News Around the Neighborhood
Parks Press: The Latest in Parks News
Plant Flowers for Mother’s Day
What better way to say I love you to a special person in your life this Mother’s Day than by planting park perennials? When you make a gift to our perennial fund, these perpetual plantings beautify the parks and serve a vital role in our local ecosystem through a strategic pollination plan. So give the gift that’s in bloom year after year!
Stormwater Conversations
What happens on your street when it rains too hard? Join one of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s (PWSA) upcoming “Stormwater Conversations!” The PWSA will host a series of six community workshops to gather feedback and address stormwater challenges head on. Recognizing that everyone learns and receives information differently, the PWSA has designed the workshops to be engaging and interactive. Learn more and share your perspective with the PWSA team.
2023 Allegheny West Preservation Award
The Allegheny West Local Review Committee, along with The Allegheny West Civic Council, announces the 13th Annual Allegheny West Preservation Awards. These awards are presented to property owners in Allegheny West who have completed projects over the recent years, retaining or restoring appropriate elements of historic character, and adhering to the neighborhood guidelines. The success of these projects was attained by doing research, creating well thought-out plans, following neighborhood historic guidelines, and working with the neighborhood LRC and the City HRC to seek advice on the application process and guidelines.
The 2023 Award Recipients Are:
Greg Kobulnicky for the restoration of 908 Beech Avenue, main house and ancillary building/electric shop.
The main house, built in 1868, is an example of the Italianate style, the most popular in the Pittsburgh area between 1860 and 1885. It is one of the oldest along Beech Avenue. The ancillary building was added in 1895.
Over the recent years the most prominent reconstruction projects that Greg has undertaken are the replacement of the side porch, highly visible from Beech Avenue, and the reconstruction of the ancillary building in the rear. On the porch, chamfered columns were used, with brackets that match those above the front door. The porch deck and ceiling are tongue and groove wood. The roof is standing seam metal, and the door onto the porch is paneled wood with a glass lite. The new porch reflects the Italianate style.
The new first floor windows along the porch side are wood.
The reconstruction of the ancillary building involved masonry work and the rebuilding of the roof and chimneys. New windows were installed, and a new door added.
This restoration is successful because of the extensive research, well thought-out plans, and adherence to our neighborhood guidelines.
Paula Cellini for the restoration of 929 Western Avenue
This is a very special award because Paula is no longer with us. Not only did she restore the Western Avenue façade of 929 and replace garage doors in the rear, but she served on the LRC and was a strong advocate of historic preservation in Allegheny West.
Paula had just received approvals to add a second floor living space above her garage. She was preparing to start construction. She related her experiences in getting City permits and approvals to LRC members. Her experience in restoration in historic districts, both Allegheny West and Manchester will be greatly missed.
What is the Allegheny West LRC and What is its function?
The Allegheny West LRC is a group of residents in the AW City Historic District convened by the City Historic Review Commission to review exterior renovation projects, to help property owners manage the building permit process, and to provide our recommendations to the property owner, and the City Historic Review Commission.
Because Allegheny West is one of 13 city historic districts, all exterior work that is visible from a right-of-way, a street or alley, needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and, depending on the type of project, possibly a building permit. Once you have a concept, idea, or plan, check the Allegheny West Historic Guidelines. These guidelines are posted on the City HRC site. If your project fits the guidelines or if it is fairly simple and straightforward, such as painting, you may be able to get approval for a Certificate of Appropriateness “over the counter” at 200 Ross Street, Downtown. The persons that you will need to contact for this are Sarah Quinn, 412-255-2243 or sarah.quinn@pittsburghpa.gov. or Sharon Spooner, sharon.spooner@pittsburghpa.gov, the City Historic Planners.
However, if you are planning a more significant project, such as replacement of windows or doors, installation of a fence, porch, addition, or a garage, you will need to have a hearing before the Historic Review Commission. In the second instance, please contact us, your local committee. We will review your plans, make recommendations, and help you get through the process. To be put on the LRC’s agenda, contact Carole Malakoff, carolemalakoff@hotmail.com.
