You Can’t Build That Here - Hillsboro Plaza

For our fifth entry in our “You Can’t Build That Here!” series, we head over to the West End of the city and visit Sheraden.

Each entry in this series highlights a currently existing building that would be illegal to build under the existing zoning code.  The purpose is to highlight how flawed our zoning code is.

Today, we’re looking at 612 Hillsboro St, Pittsburgh, PA 15204  - this is a senior independent living facility called Hillsboro Plaza.

Unlike the other buildings mentioned in this series, Hillsboro Plaza is relatively recent. It was built in 1984 by Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania and called “Goodwill Plaza” - intentionally meant as affordable housing for Seniors and the disabled - a mission it continues to fill today.

It is 8 stories tall and has 73 units - mostly studios and 1 bedroom apartments, with a total square footage of 54,800 square feet.

The 32,287 square foot lot it sits on, parcel 42-S-36 is zoned LNC - Local Neighborhood Commercial.

Now LNC is actually one of our better zoning districts. It allows for mixed use buildings, has no minimum lot sizes, requires no set-backs, allows for multi-family residential, and 90% maximum lot coverage.  LNC does require a maximum floor area ratio of 2:1, but Hillsboro Plaza has a 1.69:1 ratio, so that does not constrain this building.

Further, because this is housing for the elderly, it is exempt from the usual parking requirement of one spot for every unit, instead allowing for a Parking Demand Analysis (914.02.B).  Which is good, because it would be hard to fit 73 parking spots onto the topography of the lot.

Despite all of the above, the zoning code today would still not allow Hillsboro Plaza to be built - because the building is too tall.  LNC districts have a maximum height of 45 ft, not to exceed 3 stories.  Hillsboro Plaza is 8 stories tall.

Merry Christmas everyone. We’ll be back at you in the new year with more examples of “You Can’t Build That Here!”

By Jack Billings with contributions by Chris Beam and Clayton Manley