Blair County Planning Commission members Thursday gave a favorable review to an expansion plan for Blaise Alexander Hyundai, 101 Pleasant Valley Blvd.

The project calls for construction of two expansions to a 17,900-square-foot building, specifically a 5,900-square-foot expansion to the northwest side of the structure and a new 150-square-foot building at the structure’s southwest corner.

The 5,900-square-foot addition is to be an expansion of the existing automotive dealership while the 150-square-foot building is proposed to support battery storage.

Proposed site improvements included the installation of a subsurface stormwater detention system, including collection and discharge infrastructure; the onsite delineation of 31 parking spaces with landscape islands; construction of a vehicle display pad with landscaping to be located near the intersection of Pleasant Valley Boulevard and South Second Street; the removal of five existing freestanding signs; installation of one 16-foot-tall freestanding sign located near the site’s northwestern property line; installation of two electric vehicle charging stations; internal walkways; and sidewalks and landscaping improvements within the public rights-of-way on South First Street and South Second Street, said Tom Gissen of Stuart Group Consulting.

Planning commission members approved the plan but made several recommendations.

The applicant has requested that the requirement to perform percolation testing be deferred until the start of construction. However, commission members said the testing should be done immediately not at the start of construction.

Members recommended the plan for erosion and sediment control, details and notes be submitted to the Blair County Conservation District for review.

Members said the City of Altoona should determine whether the existing percentage and proposed impervious area may be permissible as a vested condition.

A section of the city code established minimum parking setbacks at 10 feet or 20 feet, depending upon the street and lot line classification. The submitted plan includes nine parking spaces that extend to the South Second Street property line, a zero-foot setback. Members said the city must determine whether this is a permitted vested condition.