By Councilman Wilson

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

I’m happy to share that at the end of 2024, Pittsburgh City Council passed the City of Pittsburgh’s 2025 operating and capital budgets.

In addition to the projects noted in last month’s column, my colleagues on Council and I funded an additional $3.3 million towards capital projects in the Northside. Those include $1.5 million towards landslide remediation in Riverview Park, $1.5 million towards construction of Engine 35 Fire Station in Brighton Heights, $200,000 for design towards landslide remediation behind Marshall’s Gas Station on Spring Garden Avenue, $50,000 towards police cameras, and $60,000 towards an evaluation study at the California Avenue, Termon Avenue, and Brighton Heights Boulevard five-points intersection. I’m grateful for the nearly $12 million investment by the mayor’s administration in the entirety of District 1.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to sign up as a volunteer with the city’s Snow Angel Program. The program pairs nearby neighbors with older residents or residents with disabilities to assist them with snow removal on their sidewalks and walkways. Along with fostering stronger community relationships and relieving some of the stress that comes from a snowfall or freeze, Snow Angels make the city’s sidewalks safer for those who are outside in the winter weather, like postal carriers, firefighters, police officers, and other neighbors.

To request a Snow Angel, you must be at least 62 years old, or have a physical disability, live within the City of Pittsburgh, and do not have resources (financial or family and friends nearby) to assist with snow removal. Full details on how to become a Snow Angel or to request one, can be found online at engage.pittsburghpa.gov/snow-angels or by calling 311. Residents can contact the Snow Angels Program directly at (412) 255-2626 or snowangels@pittsburghpa.gov.

Earlier this year, City Council passed legislation to establish the city’s first comprehensive plan. A comprehensive plan is the expression of a holistic, community-wide vision of the city’s future. This includes the creation of strategic goals, programs, policies, and actions to reach that vision.

The city’s comprehensive plan will do the following: guide future development for all parts of the city; provide the overall foundation for all land use regulation in the city by developing a map of future land uses; consider the impact of physical and environmental conditions throughout the city (for example, topography, rivers, soil and air quality, etc.); set a planning horizon of about 20 years, a duration in which we can reasonably anticipate economic and population growth while also avoiding the pitfalls of short-term thinking; and inform and substantiate the development decisions of City Council and other municipal leaders.

Since this is the first comprehensive plan in the city’s history, the Department of City Planning is putting together a Community Working Group (CWG). The CWG will consist of up to 20 community members who will serve as important connectors and leaders in the comprehensive plan engagement and planning process. This is a paid position that will run from May 2025 to May 2026.

CWG members will have the opportunity to collect ideas from neighbors, host events, and help create materials and final recommendations for the comprehensive plan. I highly encourage you to apply if this sounds like you — or share it with a friend! All applications are due by Jan. 31.

To learn more about the comprehensive plan, visit engage.pittsburghpa.gov/citywide-comprehensive-plan. To apply for the CWG, visit: pghcompplan.formstack.com/forms/cwg_application.

Finally, I’m happy to share that the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) released the final design plan for the E. Ohio Street Streetscape project last month. I’m grateful for the hard work of the DOMI team and their consistent efforts to include the needs of both businesses and residents along the corridor. I encourage everyone to review the plan here: engage.pittsburghpa.gov/east-ohio-st-streetscape-impovements. This project will have lasting impacts on the Northside for many generations and I’m excited to continue to work on making this a reality.

If you have any questions or concerns, call us at (412) 255-2135, email us at district1@ pittsburghpa.gov, or find us on Facebook and X. My staff and I look forward to serving all of you in this new year!