Pittsburgh Trust for Cultural Resources v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of Pittsburgh

In Pittsburgh Trust for Cultural Resources v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of Pittsburgh, 145 Pa. Commw. 503, 604 A.2d 298 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1992), appeal denied, 583 Pa. 618, 645 A.2d 1320 (1994), the Court held that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (Trust) and the Penn-Liberty Association (PLA) had aggrieved party standing to appeal a decision of the zoning board to grant variances and a special exception allowing owners to locate an amusement arcade in the Penn-Liberty district of Pittsburgh approximately 200 feet from the Benedum Center (a concert hall and cultural center). The court noted that the Trust was an occupant of the Benedum Center, had made a substantial financial investment in the Penn-Liberty historic district and had a fundamental commitment to nurture cultural activity in the area. Similarly, the court found that the PLA, which had been organized to promote "quality" commercial development and represented approximately sixty owners and tenants in the Penn-Liberty area, had standing on behalf of its members who, as shown by the evidence presented, would suffer a direct, immediate and substantial injury to an interest as a result of the challenged action.