PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[highlander206]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

You're welcome!

I did my civic duty. Hint: I didn't vote for Darlene Harris. I don't care if she does live in my neighborhood of Spring Hill. Peduto has been doing a great job.

I did my part as well today voting Peduto. I didn't think it was much of a contest with voting for him, I really couldn't see the other two doing a good job as mayor. Looking forward to seeing the suburban and outlying county idiots in the comments sections tonight cry about the city's choice. I am on vacation for this week from work so I went to my polling place at 2 and by then I was only #53. There were two tables where voters could go to before voting so I'm not sure if that was just for my table or both overall.

[contellus]

A few small Pitt renovations of note getting underway this summer:

The Barco Law Building will be getting around $6,000,000 in work, mainly to replace the original HVAC and mechanical systems, and to create office space within the building that was previously across the street at Sennott Square. Fortunately for fans of Brutalism, it doesn't look like the exterior will be touched: https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/?p=41663

The first of the multi-phase renovation to the Hillman Library will also get underway, also to replace the original mid-century mechanical and HVAC systems. It appears that they will also be doing asbestos remediation floor-by-floor starting with the fourth floor, and adding more student study space by pushing some more rarely-used books and journals to their off-site storage space in Point Breeze: https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/?p=41217 Again, there don't appear to be any exterior changes, although it does appear that they're planning some type physical expansion of the library in the near future: https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/?p=43147

[photoLith]

I went to vote and couldn't because Im an Independent and totally I forgot I changed to an Independent last year after Bernie got screwed over by the DNC. Pretty undemocratic to not allow Independents to vote in primaries.

[highlander206]

Originally Posted by photoLith

I went to vote and couldn't because Im an Independent and totally I forgot I changed to an Independent last year after Bernie got screwed over by the DNC. Pretty undemocratic to not allow Independents to vote in primaries.

This is one of only 11 states where only registered voters of a party can vote in a primary.


From Wikipedia:
"Closed primary. People may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party prior to election day. Independents cannot participate. Note that because some political parties name themselves independent, the terms "non-partisan" or "unaffiliated" often replace "independent" when referring to those who are not affiliated with a political party. Eleven states – Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming – have closed primaries."

I never really considered changing my registration because it is the largest party in the state and it's not like you have to give a party money to be able to vote in the primary unlike a lot of other countries I believe.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by photoLith

I went to vote and couldn't because Im an Independent and totally I forgot I changed to an Independent last year after Bernie got screwed over by the DNC. Pretty undemocratic to not allow Independents to vote in primaries.

I don't want to start a big derail but if you aren't a member of a party, I'm not sure why you should get a say in whose their nominee.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by photoLith

I went to vote and couldn't because Im an Independent and totally I forgot I changed to an Independent last year after Bernie got screwed over by the DNC. Pretty undemocratic to not allow Independents to vote in primaries.

What's undemocratic is giving special privilege to independents, so they can vote in whatever primary they happen to feel like voting in... and thus have influence in a party's leadership that they have no stated affiliation with.

Why should you, as an "Independent", be entitled to vote in another political party's primary election that will determine who that party's nominee is?

You left the Democratic Party. It's not your organization, so why should you have a say in who they elect as leaders of their organization?

...

Regardless, I'm pissed my lovely Darlene didn't win. Obviously, the fix was in for Bike Lane Bill.

[themaguffin]

I went to vote and couldn't because Im an Independent and totally I forgot I changed to an Independent last year after Bernie got screwed over by the DNC. Pretty undemocratic to not allow Independents to vote in primaries.

If you aren't a member of a party, why should you get to select who their nominee is?

And also, not to go down this rabbit hole that is not Pgh development, but Bernie didn't get screwed by the party. For not being a Democrat, he was allowed to participate and even had some distinct advantages.

[eschaton]

Pittsburgh Business Times has a summary up of yesterday's planning commission meeting. I'm getting three things out of it:

1. The Art Institute building is basically being completely gutted on the inside in order to turn it into a "class A" office building.

2. Coltart Street NIMBYs are still NIMBYing (although fruitlessly in this case).

3. Buncher doesn't really know what it's doing.

[AFW523]

Originally Posted by eschaton

3. Buncher doesn't really know what it's doing.

Ha! Finally an explanation that makes sense to me.

[Grego43]

Originally Posted by themaguffin

if you aren't a member of a party, why should you get to select who their nominee is?

And also, not to go down this rabbit hole that is not pgh development, but bernie didn't get screwed by the party. For not being a democrat, he was allowed to participate and even had some distinct advantages.

exactly!

[Austinlee]

I'm with Photolith on this one. I think closed primaries are dumb. Perhaps backed up by the fact that 88% of states don't have closed primaries?
I would prefer to be registered as an independent and vote for whoever I agree with the most, regardless of which party they are in than have to pick between the two stupid rival Hatfield vs McCoy parties.

But since PA is closed I am a registered Democrat.

