Trending
Time and opportunity will be available for Altoona residents, through August, to provide input regarding a new citywide comprehensive plan.
Because of all the good that can emerge from a well-thought-out document of that kind, it is important that Altoona's proposed plan be accorded all of the interest and participation that can be mustered.
Unfortunately, though, odds are that the sessions will not generate the kind of strong interest being sought. That will be especially true if the planning document remains generally non-controversial.
Benefits that the city as a whole likely will derive from the planning effort can be expected to be of secondary importance to the municipality's populace. It is human nature, even in the realm of comprehensive planning, that the biggest interest will focus on how the comprehensive plan will impact specific neighborhoods and, thus, specific people, indirectly and directly.
There probably never has been an issue in Altoona's long history when what would be considered "too many people" showed up to express their thoughts or to have their concerns addressed or allayed.
Across Blair County, perhaps the most controversial, prolonged issue over the past half-century -- a proposal that ultimately was scuttled -- was PennDOT's plan related to building a new Route 22 through the Hollidaysburg Area school complex.
It's doubtful the new Altoona comprehensive plan will be a target of such opposition, but current learning and input opportunities would provide a hint of the overall city mood, going forward.
A front page article by reporter William Kibler in the Mirror's July 4 edition said three public meetings would be upcoming for "sharing of ideas that could become pillars of the ultimate document."
Additionally, the article said "kitchen table" discussions would be convened by members of the plan's steering committee with friends, colleagues and even, perhaps, with individuals with whom committee members never had contact.
Diana White, Altoona's community development director, has stressed the importance of getting the big things correct, which she said is one of the three main requirements for a great plan. She said the other two key requirements are successful planning involving what is known and constructing a decision-making framework for what is unknown.
But getting the big things correct requires collection of input from the city residents who ultimately will have to live with how the comprehensive plan is crafted.
City Manager Omar Strohm described the process as a matter of the city hearing from those described as the municipality's stakeholders.
On the municipal planning front, a consultant usually is hired to assist in plan preparation, and this Altoona planning exercise is not an exception.
White said the consultant for this plan will help categorize and consolidate the ideas that emerge during the open houses. That also will include creating an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand compilation of ideas.
Beyond Altoona's general citizenry at this time, the plan that emerges must be a workable tool for future generations of city leaders. For now, though, comprehensive plan preparation represents another potentially exciting step to complement other accomplishments of recent years.
Optimism has been a big part of Altoona's foundation over the past half-century, and this plan should be a basis for much more.