Highland Park residents raise concerns about open-air gun range to Mayor Ed Gainey
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Loud construction zones have become a recurrence in Highland Park.
Several infrastructure projects have been rolled out at once, prompting numerous complaints to 311 and the office of Pittsburgh Councilperson Deborah Gross.
"There are parks projects, streets projects, a lot of work that neighbors have experienced," said Gross.
To address the concerns of residents, Gross, Mayor Ed Gainey and other city officials hosted a meeting Tuesday for neighbors to ask questions.
Maria Montano, the communications director for Mayor Ed Gainey, said people had questions like, "How long is this going to take to get through the construction, to get through the rebuilding of the streets, to get these lead piped removed?"
But during the meeting, one of the most pressing concerns was the sound of gunfire that some residents told KDKA-TV they hear almost every day.
People who live in Highland Park and surrounding neighborhoods have been complaining for more than three decades about the open-air shooting range used by Pittsburgh police. It is located off Washington Boulevard.
And with a new mayor in office, people are looking toward the Gainey administration to finally put an end to what some critics are calling a public health issue.
"We have Tree of Life massacre survivors in the neighborhood. We have combat veterans with PTSD. We are the only city this size or larger that has an open-air police firing range in a densely populated residential area," resident Joy Katz said.
Some of the neighbors KDKA-TV spoke with said they believe police should have a place to train, but they are hoping for a quieter, indoor alternative.
During the meeting, the mayor said he does not have all the answers yet, but he is working with leaders to come up with a course of action.
