New public works facility won't be ready to help Pittsburgh's South Hills neighborhoods this winter

Residents in Pittsburgh’s South Hills neighborhoods might not be wishing for a white Christmas this year.

A Department of Public Works facility that was supposed to bring snow plows, salt and other supplies to the district won’t be built this winter, Councilman Anthony Coghill said.

Coghill represents Pittsburgh City Council District 4, which includes hilly neighborhoods such as Brookline, Beechview, Carrick, Bon Air, Overbrook and part of Mt. Washington.

Snow removal has been an issue in the district for years, with some residents complaining that they have had to wait for days after snowstorms to see a plow or a salt truck.

Coghill said a project to build a public works facility in the district has been in the works for five years, but it’s been delayed repeatedly.

Engineers were at the proposed facility site near McKinley Park in April when one of them noticed ground shifting, Coghill said. Engineering studies revealed an unknown mineshaft at the location.

“We didn’t want to build on something where the ground was shifting,” Coghill said, adding that work stopped while the city waited for reports from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The state said the project could go forward on the site, but by the time city officials got the news, it was too late to build the facility in time for the winter, Coghill said.

“To me, it’s a public safety issue,” Coghill said, explaining that several serious crashes have occurred over the years on the neighborhoods’ snow- and ice-covered streets.

Coghill said the $3 million public works facility should be ready in time for next winter.

“I will move mountains to get this thing built,” Coghill said.

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In the meantime, he said, other efforts are underway to improve the city’s snow response this year. Trucks will be coming mostly from the Strip District and West End to service the South Hills neighborhoods, he said. There have been discussions about parking some of them in the district.

The city also hired 15 additional plow drivers, Coghill said. The city has bought extra trucks, and they may lease even more during the winter as they did last season.

Salt truck drivers are now allowed to drop as much salt as they feel necessary, a measure implemented last year after drivers had been restricted on how much salt they could use to treat streets.

“I’m arguing for more of those resources in District 4 because we have more hills than anybody,” Coghill said.

While Coghill said there are no major changes to the plans for the public works facility, the proposed development did undergo “another redesign,” according to Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey.

Montaño said the mayor’s proposed 2023 budget includes an additional $4 million for the Department of Public Works to improve staffing and equipment so it can better respond to snow events and tackle other backlogged projects.

The mayor is planning a Facebook Live meeting with Public Works Director Chris Hornstein at 6 p.m. Tuesday to further discuss the city’s snow preparations as winter approaches. Coghill said he will host a meeting in Carrick on Nov. 21 on the same topic.

Despite the plans to improve the city’s snow removal efforts this year, Coghill said he is still frustrated that the proposed public works facility in his district won’t be ready this winter.

“I’m not going to be satisfied until that facility is built,” he said.