The Altoona Planning Commission Tuesday approved a land development plan that will guide the transformation of a prominent corner property.

The plan calls for renovation of the 1,500-square-foot former Bart’s Auto Center garage at the southeast corner of Plank and Frankstown roads to create a nail salon to be called Nails Square.

It’s the last land development plan the commission will consider under the city’s old subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO) — with future plans to be considered under a new SALDO that was approved in the fall by City Council, along with a new zoning ordinance — both having been reworked in a yearlong process by czb, the company that authored the city’s new comprehensive plan.

The commission approved five waivers requested by the developer, who was represented by engineer Stephanie Shoenfelt of EADS — adding modifications that were incorporated into the plan.

One waiver will allow the two access driveways — ingress only on Plank Road and in and out on Frankstown Road — to be closer to the intersection than called for by the ordinance. The driveways will be in the current locations, but narrower.

A second waiver will allow the developer to dispense with curbing around islands and sidewalks, to enable sheet flow drainage.

A third waiver will allow the developer to dispense with sidewalks along the edges of the property, for lack of practical room, according to Schoenfelt. There will be sidewalks around the building, however, including one that will extend by commission suggestion to an alley running alongside the property, connecting Plank Road to Frankstown Road.

A fourth waiver will allow for modification of landscape screening requirements — with a landscaped area on the Frankstown side of the corner to have nothing higher than creeping plants or flowers, so as not to interfere with drivers’ lines of sight — in keeping with suggestion from commissioner Larry Bilotto, a retired PennDOT employee.

A fifth waiver will allow for elimination of landscaping around the building foundation. Such a waiver has been frequently requested and granted under the old ordinance, which allows for it, provided there is sufficient landscaping elsewhere, according to Shoenfelt. The new ordinance doesn’t require foundation landscaping.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.