City Planning Commission Records, 1918-2006

Collection

Identifier: RG-04-003

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The City Planning Commission Records contains meeting minutes, Planning Department staff reports, plans of lots and surveys from 1918 to 2006. The collection provides insight into the Commission’s work throughout most of the 20th century. The meeting minutes are particularly comprehensive and detailed, and the staff reports typically include citations of the specific meetings at which the Commission received and reviewed them.

The collection is arranged into the following three series and subseries: Series 1: City Planning Commission Minutes; Series 1, Subseries 1: Regular Commission Minutes; Series 1, Subseries 2: General Plans Committee Minutes; Series 1, Subseries 3: Public Hearings Minutes; Series 2: Staff Reports; Series 3: Plan of Lots and Subdivisions. Additional scope and content notes can be found in the container list.

Dates

Creation: 1918-2006

Biographical / Historical

The Pittsburgh City Planning Commission is responsible for guiding land use and development within the City. The Commission is comprised of nine members that are appointed by the Mayor of Pittsburgh for six-year, staggered terms. The Commission makes recommendations to City Council concerning the Zoning Ordinance and zoning maps, and then reviews major development and redevelopment proposals. Today, the Planning Commission meets bi-weekly and all meetings are open to the public.

Established in 1911, the first appointments to the commission were selected by Mayor William A. Magee and consisted of Professor A.A. Hamerschlag, director of Carnegie Technical Schools (today Carnegie Mellon University); John R. McCune, president of Union National Bank; William Flinn, contractor; Denny O’Neil, county commissioner; Colonel Albert J. Logan, manufacturer; James D. Hailman, retired steel manufacturer; E.K. Morse, engineer; William McClurg Donely, borough engineer; and Councilman P.J. McArdle. In 1912, the Commission and Planning Department rented office space in the Henry W. Oliver Building on Smithfield Street. In 1918, their offices were transferred to the ninth floor of the City-County Building. Records from the Commission’s activity prior to 1918 are scarce, limited primarily to correspondence sent to City Council.

Extent

76 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The City Planning Commission Records are arranged into three series, one of which is further arranged into three subseries:

Series 1: City Planning Commission Minutes Series 1, Subseries 1: Regular Commission Meeting Minutes Series 1, Subseries 2: General Plans Committee Minutes Series 1, Subseries 3: Public Hearing Minutes Series 2: Staff Reports Series 3: Plans of Lots and Subdivisions