To celebrate the 20 years he has owned the LeMont Restaurant on Mount Washington, Ed Dunlap truly wanted to brighten up the place for all of Downtown to see — literally.
As part of the renovations to the famous dining spot, Mr. Dunlap has installed ribbons of LED lighting on the restaurant’s north facade facing the Golden Triangle.
“I guess you could say the place looks like a jewel now,” he said.
No doubt the new lights are hard to miss. They stand out on the dark hillside, easily seen from Downtown or the North Shore. They are brighter than the lights of the nearby Duquesne Incline and those on the old Bayer billboard steeped in controversy.
Mr. Dunlap said he decided to put the restaurant — one of the city’s go-to places for special occasions like anniversaries — in lights for one simple reason.
“We wanted people to notice the LeMont from any direction,” he said.
People have noticed over at Scenic Pittsburgh, an advocacy group focused on protecting local natural beauty.
David Demko, the organization’s assistant director, said in an email that the design “is fine but it is a bit bright.”
“Although there is no rule, to reduce light pollution [what] we would prefer is they dimmed the lighting display a little,” he added.
Mr. Dunlap said he’s not sure that’s possible. He noted that he wanted the lights bright so that they draw attention to the restaurant. Within the next couple of weeks, the restaurant will be cutting away some of the vegetation in front of the display so it is more visible.
Corey Layman, the city’s zoning administrator, said he had not seen the lighting and wasn’t sure if any city approvals would be needed unless it was determined to be a sign.
The lighting is part of a more extensive renovation to the restaurant that included new carpeting, new drapes, fresh paint, new wall coverings and new kitchen equipment.
After 20 years of ownership, “It was time and we decided to get it done,” Mr. Dunlap said.
In the past, the LeMont had completed piecemeal improvements but nothing as extensive as the most recent ones.
The next project, Mr. Dunlap said, is to rehab the exterior of the parking garage across the street from the restaurant.
Business@post-gazette.com
First Published: November 26, 2019, 12:00 p.m.
