Residents urge Altoona City to preserve Little Orchard Park amid redevelopment plan

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 the area is frequently used for sports, sledding, dog training and other daily activities: "There's people in the park all the time." Several speakers warned that removing the park would disproportionately affect lower‑income residents in the neighborhood, who they said lack other nearby access to green space.

Timothy Smith, a Ward 3 resident, told council members he supports land‑bank and redevelopment tools in general but argued Orchard/Little Orchard Park is not blighted, citing historical tax records and saying the parcels have been maintained as a park for decades. "This is not some brushy, abandoned, trash‑filled set of lots," Smith said, and asked the city to pause any transfer while the neighborhood and city clarify ownership and intent.

Steve Alfeldt and other longtime neighbors described using the park for informal environmental education and argued proximity to green space supports property values and public health. Jordan Sesame Wilde, representing Wild Ones nonprofit and a local business called Ecotopian Earth Care, offered volunteers to help enhance the site as a rain garden or community orchard if the city keeps it as parkland.

Council members and staff told residents the current matter is before the Redevelopment Authority and the land‑banking process rather than an immediate City Council action. Mayor Merritt Pacifico and other council members said whether the city proceeds will depend on the proposals the Redevelopment Authority receives and on financial and feasibility details. "It's going to depend on what the proposals look like," Pacifico said, noting the authority will evaluate offers and financing.

Council discussion also acknowledged the city's competing needs: maintaining parks and providing affordable housing and other services. Several council members said the city has limited developable land and that rehabilitating blighted housing has been a priority; others noted the neighborhood where Little Orchard Park sits is comparatively stable, which affects financeability for developers. Council members repeatedly framed the immediate decision as one for the Redevelopment Authority rather than a direct council vote.

No formal vote was taken by council on Little Orchard Park during the meeting. Several residents asked the city to work with the neighborhood and the Redevelopment Authority to find a solution that preserves green space while addressing housing needs.

Residents and council members mentioned local outreach and coverage: Smith said neighbors learned about the redevelopment matter through the Altoona Mirror and other public notices. Several speakers requested the city pause any transfer while title, past tax status and park oversight are clarified.