Altoona has the opportunity to become a great teacher for other Pennsylvania cities — and perhaps even boroughs — if it can implement a successful program for injecting new life into narrow, vacant lots brought about by blighted-structures removal.

City council members have mentioned some interesting options on how Blair County’s largest municipality might proceed if such a program were allowed to take shape.

For that to evolve, though, the topic must remain a regular item on council meeting agendas.

One way for that to happen might be through appointment of one council member as chairman for scheduling future discussions, including arranging for construction professionals — Altoona is blessed to have many — to present their thoughts on how the city might best proceed.

Narrow lots are not only an Altoona problem, but a direction to proceed, developed in Altoona, might be helpful to many other communities currently scratching their heads about how to resolve their unwanted open spaces.

Altoona leaders already have referred to additional tax revenue reality, so what is needed now are some good, workable proposals for several neighborhoods to advance the housing objective beyond its current “threshold” status. Perhaps a means for that would be a couple of meetings for city residents to express their opinions and, even, their concerns.

Additionally, the council might consider appointment of a couple of city residents to serve as liaisons between the council and the general community — people others could go to for information updates or, otherwise, to provide information.

Having such an overall “structure” in place would likewise be a source of guidance for other communities with the narrow, vacant lot problem.

In an article in the April 27 Mirror, reporter William Kibler detailed some of local council members’ initial thinking regarding possible steps for launching the initiative in question.

Councilman Dave Ellis expressed the idea of holding a builders’ fair to generate momentum.

Councilman Dave Butterbaugh suggested tackling the question and existing uncertainty about whether building homes on narrow lots can be a profitable venture.

Meanwhile, Councilman Ron Beatty, consistent with the other two councilmen, raised the point of recruiting builders to “rehab” blighted homes for which rehabilitation remains a possible option because of their condition.

Councilmen Bruce Kelley seemed to wrap all of the ideas together with his correct observation that approaching the issue in an “organized fashion” is what is necessary from the get-go.

Intertwined with how exactly to proceed is a side issue and potential obstacle in dealing with narrow properties: the city’s setback requirements, especially side and rear setbacks.

Considering the early stage at which the narrow lots issue is in, ample time exists for a thorough review and appropriate decision-making and ordinance adjustments to take place, if the council really is as committed to attacking the issue as it now seems.

Give Altoona council members an “A” for their current foresight regarding the fact that something — yes, something substantial — needs to be done on the narrow lots “landscape” for the city to continue to move forward.

Obviously, a number of other Keystone State communities could benefit by watching Altoona’s new “progress package” take shape.