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The sidewalk vendor debate continues, a new electronics, chemical recycling contract and studying city-wide composting

City Council

Vendors may be appearing on city sidewalks again.

Street vendors are a step closer to selling on city sidewalks. After a two-week hold, council members added limits, including keeping vendors 150 feet from competing storefront businesses. The bill also allows vending in parks, though specific spots will need a separate public process. Next week, council will take a final vote.

Written by Amy Whipple

City council is a step closer to allowing vendors and peddlers to sell their wares on Pittsburgh’s sidewalks.

After a two-week hold, Council resumed discussion of new policies around sidewalk vendors.

Two council members amended the legislation to codify their constituents’ concerns. At Council Member Anthony Coghill of Beechview’s request, vendors cannot use diagonal or perpendicular parking spaces. Vendors must also now be 150 feet away from competing brick and mortar establishments.

Council Member Theresa Kail-Smith of Westwood requested a vending ban on Grandview and Virginia avenues which would include the side streets from Wyoming to Shaler. The sidewalks of Grandview Avenue are often nearly impassable because of the crowds of people taking in the view.

Council Member Khari Mosley of Point Breeze North said he would like to connect permitted vendors in East Liberty informally with Catapult’s retail residency program to help fill the neighborhood’s empty storefronts.

Planning director Andrew Dash clarified that the legislation permits vending in parks. Approving specific vending locations, however, will require an additional public process. This could include areas around sports fields and pools that do not have an existing concession stand. Licenses, which cost $135 a year, will also require approval from the Public Art and Civic Design Commission.

InformUp’s readers have mixed feelings about park use. Of 126 respondents to the Oct. 31 survey:

  • 22% prefer vendors only be allowed in specific parks locations
  • 29% would like guidelines-based approaches (e.g., near park entrances, minimum distance from playgrounds)
  • 28% a hybrid of the two.

No vendors in parks and no restrictions for parks accounted for 13% and 7% of respondents, respectively.

Council scheduled the final vote on the issue for next week.

City Council

New contract could bump up household hazardous materials collections.

Old paint, electronics, and household chemicals should be easier to get rid of next year. Council has moved forward with a recycling contract with Noble Environmental Specialty Recycling. It includes twice weekly drop-off hours at five neighborhood centers and curbside pickup on request, both for a fee. The one-year deal costs $571,250, but Noble hasn't released its fee scale yet.

Written by Amy Whipple

Pittsburghers should be able to finally pitch their basement paint can collections next year.

City council has moved forward with an electronics and household hazardous chemicals recycling contract with Noble Environmental Specialty Recycling. The new service will include twice weekly drop off hours at the five neighborhood collection centers as well as resident-requested curbside collection.

“You try and be a good citizen and keep that paint in your basement,” said Council Member Barb Warwick of Greenfield, “but it’s a struggle. You really want to throw it out.”

Residents can request curbside pickup for a volume-based fee. Drop-off fees will be determined by weight. Superintendent of environmental services Shawn Wigle said requests, registration and payments will go directly to Noble, not the city, but it has not yet released its fee scale.

The current provider, whose contact ends Dec. 31, offered weekly electronic recycling and five household hazardous chemical collections this year.

Accepted electronics include TVs, monitors, printers, and CFL lightbulbs. Hazardous chemicals include propane tanks, liquid paint, pesticides, and antifreeze.

A one-year Noble contract will cost $571,250 and include three separate options for annual renewals. It’s approximately $14,000 per year more than the previous provider.

City Council

City looks to keep more compostables out of the landfills.

Organics like food scraps and yard waste made up 24-28% of the county's municipal solid waste, a 2022 study found. Soon, three city departments will start phase two of a community composting pilot. It'll explore collection options, like curbside pickup on request or farmers market drop-offs. Still, a city official said the city can't afford pickup at every home.

Written by Amy Whipple

The Department of City Planning (DCP) is trying to divert the compost the city currently sends to landfills over to a composting program in order to create richer soil.

DCP, the Department of Public Works and Citiparks will soon dig into phase two of SoilMill PGH, a community composting pilot program. It seeks to improve soil quality in Pittsburgh through composting.

A 2022 waste characterization study determined that food scraps, yard waste, and other organics comprised 24-28% of Allegheny County’s municipal solid waste.

Flore Marion, assistant director of sustainability and resilience, said 300 city residents participated in SoilMill PGH’s first phase. “People are really eager to do composting, but we cannot afford to do pick up at every single home,” she said.

The department’s phase two plan will include finding feasible collection solutions, potentially including resident-requested curbside pickup, farmers market drop-offs or a dedicated year-round drop-off site. It will also update the city’s 2017 Zero Waste Plan. The initiative seeks to divert 90% of waste from landfills or incineration by 2030.

DCP requested council approval for a $125,000 agreement with the county’s Congress of Neighboring Communities (CONNECT). The money is CONNECT’s half of a joint 2024 US Conference of Mayors prize. The organization will use the money to perform similar work to what SoilMill PGH does in neighboring municipalities.