Ordinance Summary and Concerns
Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Here are excerpts from:


AMENDING THE PITTSBURGH CODE, TITLE FOUR: PUBLIC PLACES AND PROPERTY, ARTICLE IX: WHARVES, BY AMENDING CHAPTER 463: REGULATED ACTIVITIES, BY THE REPEAL OF CHAPTER 463 IN ITS ENTIRETY AND ENACTING A NEW CHAPTER 463, SECTIONS 463.01 THROUGH 463.16.

Each excerpt is followed by the concerns of BoatPittsburgh.com.

Boats or vessels moored or tied to City Docks shall be limited to three abreast of substantially the same size.
For such busy events as Concerts and Steeler games, many boaters will be unable to attend due to limited space. Rafting off is common place at Harbors throughout the country during special events.

No person may dock or moor a motor powered boat at any City Dock or wharf for more than 24 consecutive hours. without having obtained a docking license or permit from the Harbormaster and without having paid all applicable fees.
Local and boaters from out of town enjoy all that the North Shore has to offer in the days preceding events. During this time boaters patronize many of the local restaurants, the stadiums, and even the Carnegie Science Center.

Canoes, kayaks and other human powered portable craft may be moored at City-owned property without a docking license or permit.
How is this fair? Any rules that are passed need to be enforced upon all users of the wharf, whether they be power boaters, commercial boaters, or kayakers.

No person shall dock a motor-powered watercraft or a barge at a City dock or wharf without an appropriate permit or license from the Harbormaster and without payment of all required fees.
The city is admittedly financially strapped. Just the enforcement of this ordinance, especially as it is written now, will cost the city thousands of dollars that will never be recouped through the docking fees.

All Owners must maintain in full force and effect a fully comprehensive insurance policy, including general liability insurance in an amount of at least five hundred thousand dollars $500,000.00. The insurance certificate evidencing such insurance coverage shall be duly executed by the officers or authorized representatives of a responsible and non-assessable insurance company.
This is outside the normal amount. Most liability policies are for $100,000.


The following are all parts of the ordinance that we feel are fair and have a great deal of value of all that have a vested interest in the use of the wharfs:
(1) No person shall damage, displace or willfully fail to obey any sign, notice, signal, control device, lifesaving device, structure or buoy placed or erected by the City, or by a licensed water shuttle service pursuant to authority granted under this Chapter, or by the Friends of the Riverfront, Inc., and/or its successors in connection with the establishment and maintenance of the Three Rivers Water Trail..
(2) No person shall tie up or moor any boat or watercraft of any kind to any City feature or facility other than a City Dock or bollard thereon or, in the case of non-motorized watercraft, at a canoe/kayak rack installed by the Friends of the Riverfront, Inc., and/or its successors in connection with its establishment and maintenance of the Three Rivers Water Trail. This prohibition includes but is not limited to trees, shrubs, fire hydrants, utility poles, railings, sculptures, statues, ornamental rocks, fences and signs, including those signs erected by the City, or by a licensed water shuttle service pursuant to authority granted under this Chapter, or by the Friends of the Riverfront, Inc., and/or its successors in connection with the establishment and maintenance of the Three Rivers Water Trail. Change to include temporary tie-ups that do not damage property, tress etc. There are not enough cleats now and no plan for upkeep and adding of additional cleats. While that is true, the City does not want to allow these tie-ups. The City hopes to have more cleats installed.
(3) No person moored or docked at a City Dock shall plug any electrical cord, cable, wire or electrical appliance into a City-owned electrical outlet.
(4) No person moored or docked at a City Dock shall take water from a City-owned water facility except persons drinking from a City water-fountain.
No advertising from a vessel while docked or moored at a City facility.



Submitted by: BoatPittsburgh.com Staff

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