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Landslides Threaten Homes, But City Has No Money

POSTED: 4:55 pm EDT October 1, 2004
UPDATED: 6:21 pm EDT October 1, 2004

Two weeks after the remnants of Hurricane Ivan brought record-breaking rain to Pittsburgh, landslides are becoming a growing problem.

Venture
Venture Street landslide

Slideshow: Sky 4 Pictures Of Landslides

On the city's North Side, the massive hillside that once stood behind Rodney Bradshaw's home on Venture Street is now on the building. Bradshaw's front steps have been wiped out and his basement is full of mud.

"My garage was right down there where they (city workers) are digging up now," Bradshaw told Channel 4 Action News reporter Kelly Frey. "I've been trying to get them to come out, days after it happened. They just kept giving me the runaround and hanging up on me, trying to tell me it's not their responsibility, it's my responsibility. And I'm saying it's not mine, it's city property."

Rather, it was city property. Dirt and debris were still sliding down into the house and nearby streets Friday afternoon.

"This is probably one of the worst in the city," Public Works Director Guy Costa said.

Venture Street is just one of several places in Pittsburgh where landslides are occurring.

  • Part of the road has broken away and crumbled down the hill along Corfu Street in the West End.
  • The hillside along South 18th Street on the South Side has given way, and the retaining wall is hanging on by a thread.
  • Mud, trees and brush on Windom Street in Mount Washington have caused a huge landslide.
  • "We're prone to landslides in the city of Pittsburgh, because of our terrain and geography, but the rains from Hurricane Ivan just put us over," City Council President Gene Ricciardi said.

    Channel 4 Action News reporter Meghan Jones says sliding earth is costing Pittsburgh a lot of money.

    The city only has $300,000 budgeted to deal with these problems, and the estimated cost to fix South 18th Street alone is $50,000. Meanwhile, Venture Street repairs are expected to run $200,000 -- leaving only $50,000 for Windom and Corfu.

    "We're hoping to bill FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and others, but in the meantime, we have to come up with the monies," Ricciardi said.

    Because of the financial crunch, the city is currently relying on the Department of Public Works to start repairs. The jobs are so big that city workers won't be able to get to everything in time. That means outside contractors will have to come in -- but not unless the city can pay them.

    Windom Street homeowners may be forced to relocate instead of waiting for help.

    "What's happening is we're unable to fix the hillside and we're going to have to actually buy the homes that are beneath there, because it would be more cost-effective," Ricciardi said.

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