PWSA Stormwater Strategic Plan Ambassador Cohort 2

In March, Grounded Strategies and PWSA launched the second cohort of PWSA Stormwater Strategic Plan Ambassadors. This is a community-based effort to equip residents with information needed to engage their peers on the outcomes and initiatives that will fall within the Stormwater Strategic Plan. Ambassadors were recruited and selected from priority sewersheds as outlined in the PWSA Green First Plan.

The Stormwater Strategic Plan will serve as Pittsburgh’s blueprint to address local stormwater challenges. It will seek to address the specific goals of improving water quality, reducing street flooding and basement backups, and beautifying neighborhoods in an affordable manner. All of which will create a community that is healthier, safer, and more resilient to the impacts of stormwater.

Meet the Ambassadors of Cohort 2!

This cohort features prioritized recruitment from the following areas: Saw Mill Run (Allentown, Banksville, Beechview, Beltzhoover, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, Duquesne Heights, Knoxville, Mount Washington, Overbrook, and Ridgemont); Homewood which is in Negley Run Watershed, Sheraden which is in the Chartiers Creek Watershed, and Hazelwood which is in the Four Mile Run Watershed.

1) What do you love most about your community?

My community has light rail and a diverse culture. It also has rolling hills, which are enjoyable to view throughout the seasons. My neighborhood is also mostly made up of hard-working, blue-collar individuals. I also enjoy that Beechview is within the city limits, yet separated from Downtown

2) What do you think your community needs most?

Addition of young professionals in the neighborhood. More real estate owners. Beechview could also use retail and shopping options. One thing that impacts Beechview compared to Brookline is that it lacks a central business district. It also has constraints due to topography

3) What are you looking to gain as a PWSA SWMP Ambassador?

The ability to speak personally with random people within my neighborhood. A more local view of the impacts of stormwater and flooding. As a homeowner, I think it is easier to understand the impact of stormwater by viewing it through a financial lens, which is something everyone can relate to.

4) How do you like to spend your free time?

Researching sewer system asset management software, methods, and applications. I spend a lot of my free time thinking about my current work projects, and how to advance the GIS efforts at ALCOSAN. I spend the most time, however, with my wife and our three-year-old son. We enjoy visiting and using as many city parks as possible.

 

1) What do you love most about your community?

Your children can get educated from pre-school to college. Its arts culture.

2) What do you think your community needs most?

Unity

3) What are you looking to gain as a PWSA SWMP Ambassador?

Knowledge to be shared and utilized by the community

 

1) What do you love most about your community?

I love that Hazelwood is diverse with different people from cultural backgrounds. It’s also a centralized location where you can get to different parts of the city conveniently & it has tons of hidden locations & trails where you can escape & enjoy nature & some really beautiful views of the city. I also love the organizations that occupy Hazelwood & the work that they’re doing surrounding music, the arts, public art & youth development.

2) What do you think your community needs most?

The Hazelwood community needs continued development where it will increase residents’ housing security & neighborhood employment opportunities, especially for teens. I also think it needs increased economic opportunities & better infrastructure; strengthening food production, air quality & sewer overflow.

3) What are you looking to gain as a PWSA SWMP Ambassador?

I’m looking to increase my awareness of the PWSA stormwater plan, how it will help areas that are negatively affected by it & to strengthen ways that I can be a liaison to continue to share resources & knowledge with members of the Hazelwood community, especially those who feel left out of community developments & plans. I’m also looking to form connections with like-minded folks around the city.

4) How do you like to spend your free time?

I spend my free time going out & listening to live jazz, playing guitar, writing music, poetry & traveling. I also love to mentor young girls & go thrifting to do some creative DIYs with clothes.

 

1) What do you love most about your community?

I love our residents’ resilient spirit over the years. I love the strong environmental commitment from the Hazelwood Initiative staff. I love the diversity of our residents.

2) What do you think your community needs most?

I would love to see a full-service grocery store in my neighborhood. There has not been one for many years. I would love to see an improvement in the stormwater systems completed in a sustainable to the environment fashion. I would love to see improvements to roads, sidewalks, and pedestrian signals that are in poor condition for decades in my neighborhood.

3) What are you looking to gain as a PWSA SWMP Ambassador?

I would love to learn techniques to engage residents of Hazelwood to learn about sustainable and responsible stormwater practices. I would love to learn about encouraging our residents in voting, and civic engagement in general.

4) How do you like to spend your free time?

I do volunteer work for Lions Club International, Hazelwood’s Releaf, and environmental committees, and cook in a soup kitchen at First Presbyterian Pittsburgh.

 

1) What do you love most about your community?

Nice place to live. Nice homes. Very awesome neighbors and friends in community. Great outreach resources and community business’

2) What do you think your community needs most?

More green spaces. More garbage cans. Clean up drugs on streets.

3) What are you looking to gain as a PWSA SWMP Ambassador?

Better knowledge of PWSA.

4) How do you like to spend your free time?

Just relaxing watching tv. Cleaning up the neighborhood and volunteering in my community

 

1) What do you love most about your community?

I love the architecture of the houses and buildings in the neighborhood. There are styles ranging from the late 19th century to modern designs and everything in between. The rolling hills of residential streets with the remnants of the brick and cobblestone roadways give a historic feel and a great vantage point when you turn onto certain streets. The neighborhood is also tightly unified with civic action groups, religious organizations, and a developing commercial zone along the boulevard.

2) What do you think your community needs most?

The most necessary needs that the Brookline community are upgraded and enhanced infrastructure. Many of the stormwater structures around the neighborhood are in poor condition, not maintained, and aging poorly.

3) What are you looking to gain as a PWSA SWMP Ambassador?

I am looking to become engaged in stormwater planning and implementation of ideas and designs. I would like to contribute my knowledge base and creativity and hopefully be a part of something that will create a better, more sustainable, and cost-effective solution to the neighborhood’s stormwater issues.

4) How do you like to spend your free time?

Any free time that I can gather in my life is spent painting, sculpting, cooking, landscaping, whitewater rafting, kayaking, hiking, and skiing. I also just like to spend time with my wife, two dogs, and a cat.

 

1) What do you love most about your community?

That it has the potential to be a close-knit community minutes away from downtown Pittsburgh. Having the busway easy accessibility. To get down to the cultural district shopping

2) What do you think your community needs most?

More funding to tear down houses. Investments by people who want to buy and Own Homes in my neighborhood lots of roadway in infrastructure repair in a track of public housing nearby.

3) What are you looking to gain as a PWSA SWMP Ambassador?

To be able to serve my community of Sherden and keep residents informed about the changes PWSA Has made to the bills and the improvements near making throughout the city to be a while on another level reach out and engage one on one with neighbors

4) How do you like to spend your free time?

In my free time, I like to camp with my family, fish, and invest in home improvement of my property and neighborhood