A political whodunit over delays in the historic designation of the late playwright August Wilson's boyhood home is worsening Hill District divisions as some try to put up a united front in a push for new development.

The mystery deepened yesterday when e-mails emerged showing that the city Planning Department urged City Council to act on the home's nomination for six weeks before it finally made it on to council's agenda last Tuesday, starting a several-week process toward a vote that will occur too late to meet time requirements in city code.

The e-mails, released by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office, show that from Dec. 3 to Jan. 16, planning staff tried to get council and -- on one occasion -- the mayor's office to explain the delay, and warned of its legal implications.

Kimberly Ellis, a niece of the famed playwright, said the e-mails cause her "greater concern" regarding the process than she had before.

"I think that citizens could understand general bureaucracy" delaying the designation. "But when there's actual urgency [expressed in e-mails], it seems like there's something rotten in Denmark, and it's not city planning."

Ms. Ellis has criticized Councilwoman Tonya Payne, who represents the Hill, for backing a failed bid for a casino there, among other things.

The designation was sought by Paul Ellis Jr., the playwright's nephew, Kimberly's brother, and the owner of the 1727 Bedford Ave. house. He wants to turn it into a writers' retreat, an effort for which The Pittsburgh Foundation has granted $35,300.

Historic designation would lend the site gravitas, and restrict future changes. He officially nominated the house for historic designation on June 6.

The nomination won Historic Review Commission approval in August, and City Planning Commission approval in September, with no opposition. It went to council on Oct. 10 for the final OK.

City Code sets an eight-month timetable for considering any historic designation nomination, including 90 days for council to weigh it. If the final deadline isn't met, the nomination is deemed denied and can't be resubmitted for five years.

When nothing happened by Dec. 3, Planning Department Special Projects Operations Manager Dolores Hanna wrote to City Clerk Linda Johnson-Wasler asking when a required public hearing would be scheduled. She wrote again Dec. 11, noting a Feb. 6 deadline.

Planning Director Noor Ismail wrote on Jan. 9 to Ms. Johnson-Wasler and Gabe Mazefsky, policy manager in the mayor's office and a liaison to council. She asked whether "this has been put on hold for any reason."

"I forwarded the e-mails to Councilwoman Payne," said Ms. Johnson-Wasler, who primarily serves council. Mr. Mazefsky said he did not remember what, if anything, he did in response to the e-mail.

A Jan. 16 e-mail from a mayor's office secretary to Ms. Hanna said, "Someone in council must have pulled it."

Later that day, Ms. Hanna wrote an e-mail to Carmen Pace, aide to Ms. Payne, who was council's planning committee chair last year. It said the city was "running out of time," and asked, "Did the councilwoman hold [the bill]?"

Ms. Pace's prompt reply: "Let me check on that and get back to you." There was no later e-mail.

Ms. Payne, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, has said that when she found out the nomination was stalled she called Urban Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Pat Ford to try to find it.

Mr. Ellis met on Jan. 24 with council President Doug Shields, who asked the Law Department to review the matter. The department wrote an opinion saying that since the delay isn't the applicant's fault, the passage of the deadlines shouldn't count against him. The needed public hearing and council vote haven't been scheduled and won't happen before Feb. 6.

"I'm definitely concerned," said Mr. Ellis. "I'm concerned about citizens having their faith in the process of government compromised."

He's backing legislation submitted by Councilman Ricky Burgess that would give council 120 days to vote on historic designation applications, and would deem them approved if council failed to meet that deadline after the historic and planning commissions signed off.

The Hill faces larger issues, especially its bid to win a community benefits agreement governing development around the planned new Penguins arena. The recently named Hill Faith and Justice Alliance, and later the One Hill Community Benefits Coalition, have demanded a binding agreement. The city and Allegheny County have been negotiating with One Hill.

Ms. Payne has backed One Hill, while state Rep. Jake Wheatley said yesterday that the alliance should also be at the table.

Hill resident Deidra L. Washington, meanwhile, is expected to have Ms. Payne's backing in a Democratic primary challenge to Mr. Wheatley. His political faction is widely expected to field a candidate against Ms. Payne next year.

The Hill "has its differences of opinion," Mr. Wheatley said. "We've always been challenged to not let that diminish our pursuit of goals for the people."