Blair County Planning Commission members Thursday reviewed plans for conversion of the former Rite Aid pharmacy building in front of the Station Medical Center on Ninth Avenue.

Lexington Mall partners, LLP, is proposing to demolish the rear portion of the approximately 3,000-square-foot commercial building and renovate the interior of the building to create space for two commercial tenants.

According to the applicant’s narrative, a Dunkin Donuts will occupy half of the space, the second half of the building is being marketed for use as an “eatery.”

According to the City of Altoona’s Industrial Flex zone, fast food restaurants are not permitted, said Tom Gissen of Stuart Group Consulting.

“Dunkin Donuts more often than not is considered fast food, but is often considered for retail use,” Gissen said.

The land development plan proposes the addition of a semicircular, one-way drive-thru lane that would begin near the east side of the building, wrap around the rear of the structure and pass the west side of the building before exiting the site.

Planners give nod to PFAS facility

Blair County Planning Commission members Thursday gave a favorable review to plans for the Martinsburg Municipal Authority to construct a PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) treatment facility adjacent to its existing Butternut Street water treatment plant.

According to a review by Tom Gissen of Stuart Group Consulting, the new and existing treatment facilities will be connected and jointly perform potable water treatment. In conjunction with construction and installation of the PFAS treatment facility, planned improvements on the site would include utility connections, expanded stormwater management, a driveway, a parking area for two cars and erosion control measures. Total site disturbance is to be limited to less than one acre.

Pleasant View Farms barn approved

Blair County Planning Commission members Thursday gave a positive review to plans for construction of a new barn at Pleasant View Farms.

Plans call for construction of a 30,240-square-foot barn on an existing 79.41-acre farm located in a predominantly agricultural area of North Woodbury Township and Taylor Township. Additional improvements include a detention basin, related stormwater infrastructure, internal driveways, gravel and concrete.

The proposed development is an expansion of the existing agricultural use and appears to be consistent with the site’s existing agricultural use. All new construction and site distance is confined to North Woodbury Township, said Tom Gissen of Stuart Group Consulting.

The application includes construction of an infiltration basin that is located down slope from the proposed barn. Runoff from the barn and the immediately surrounding area will be captured and piped to the infiltration basin, Gissen said.

The project is needed so the farmers can move some of their cows that have been housed at different farms in the area since the February 2023 fire that destroyed the dairy farm’s offices and part of the milking parlor, said Troy Metzler, part owner of the farm.

“This will make things a lot easier. It will hold about 270 cows when done,” Metzler said.

If all goes as planned, construction will begin in June on the estimated $800,000 project and will take three to four months to complete, Metzler said.