[eschaton]

New zoning report. Very boring overall. Biggest project is the Craft Place offices which are replacing the NIMBY-killed apartment project discussed upthread. As a reminder, the project will now be a rehab of this building. Surface parking spaces to be located here, across the street and catty corner. A pretty terrible location for the accessory parking though, because Boulevard of the Allies doesn't have a crosswalk until Craft Avenue, meaning you'd have to cross five streets to get there. Admittedly low traffic ones, but still.

Other items of interest - a scooter store going into Beechview, a new ECS playground, and the Mattress Factory adding a deck. As I said, really boring stuff.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I'm with Photolith on this one. I think closed primaries are dumb. Perhaps backed up by the fact that 88% of states don't have closed primaries?
I would prefer to be registered as an independent and vote for whoever I agree with the most, regardless of which party they are in than have to pick between the two stupid rival Hatfield vs McCoy parties.

But since PA is closed I am a registered Democrat.

Well, then youre with someone who is complaining about not having a say in someone else's organization after they made the free decision to not have a say in that organization.

Sounds like you're not understanding how it works... and your 88% number is wrong.


As an independent voter (or as any party-affiliated voter) , you can choose whoever you agree with the most (even in a state with fully closed primaries) -- in the general election.

But if you're not affiliated with one of the "stupid rival Hatfield vs McCoy parties", then why should you have a say in who represents them?

Presidential Democratic


Presidential Republican


Congressional Democratic


Congressional Republican

http://www.fairvote.org/primaries#pr..._type_by_state

[eschaton]

This is off topic, but one should keep in mind that compared to basically every other country in the world, we have the most democratic means of selecting party candidates in the world. Basically everywhere else, party candidates are either chosen via backroom deals, or solely by card-carrying, dues-paying members of the political party (which are typically no more than a percent or two of the general electorate).

Of course, in those countries, there are typically more than two parties to choose from. Basically the U.S. response during the Progressive era for the parties having too much internal power was regulating them and opening up the candidate section process, while elsewhere in the world they just ensured that there were no legal obstructions to formation of new parties, so whenever you felt your issues weren't being addressed you could help form another one.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

and the Mattress Factory adding a deck. As I said, really boring stuff.

Actually, if you dig a little deeper this is as un-boring as it gets. Why? Because the deck is actually a massive new JAMES TURRELL piece that they are getting!



http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/art-a...s/201601270017

[photoLith]

^
The photos from up there will be freaking epic once thats completed.

[Bricktrimble]

For all of the building photographs on this site, how is that done legally? I went to a facility that distributes a public service and was told not to take any photographs of the building. All I wanted were some photos of the cladding on the building. Not being a professional photographer, I did not get prior approval and thought I could just take photographs from the sidewalk (a public space). Apparently that wasn't allowed.

I know many of the photos on this site are of projects under construction and there is no one around to shoo someone away, but what about existing buildings? Are companies really that uptight not to allow any photos of their buildings? I wanted to get some comments from PhotoLith and others here that post photos all the time...

[photoLith]

^
The people that tell you you cant take photos are idiots and have no idea what they are talking about. As long as you take the photos from a public sidewalk or street, then they cant do shit about it, other than annoy you. Anything thats viewable from a public area is 100 percent legal to take photos of. Ive never really had a problem in the city with that, other than around PPG, the guards there are massive dicks and tell you you cant take photos of PPG Place even though you can. But if you go into a small town and take photos or out in the country then you get irate rednecks who think you're there from the gobment trying to take their guns or something. Ive been chased down by rednecks in trucks (which happened to me a few weeks ago in Bedford County, the dude chased us for no joke 15 miles until I finally lost him by speeding around a corner and turning into a driveway), shot at in Brownsville, yelled at almost every time I go take photos in the country; one redneck up near Warren even shoved me over and tried to take my camera out of my hand and then chased us down the road for about 4 miles, all because I was taking photos of an abandoned car from the side of the road.

[BrianTH]

Parties might have an incentive to open up their primaries as a way of trying to attract more voters to become members of the party in the future, or at least vote for them in the next general election.

I don't see any reason to think independent voters have a right to vote in primaries, if the parties decide those incentives are not sufficient.

[BrianTH]

The [90,000 sqft Forbes office] project raised concern from the Pittsburgh Planning Commission member Sabina Deitrick, who noted the new project is slated right across the street from a new apartment building of nearly 200 units.

“I see people crossing all the time at Coltart and there’s no light,” she said, questioning traffic consultant Cindy Jampole on why there’s not plans for a traffic light at the site.

Jampole told the commission that the traffic levels at the intersection are not high enough to meet city and state requirements to install a new traffic light, despite the new development.

Deitrick expects the intersection “is going to be a train wreck” and hopes for further study to install a new traffic light to accommodate the increased density at the site.

It never ceases to amaze me how some people seem mortally convinced that any building over two stories is destined to cause a massive increase in local traffic. I can only assume they are simply bad at math.