As I recall, Dan Remely said that the "high rise" designation cost the District a million dollars. If we eliminate the million dollar bridge, aren't we back to even? Oh wait, that's right. The bridge is there to keep the kids safe when crossing Horsman Drive. Here's an idea. Eliminate the bridge and when hiring a crossing guard for the student parking at the church, hire a second crossing guard for Horsman. I wonder what the ROI would be for that decision.Board member Dan Remely recommended further changes to the project as it moves forward, like relaxing the district's pursuit of "green" certification for the building, or fighting the municipality's decision to designate the building as a "high-rise" based on its height from the proposed new entrance on Horsman Drive.
Mt. Lebanon Fire Chief Nicholas Sohyda said the designation has been part of the fire code since 1970, when it was amended to say that any building higher than 50 feet would be considered a high-rise.
The code for such buildings includes requirements like smoke-evacuation systems, pressurized stairwells, communications systems, water pumps for the sprinkler system and a small "fire command" room with alarm panels and connections to the intercom system.
Municipal Commission President Dan Miller, himself a volunteer firefighter, said any conversation about relaxing the building's fire code standards was "a non-starter."
"I've pulled a dead child from a fire. ... I'm sure as hell not going to let them skimp on public safety just to save a million bucks," Miller said. "I tried to save them money on the inspection fees, but I'm not going to let them skimp on that."
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_734251.html
I'm afraid that if Dan is proven incorrect in his claims and accusations about fire safety code compliance he will be an embarassment to his fellow SB members and the District and should resign...although not one SB member questioned his statements (even after he admitted just previously that he had no experience with construction projects of this magnitude); and, the SB is well known for "circling the wagons" to protect their comrades.
ReplyDeleteBill Lewis
I'm pretty sure the real (albeit not widely advertised) reason the skybridge is there is because code requires the facility to be one building and not two. In other words you don't get a fieldhouse (in that spot) without it. So it's a million-dollar site design duct taping job.
ReplyDeleteMatt,
ReplyDeleteThe District was told in early 2009 by the Muni that an alternative to the bridge was a request by the District for what is termed a "text amendment" to the zoning ordinance, submitted directly to the Commission, requesting a zoning waiver...the ordinance limited the height of a secondary or auxiliary structure height to only 14 feet...but the District went ahead with the *million dollar bridge* anyway.
In early 2009, the Commission would have likely granted such a "text amendment".
Bill Lewis