Two members of the public spoke at the Blair County Commissioners meeting on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

Mike Senesi of Hollidaysburg used his public-comment time to urge the commission to consider a five-acre light-industrial site in Altoona as a location for a proposed new prison, saying the parcel already has water, sewer, gas and communications infrastructure and would reduce land-take compared with a greenfield site.

"This is about 5 acres, and the infrastructure is there," Senesi said, adding that the site is largely vacant, adjacent to existing industrial parcels and associated with the Pector family. He also said the existing prison employs "something like 200 jobs," which he argued would continue to provide local employment if the site were used for expansion.

Senesi said he had raised the site at an Altoona City Council public comment session and asked the county commissioners to "approach the city" if they shared his view. The board's discussion later in the meeting acknowledged constituent suggestions but noted technical constraints.

A commissioner who spoke after Senesi said commissioners maintain "a very good relationship with the city of Altoona" and that the county evaluates potential sites regularly. The commissioner cautioned that the Altoona parcel likely presents "environmental mitigation" and hazmat issues, that vertical expansion (building up) presents maintenance and operational challenges, and that the county is planning for long-term capacity over 10 to 30 years rather than immediate construction.

A. C. Stickel, representing the America 250 PA Blair County Commission, used the public-comment period to preview county events tied to the nation's 250th anniversary. Stickel described a sequence of commemorations beginning April 18 with a courthouse clock-tower lighting to mark Paul Revere's ride, a ceremonial Liberty Tree planting at Fort Roberdeau on April 26, a Flag Day weekend kickoff at DelGrosso's Park in June that will include unveiling a county Liberty Bell by local artist Leah McNall, and a Fort Roberdeau program reading the Declaration of Independence on Independence Day.

"We are the group commissioned to plan Blair County's celebration of America's 200 and fiftieth birthday on 07/04/2026," Stickel said, asking the public and government partners to support scheduled events and noting available fundraising pins and buttons.

No formal action was taken on Senesi's prison-site suggestion; commissioners said staff and engineers evaluate sites and encouraged constituents to continue providing information. The public-comment section concluded and the board moved on to its consent agenda and action items.