folks have been to step up. I can’t wait for the tour and the volunteer party…)
Catherine Serventi
President, AWCC