PITTSBURGH -- The master plan for a new Penguins arena in Pittsburgh's Hill District is going to court. The community group One Hill Coalition said it's doing all it can so the Hill District isn't left behind.

Negotiations between the city, county, Penguins and Hill District leaders still haven't produced a community benefits agreement. One Hill wants to keep the issue in play and is asking a judge to send the new arena's master plan back to the Planning Commission for more work.

"We'll do everything we can to stop the construction until we have a community benefits agreement," said Carl Redwood of One Hill. "We're negotiating now, but that's our formal position."

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl calls the legal action "somewhat surprising."

"Both sides have agreed to continue to negotiate in good faith and to try to derail that process with a lawsuit is, I think, unfortunate," said Ravenstahl. "Nevertheless, we're going to continue to try to hammer out an agreement, come to some sort of consensus."

One Hill's legal appeal argues that the Planning Commission did several things wrong when it approved the new arena master plan. One Hill said the Planning Commission failed to consider studies showing potential parking problems and did not allow some people to testify against changes in the plan.

They said planning commissioner Todd Reidbord left during citizen testimony to go to a University of Pittsburgh game and then came back to vote approval.

"With regard to the issue of a Planning Commission member being absent, I don't see that issue as being insignificant," said One Hill's attorney, Paul Ellis.

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