MICHELLE JOHNSON, owner of H.O.T. Design Studio, LLC, in Penn Hills.
There’s a lot on the line at 124 Jefferson Road in Penn Hills.
For Michelle Johnson, owner of H.O.T. Design Studio, LLC, she’s looking to permanently turn her space at 124 Jefferson, just off Rodi Road, into a space that can host private events for no more than 70 attendees. The revenue that can be generated in the short- and long-term could be lucrative for a small, Black-owned business.
And for Penn Hills as a municipality, more people coming to Penn Hills most likely means more spending by those people in Penn Hills, at the gas stations, at the stores in the Penn Hills Shopping Center across the street, and exposure to signs and banners promoting other events happening in Penn Hills.
On the surface, it seems like the perfect match.
But the Penn Hills Zoning Board, comprised of four individuals, has yet to fully approve Johnson’s proposal, which originally was for hosting private events for up to 100 attendees.
The primary issues? Parking spaces and overall safety.
The property at 124 Jefferson Road only has enough room outside the property for seven or so parking spaces. That’s not enough parking for the business to successfully host private events. Thus, Johnson secured a verbal agreement with its across-the-street neighbor, the Institute of Medical and Business Careers, to use part of its spacious parking lot so that attendees of H.O.T. Design Studio’s events can park there. Johnson estimates no more than 30-35 parking spots would be used per event.
The zoning board raised concerns with that proposal, stating that there is no marked crosswalk on that part of Jefferson Road, so that attendees could safely cross, as vehicles constantly travel along that stretch of Jefferson. Johnson would have to contact PennDOT to request a marked crosswalk, as Jefferson Road is a state-designated road.
The Penn Hills Zoning Board also expressed concerns about alcohol being consumed at the event space, as well as how late the events at H.O.T. Design Studio would last. The zoning board originally wanted there to be no alcohol consumption at the event space, and for any events to be finished by 9 p.m. on any given night.
As a counter, Johnson, who had immense support in the room at the Penn Hills Municipal Building along Duff Road during the Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, regular zoning board meeting, told the board that she wanted to have private events completed by midnight and that alcohol could be consumed, but not sold, on the property.
Penn Hills, as a municipality, found itself in the news in June 2026 when a shooting took place purportedly after an assembly of teens and young adults attended a private pool party at the Olympic Swim and Health Club the night of Saturday, June 13. While the shooting did not take place on the Olympic Swim and Health Club property, Penn Hills township officials ordered a cease-and-desist on the swim club on June 17, revoking its occupancy permit due to “repeated failure to comply with the conditions set forth in Penn Hills Zoning Ordinance 2420 Section 3.2, Section 10, and Section 11, Ordinance 85-071, Resolution No. 95-11, and Resolution No. 87-084,” according to KDKA-TV.
The Olympic Swim and Health Club was able to reopen but with strict conditions, including no private parties.
No one made any mention of that shooting incident that occurred back in June at the Aug. 26 zoning board meeting. However, some of the speakers who addressed the zoning board in support of Johnson stressed that Johnson is not in the business of bringing negativity, criminal activity or recklessness to her event space. Speakers described Johnson as well-respected and the type of business owner the municipality of Penn Hills should welcome.
“I’m concerned about safety,” responded Penn Hills Zoning Board president Marcia Cereza. “When you (Johnson) talked, I asked you questions that let me know where we’re at as far as safety. We’ve taken a lot of time but we’ve learned a lot.”
Some of the speakers in support of Johnson were Sabrina Clark and Chief Ikhana-Hal-Makina. But Cereza, who’s been on the zoning board for more than 30 years, wasn’t impressed.
“I’m not concerned about the people (who) came and they brought ‘donuts’ and ‘cookies’ and that stuff. I’m concerned about the building (124 Jefferson), the patrons and everyone else,” Cereza said.
“I’m fighting so hard for this,” Johnson told the zoning board. “I took my entire pension and put it into that building (124 Jefferson). Every dime of it.”
Johnson added: “When I retired from the University of Pittsburgh, I took my entire pension check to get the renovations done on that building.”
Coming into the meeting on Aug. 26, the zoning board had classified H.O.T. Design Studio, LLC, in the direction of denying Johnson’s application for additional parking, etc. That, in effect, would have eliminated H.O.T. Design Studio to operate as a profitable event space. But by the end of the meeting, the zoning board had a different outlook. They voted unanimously to grant Johnson’s request for a continuance to submit a revised application to the zoning board. Johnson’s next proposal to the zoning board will state a request to operate an event space with up to 70 attendees, 30 less than the 100 that was presented to the board on Aug. 26. Effectively, the board decided on Aug. 26 that H.O.T. Design Studio could remain operating per usual as an event space for the time being, and the zoning board would work with Johnson to cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s to hopefully, for Johnson, get an official approval by the board this fall to operate as an event space with the additional parking and the allowance of up to 70 attendees.
“I think the best thing to do rather than throw good money behind bad is, let’s go over it,” Cereza said. “Let’s see where we can make it right, and if we can’t make it right, it wouldn’t be because of a lack of trying.”
Cereza added: “You (Johnson) seem willing to comply with the suggestions that were made, and I appreciate that. If you’re willing, the board can come up with some things to help you do what you need to do.” To that, Johnson replied: “That’s all I ask.”