Warning – Do not proceed with work without a building permit or a CofA! Property owners who have done so in the past have been cited by Building Inspection. Time and money had to be expended to resolve the situations, and projects were delayed.
More information about the Allegheny West City designation can be found on the City’s web-site under City Planning/HRC:
- guidelines for our neighborhood
- the other 13 historic districts
- applications to apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness
Tiffany Concert Series: Diamante Trio with Lilly Abreu
Submitted by Margee Bilyak
As you may know, Allegheny Historic Preservation Society hosts Tiffany Concerts and other events at Calvary United Methodist Church on the corner of Allegheny and Beech Avenues to showcase this magnificent structure in Allegheny West. Calling attention to it and inviting participation and support helps to insure that it will remain a strong and beautiful landmark building.We hope to see you there.
Love Your Block Grant Applications Now Open
Street Cleaning
Due to the pandemic having large parts of the population at home since 2020, the City of Pittsburgh had decreased the severity and frequency of street cleaning tickets given out, however, starting this month, the City will be bringing the street cleaning program back to 100%. With that comes the return of ticketing for having your car interfering with the street cleaning. Please pay attention to your neighborhood’s street signs, as they will inform you the date you need to adjust your parking. Neighborhood and residential street sweeping begins after 8 AM and ends approximately at 2:30 pm.
April 18 is the Deadline for High School Seniors to Apply for a Landmarks Scholarship
The essays that Landmarks Scholarship applicants have written over the years, describing places in Allegheny County that are especially important to them, are archived at PHLF and are well worth reading. Our Landmarks Scholarship Committee looks forward to receiving more applications this year, by the Tuesday April 18 deadline, and awarding at least one more $6,000 scholarship.
We are now accepting applications for our organization’s scholarship program for high-achieving, community-minded, high school seniors in Allegheny County who will be attending college or university in the fall of 2023.
The deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
As part of the Landmarks Scholarship application, students are asked to describe in an essay a place in Allegheny County especially important in their lives; these essays–all archived at PHLF–show how our scholarship program has helped future preservationists, architects, designers, and planners realize their career dreams and remain connected to the Pittsburgh region.
This program is funded in part by support from the Brashear Family Fund and the Landmarks Scholarship Fund, including donations to the 2008 and 2014 Scholarship Celebrations, and from the Russell W. Coe Preservation Fund at PHLF.
Click here to download the application
The award of $6,000 is payable over four years to the recipient’s college or university, to be used for book and tuition expenses only.
Click here if you would like to donate to our Landmarks Scholarship Program to help it grow and to ensure that it continues.
Recycling and Trash Collection on Monday
Place trash and recycling out beginning at 6:00 pm Sunday evening for pick up Monday morning.
A few reminders:
- Recycling bins should not contain any small blue “grocery bags.” Recycling that exceeds the capacity of the blue bins should be placed in large, purchased recycling plastic bags.
- Remove all lids and caps from bottles, jars, jugs and cans and discard with regular trash.
- Flatten all corrugated cardboard and bundle with twine or tape, or place in another box.
- After collection, all bins must be removed from the street, alley or sidewalk, per City Ordinance, by Monday at 10:00 pm.
Warhol Museum Happenings
Good Fridays….a weekly event
Fridays from 5:00-10:00 pm, enjoy half-price admission to seven floors of art and archives, rotating exhibitions, free daily events and more. Get timed tickets at www.warhol.org. Discount will be applied during check out.
Sound Series on Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 8:00pm
Amirtha Kidambi and Darius Jones collaborate on Angels and Demons. They “join sonic and compositional forces to materialize…musical adaptations of cosmological writings by iconic composer and bandleader Sun Ra.” For tickets and more information, see www.warhol.org.