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Residents urge Altoona City to preserve Little Orchard Park amid redevelopment plan
Summary
Dozens of residents told the Altoona City Council during the Dec. 2 public comment period that Little Orchard Park is actively used and should not be seeded to the Redevelopment Authority or land bank for housing. Council members said the decision rests with the Redevelopment Authority and will depend on the proposals it receives.
Dozens of residents urged Altoona City Council on Dec. 2 to halt plans that would allow Little Orchard Park to be placed into a redevelopment or land‑banking process and potentially redeveloped for housing.
The neighbors said the small, long‑standing green space between Chestnut and Second avenues and First and Fourth streets is actively used by children, walkers and families, and should be preserved. "It's the last one in Logantown. Why take Logantown's only park?" said Charles Lamarque, who identified himself as a member of the Logantown Park Committee. "The children use it. Even when I took these pictures, there were people playing in it," he added.
The speakers described a patchwork of pocket parks in the neighborhood that residents rely on for recreation and community activities. Melissa Wirtz, who said she lives adjacent to the park, described equipment that used to exist there and said…
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