A new Dollar General is being planned along Dunnings Highway in Blair Township, according to plans submitted to the Blair County Planning Commission.

Commission members on Thursday gave a favorable review to the plan, with some suggestions — including a bike rack.

The plan calls for the subdivision of a single parcel into two parcels, both of which are vacant maintained lots, said Emily Evey, community planner.

The lots will continue to have frontage along a public roadway.

The commission expects an increase in traffic as a result of the new store and recommended that the developer consult with Blair Township and PennDOT, Evey said.

Access to the site will be through a 24-foot-wide bidirectional driveway that opens onto two, 36-foot-wide bidirectional drive aisles. Trucking plans provided by the developer show these wide drive aisles are for trucks to turn and make deliveries.

However, if feasible, planners recommend the drive aisle space be reduced to 24 feet to eliminate excess impervious surface, Evey said.

The developer has requested a waiver from Blair Township on required parking spaces.

Proposed parking for the site includes 33 standard vehicle parking spaces as well as two ADA accessible spaces. Parking minimums for Blair Township recommend 54 parking spaces for this size and type of development.

“We feel as though the proposed parking should suffice,” Evey said, noting the developer included “a public pedestrian walkway along Dunnings Highway, which is appreciated and should promote safer walkability in the corridor.”

The development site is located completely within the Federal Aviation Regulation Part 77 Airport Hazard Area of Blue Knob Valley Airport, and both the PennDOT Bureau of Aviation and the Federal Aviation Administration have laws and regulations that developers must abide by, Evey said.

“The construction of these structures within the Airport Hazard Area will require consultation with the PennDOT BOA first and possibly the FAA. Based upon the location and elevation of the site, we are not expecting that these structures will be a hazard to air traffic,” Evey said.

Chairman William Hall said he believes there are about 13 Dollar General stores between Bald Eagle and 58th Street in Altoona.

“They are targeting areas where there is nothing else,” said MacKenize Caron, regional planner.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.