Blair County commissioners postpone eminent-domain vote after hours of public opposition to proposed prison site near Alto Rest Park Cemetery

Blair County commissioners on Thursday postponed a vote on an ordinance that would authorize eminent-domain proceedings for two Allegheny Township parcels after dozens of residents urged the board to seek other locations for a proposed new county prison.

The commissioners moved to table the ordinance until Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 10 a.m.

Residents said the preferred site would take land from Alto Rest Park Cemetery, a privately owned, family-run cemetery with graves dating to the 1920s. Speakers described the cemetery as a historic, open place for thousands of Blair County residents and veterans and said using part of its acreage for a prison would cause lasting harm.

“This is about small business in Blair County,” said Ryan Good, who identified himself as a fourth-generation Goode family member connected to Alto Rest Park. He said the family had a farming contract on the ground and asked the commissioners to remove the property from the county’s list.

Jeffrey Behrens, vice president and general manager of Alto Rest Park Cemetery Association Incorporated, delivered petition signatures he said totaled nearly 6,000 and told the board there had been no direct negotiations between the county and the cemetery owners. “We are here today because of the action taken at last meeting to proceed down the path of eminent domain,” Behrens said.

Multiple speakers described deep personal and emotional ties to the cemetery. Angela Treese said her daughter, who died in 2024, was buried at Alto Rest and said, “Choosing to build a prison next to an eternal resting place for thousands is just shameful.” Other residents, including veterans, said the hilltop cemetery is a local landmark used for Memorial Day observances.

Board members acknowledged the strong public reaction and reiterated that the county is continuing to evaluate sites. Commissioners said the county faces a long-standing need to replace the existing jail building and that prior studies and engineering work informed the search. A speaker for the board summarized the process in general terms and clarified that any exercise of eminent domain would require compensation to landowners through established valuation procedures.

At Thursday’s meeting the board recorded no named roll-call votes on the tabling motion; a commissioner moved to table the ordinance, a second was recorded, and the motion passed. The ordinance will be considered again at the April 3 meeting.

Clarifying details raised in public comment included an offer the county said it made on Jan. 7, 2025, and a refusal from the landowner on Jan. 17, 2025, according to Jeffrey Behrens; the cemetery association said they have received no county contact since that refusal. Residents said the cemetery contains more than 20,000 interments and that the cemetery-owned property totals about 202 acres, of which the county has discussed taking roughly 77 acres; cemetery representatives said parts of the land are farmed under contract to help maintain capacity for future burials.

The commissioners encouraged continued public engagement and reminded attendees of regular Thursday meetings where the issue may be discussed further. The board scheduled the tabling motion for formal consideration on April 3, 2025, at 10 a.m.

Less urgent items and a number of routine agenda approvals were handled later in the meeting; those votes are summarized separately.