A public hearing on a proposed fire-sprinkler requirement in Pittsburgh is rescheduled for 6 p.m. Monday in the City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Downtown.
The gathering had been slated for Oct. 29. City officials postponed it after the mass shooting Oct. 27 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, where 11 people died. The delay gave city council members time to mourn and to support local communities, city Clerk Brenda Pree has said.
In the works for several months, the controversial sprinkler proposal would require high-rise buildings in the city — those at least 75-feet tall — to be equipped with the devices, no matter when the buildings were constructed. Fire Chief Darryl E. Jones has advocated the proposal as a life-saving measure.
But a number of property owners, including condominium residents, have bristled at the legislation, some voicing concerns over projected expenses and potential structural damage from installation, among other worries. A sprinkler requirement already on the city’s books applies to new and substantially renovated high-rises, but it leaves out older tall buildings.
People who want to speak at the hearing may sign up in advance at http://pittsburghpa.gov/clerk/council-meetings. Those who registered to speak Oct. 29 will have their names transferred to the list for Monday, according to the city. The hearing will be held in council chambers, on the City-County Building’s fifth floor.
First Published: November 21, 2018, 9:29 p.m.
