Blair Planning is an independent agency of local governments (County of Blair, City of Altoona, nine boroughs and fifteen townships). Blair Planning was created on May 6, 1964 as a result of petitions by the twenty-four municipalities of Blair County. Its purpose is to provide areawide comprehensive planning for Blair County, as well as to perform planning-related activities as required by federal
and state law and by rules and regulations. The organization operates under provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968 as amended by Acts 170 of 1988, 209 of 1990, 131 of 1992 and 165 of 1996), and has been organized as an agency of twenty-five local governments plus the county government. Rather than be limited to the role of a planning department of county government or a planning commission with staff under the direction of the governing body of a county, Blair Planning serves all of the governing bodies of municipality in Blair County. An independent organization where all the municipalities voluntarily contribute annually to its operations is rare among counties of Pennsylvania. The Blair County Planning Commission is made up of nine members appointed by the Board of Commissioners of the County of Blair to serve terms of four years with three representing the City of Altoona, three representing the nine boroughs and three representing the fifteen townships. The arrangement between the County of Blair and all the municipalities where the three groups of municipalities each nominate proposed members and the County of Blair voluntarily appoints nine members to the Blair County Planning Commission. Blair Planning provides areawide comprehensive planning for Blair County, and performs planning-related activities as required under federal and state law and/or rules and regulations. It consists of the over-arching Government Advisory Committee, the Blair County Planning Commission, and the Blair Metropolitan Planning Organization. Specialized committees are formed to address the development of comprehensive plans, hazard mitigation planning, stormwater management, and active transportation/healthy living. The planning commission meets monthly to receive and act upon reports from its committees and review applications for federal and state assistance, proposed amendments to zoning ordinances and maps, proposed subdivisions and land developments, planning modules for sewage facilities and other proposed actions to determine their degree of consistency and impact with areawide comprehensive planning for Blair County and reports back its findings. The Government Advisory Committee meets semi-annually to provide a forum for the municipalities to address issues of mutual concern, direct staff to conduct research into specialized areas of particular interest, and provide administrative oversight to the organization. The Blair Metropolitan Planning Organization generally meets quarterly to focus on transportation issues throughout the county. It has a separate page to post transportation-specific announcements. Blair Planning currently employs a staff of six full-time personnel who perform the activities specified in grant agreements for transportation planning, stormwater management planning, hazard mitigation planning, and community development. The staff also drafts comments and recommendations associated with the numerous reviews performed by the Blair County Planning Commission, and the plans and policies adopted by the Blair Metropolitan Planning Organization. Anyone with interest in Blair County is encouraged to contact the office.
