Wednesday: Other Junk

While tweaking the Mayor for the results of his alleged national search, the P-G Ed Board evaluates his personnel moves. On the new regime at the URA and at Building Inspection:

That approach should work for developers, but we hope it won't mean the end to community input and to important checks and balances...

Editorial Comment: Yeeeeeaah. That's kind of what we've been getting at.

##

Wal-Mart is still sliding onto Route 65, reports the Trib's Karen Roebuck.

There was hope that once Wal-Mart itself took the reigns from the local developer, it would get serious about stabilizing the site. Now it's evident its only serious about throwing more expensive lawyers at the problem.

Also, we may have a new culprit:

The county Office of Economic Development warned township officials in 2003 and 2004 that the site is landslide-prone, has problematic soils and steep slopes, and that the proposed development violated township ordinances.

In response, Kilbuck officials waived or changed ordinances, saying not doing so would make any project cost-prohibitive to developers and deprive the township of tax money.

"One little borough here ... was proceeding full-speed ahead even though they were warned over and over and over and over what could happen," [State Rep Thomas] Petrone said.

Editorial Comment: See how we're leery of a "business-friendly environment?"

##

The Pittsburgh Hoagie has more details on the proposed "Riverfront Dollhouse."

It sure seems like Matt H opposes the North Side strip club, but on the flip side he is definitely amplifying 23-year old Steve Ivanovski's cattle-call for "the Most Talented/Beautiful/Flirtacious Women that Pittsburgh has to OFFER !!!!!!! :)"

(Of course, we suppose now we are, too...)

Ed Heath offers a very interesting and well-researched comment, which we have truncated:

One of the reasons Hot-lanta is such a popular convention spot is because it *is* “Hot-lanta”. Male convention goers know what they can do in the evenings ... That’s also why you may see City Council members quietly shrug their shoulders and say they can’t vote against the strip club.

We guess a business-friendly climate takes many forms.