Pittsburgh looks to expand Allegheny River Greenway to include landslide-prone properties

Pittsburgh officials are looking to expand the Allegheny River Greenway, adding several parcels to the greenspace that officials say should not be developed because of landslide risk.

City Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park is sponsoring legislation that would add to the existing greenway and limit the risk of potentially damaging landslides that could impact nearby property owners.

“The city created the greenway because we realized our steep slopes were vulnerable to landslides and that they shouldn’t be built on,” Gross said.

The existing greenway includes 35 acres of noncontiguous greenspace in the city’s Upper Lawrenceville and Stanton Heights neighborhoods. Legislation before City Council would add 24 empty city lots.

“All those properties are on landslide-prone properties,” said James Murray, Gross’s chief of staff. “They should not be developed on. We’re protecting the residents that are there and future residents from being in landslide-prone properties.”

Volunteer groups have expressed interest in creating trails through the area, Gross said.

“It is a beautiful forest there anyway,” she said.

Legislation before city council would allow the city to include the properties as part of the existing greenway and ensure that future development doesn’t occur there. The measure was expected to be ready for a preliminary vote this week, with a final vote as soon as the following week.

Properties that would be added to the greenway are located on Keystone, Wickliff, 56th, Carnegie, 57th and Duncan streets.