Residents near Pittsburgh's new football stadium are vowing to fight the Steelers despite a setback Tuesday night.
Some community groups were hoping that the city's Planning Commission would impose tougher noise limits on Heinz Field. But the commission voted 5-2 in favor of sound limits similar to those at Three Rivers Stadium.
The North Side groups vowed to carry their fight Thursday to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, where they will urge the board not to approve any signs identifying the stadium as Heinz Field. The signs were a key element of the $57 million naming-rights deal the Steelers just inked with the ketchup maker.
John DeSantis, president of the Allegheny West Civic Council, contended that "no signs at all" are permitted in the riverfront district where the football stadium is located. The only way the stadium signs can be erected is if the Zoning Board of Adjustment grants a variance, a move DeSantis says he'll strongly oppose.
DeSantis said he hoped the Steelers would lower the noise levels in exchange for residents' dropping their opposition to the signs. "If the Steelers decide they want to trade peace of mind in our homes for signs on the stadium, our door is open to talk," he said.
The Steelers are asking the board to grant an exemption to put
up signs advertising Heinz Field.
Previous Stories:
Copyright 2001 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
