It is easy to understand — and be sympathetic toward — the Alto-Reste Park Cemetery Association’s opposition to the Blair County commissioners’ decision to seize association land by eminent domain as part of the plan for construction of a new county prison.

It also will be understandable — as well as predictable — for some families with relatives interred in the cemetery to join in opposition to the current prison plan, which would result in the new prisoner facility as a “next-door” neighbor to the cemetery.

Geoff Behrens, the cemetery association’s vice president and general manager, was not overreacting when he referred to the cemetery as “hallowed grounds.”

Obviously, even if far in the future, the prison’s presence, where currently planned, will eliminate the possibility of burial sites on that land, thus limiting the cemetery’s expansion to whatever degree. Beyond that, the prison will eliminate some of the serene characteristics that always have been associated with Alto-Reste.

Behrens was speaking realistically when he made the point “imagine the impact on over 20,000 families who have entrusted us with the care of their loved ones’ final resting place, a place of beauty.”

However, county commissioners Chairman Dave Kessling made an important point when he said “we have to worry about the transportation costs and getting (inmates) to and from the court system.”

For example, a new prison built a few miles from the current one and courthouse might increase greatly the county sheriff’s personnel needs and, thus, the costs of operating the local incarceration facility.

Such concerns were on the minds of Butler County’s commissioners when they were planning for construction of a new prison a couple of decades ago.

Rather than constructing their new prison several miles from the courthouse on county-owned land, the commissioners opted to build in the city’s downtown — vertical rather than horizontal — just a small number of steps from the courthouse, thus saving considerable amounts of transportation — and, presumably, personnel — money each year.

Would vertical rather than horizontal construction be feasible in Hollidaysburg?

This editorial is not meant to judge the current plan but, rather, to suggest that all possibilities be considered and/or reconsidered before a final decision is rendered.

Perhaps it would be to Blair County’s best interests for the local commissioners to arrange for a “field trip” to Butler to look at what was accomplished there — and to actually tour that prison to judge the pluses and minuses of what they see.

No matter what the local commissioners’ decision might be following the visit, the trip would be money well spent nevertheless.

For the record, the Butler County project required removal of several older homes near the new-prison site to accommodate the new facility and parking needs, but the new facility is not injurious to that city’s work to remain an upbeat community.

Blair County needs a new prison to replace its current Mulberry Street lockup, which was built in 1869 and expanded in 1983.

When Butler County built its new facility, the construction provided space for additional local prisoners, if needed, as well as space for housing some prisoners from other counties — a money-making opportunity.

Keep the Blair prison project moving ahead, but don’t rule out examining new or adjusted ideas along the way, right up until no additional changes are possible.

A second opinion need not be counterproductive.