JT readdressing riles residents

Tensions came to a head when Jim Thorpe residents aired their grievances with recent and upcoming readdressing plans at the borough’s council meeting on Thursday.

During public comment, several residents voiced opposition to proposed changes in the Leisureland area of the borough, along with several other locations. Leisureland residents received notices from the planning commission informing them that a readdressing effort had begun last month. Homes in Glen Onoko Estates were recently readdressed to ensure that emergency responders could locate residents promptly.

Council members fielded some heated questions and complaints on the matter, though President Greg Strubinger assured them that nothing was set in stone as of yet, and that the council had provided the planning commission with additional time to prepare the proposals in good faith.

“There may be parts that we don’t like, and we’ll take them out of the plan, and other parts where it would make sense to do the readdressing in that area,” Strubinger said.

Planning commission Chairman Lou Hall later explained that two versions of the proposal were being prepared, with one featuring suggestions from last week’s commission meeting.

Plans should be ready to present to the council within 30 days, Hall said, though they will have to be run through the Carbon County Emergency Management Agency and the Harrisburg post office.

“At this time, if everything goes great, we’re probably about four or five months out,” he said.

Hall said that changes are necessary in some areas in order to make them compliant with 911 nationwide addressing. Strubinger agreed, adding that while current first responders may be familiar with the unorthodox numbering systems on some streets, that could change in the near future, which could affect emergency service response time.

Borough Manager Maureen Sterner and Strubinger both said that the numbering issues stemmed from a time when developments were given free rein to number homes as they saw fit.

“A lot of them used lot numbers,” Sterner said.

“When they did, they went one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and 10. So, you don’t have even on one side and odd on the other.”

In addition, some areas may be subject to name changes, such as the stretch of road which changes from Chapman Street to Onoko Lane to Alpine Drive. Hall said that the two proposals the planning commission is working on will show different renaming strategies.

Resident John Martino expressed concern over the potential for a name change, as it could spark even more agitation for those who have lived at their current addresses for years.

“Some people bought their properties because they like the name Onoko Lane,” Martino said.

“It’s a matter of respect. We have been there for four decades, plus.”

Hall reiterated that there was still much work to be done over the course of the month, in addition to public hearings on the matter if the council decided to act on a proposal, and that changes could still be made to the plans.