Blair County commissioners hold public hearing on proposed trail authority

Blair County commissioners convened a public hearing this spring to accept written and oral comment on a proposed ordinance to create the Blair County Trail Authority, a new entity county officials say would coordinate trail planning countywide and open additional grant opportunities without drawing on the general fund.

County Solicitor Chris Fuhrman opened the hearing by describing the process and marking published advertisements and the proposed ordinance as exhibits. "This is the purpose of today's hearing is to take public comment, get your information, get your comments on the record," Fuhrman told attendees.

Commissioners said the authority is intended to centralize planning and pursue grants. Commissioner 1, speaking for the panel, said public turnout at earlier meetings and requests from neighboring counties drove the idea: "Every little township and community is doing parts with their trails, but there's no coordination, there's no single point of contact." Commissioner 1 added the authority could increase grant opportunities and bring economic benefits to the county.

A second commissioner (Commissioner 2) said community support at prior meetings had been "pretty overwhelmingly in favor of forming an authority," calling the structure a way to "harness that energy" and plan a countywide trail network. Commissioner 3 cited a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) figure and told the room outdoor recreation represents a substantial economic sector: "During 2022, there were over 17,000,000,000 that brought that were brought into Pennsylvania in the outdoor industry," he said as part of his remarks on potential economic impact.

Public commenters broadly supported forming the authority and offered site-specific suggestions. Ron Beatty, a Blair County resident and city councilman, thanked the commissioners for the effort. "I just wanted to speak today and thank the commissioners board as a whole for taking the opportunity and giving, the area the legs to stand on for recreation," Beatty said.

Steve McKnight, president and CEO of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation, urged the county to leverage outdoor assets for economic development: "From the economic development perspective, trails and outdoor recreation is a cornerstone at this point of an overall economic development strategy." He said the county can model coordination after neighboring counties.

Residents described several trail projects and maintenance needs they want the authority to consider. Outdoor enthusiast Mike Savino said the Kettle area contains about "8 miles of trails" that could be linked to the Kettle Reservoir and other nearby routes; he also suggested a pedestrian bridge of roughly a 20-foot span to make some segments passable. Frank Barry urged commissioners to promote and maintain Valley View Park, saying an amphitheater reportedly built for about $300,000 has seen little public use and that a nearby pedestrian bridge has been deteriorating for years.

Reporter Kaye Stevens raised governance questions on the record, asking whether the new authority would replace the county's existing recreation advisory board, what the authority's first priorities would be, and whether seed funding would be provided. She also noted several proposed authority members were identified before public discussion.

Other commenters asked the county to consult existing trail organizations; Karen Shaw of Williamsburg asked whether the group that manages the Williamsburg section had been contacted. The county noted letters of support already on file from organizations such as Curry Supply Holdings, the Blair County Airport Authority, Palundo Hospitality Partners, Keystone Development, Rails to Trails (Center of Central Pennsylvania), and Altoona Curve; those letters were entered into the hearing record as exhibits.

No formal vote on the ordinance was taken at the hearing. The record shows motions to enter exhibits into the record and to close the hearing were made, seconded and approved by the commissioners. Solicitor Fuhrman and county staff said the hearing material would be part of the record "before a vote is taken." The hearing was then closed and the meeting adjourned.

The public hearing consolidated public support and site-specific requests for trails, while also surfacing operational questions for the new authority, including its relationship to existing advisory bodies, initial priorities, potential seed funding, and how proposed board members were selected for appointment.