KDKA Investigators

South Side Businesses Cry Foul Over City Code

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The battle lines are drawn between Pittsburgh City Council and business owners on the South Side.

Right now it's just a war of words, but soon it could get serious and may end up in court.

On the South Side, grilling outside of your business is illegal. So is taking payment outside. Certain plants are illegal and if you want to have anything in front of your business, you have to register and pay a fee.

Not one of these rules apply in the Strip District and that has South Side business owners fuming.

"It seems like a little bit of a witch hunt," Business owner Steve Zumoff said. "People are just trying to do their business, make the area a little bit more exciting for people."

Folino's Restaurant has tables and plants set up outside. The tables are illegal without a permit and the plants on the sidewalk are also illegal.

Penny Folino, the owner, also had historic railings in front of her business declared illegal. They were torn out.

She's paid thousands of legal fees and says she's losing business. Her next move may be to sue the city.

"I should be focusing on running a business and supporting the 60 to 80 employees that I have and their families - that's what my focus should be on," Folino said. "Not fighting in community council or city council everyday about silly little laws or silly little things."

"I would love to make the argument that I would like to engage in illegal behavior to make my bottom line better," Pittsburgh City Councilman Bruce Kraus said.

Kraus says all he's doing is enforcing city code. It's what he campaigned on.

As for the different rules for the Strip District and the South Side, Kraus says it's a different zoning code.

"It is what it is. It's not a matter of whether it makes sense or not it is the law and that's what we're dealing with right now," Kraus said.

By a vote of 8-1, city council voted Tuesday to order businesses to register and pay a fee if they want to put anything in front of their business.

Kraus says it will grow business. Councilman Jim Motznik and South Side business owners call the idea absurd.

The Public Works Department is charged with enforcing the ordinance.

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