The jewel in Pittsburgh’s scenic crown is the beguiling North Shore; thus, reading that Mayor Bill Peduto has signed legislation approving the vacating of a “paper” street, on the east side of the Rivers Casino, clearing the way for construction of a $35 million attached-to-the-casino hotel, has me crestfallen (“Rivers Casino Plans to Start Building $35M Hotel in Spring,” Jan. 20).

I’m not opposed to the construction of a new hotel because I frequently patronize the casino and understand what a boon it would be for the local economy, in terms of job creation and new tax revenue generation. But why destroy a beautiful North Shore green space, when there is adequate room for hotel construction on the west side of the property, where the Rivers Casino recently razed an abandoned warehouse?

Both sites seem, based on the artist’s rendering of proposed hotel alignment, to provide future guests with rather similar views of the South Shore hillside and Route 65. And many of the rooms would be reserved as free comps for casino “big hitters,” who would primarily use them for brief respites, between marathon gambling sessions, and not observation pods to drink in the local topography.

The remaining North Shore green spaces, in my opinion, must be respected and protected, so future generations can stroll out of the casino’s main entrance, head east and be immediately greeted by flocks of geese grazing on a grassy field. I pray the city planning commission blocks east-side construction.

ROB BILLER

Fombell

First Published: January 24, 2017, 5:00 a.m.