St. Mark’s supporters ask for confirmation that Carbon is dropping plan

Representatives from St. Mark’s and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jim Thorpe need proof Carbon County is withdrawing its approved plans for the Susquehanna Street building project before it can drop its lawsuit.

Last week, Mike Shorten of the church asked the county commissioners if it has withdrawn the project plans from Jim Thorpe borough.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that they are in the process of doing that.

Residents and St. Mark’s parishioners had filed a lawsuit over concern that the historic church would be damaged. The church is built into a rock wall, and plans called for rock removal there.

The original project called for demolishing the former archives building and constructing a three-story, 66,279-square-foot building and parking garage next to the current 76 Susquehanna St. offices.

Shorten asked if the church can have a letter from the county showing that the withdrawal has been completed so that the church can withdraw the suit.

All three county judges recused themselves from the case, and it was sent to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts to be assigned a new judge.

Delays in the case caused the county to cancel the $12.6 million in contracts it had awarded.

Two weeks ago, the county commissioners announced they were halting the project plans as they were approved and are going back to the drawing board with a smaller building that does not need the excavation of 40 feet of rock.

No new plans have been drawn up or submitted for review at this time.