A request for an Irish pub-style business in Palmerton has been declined.

On a 4-0 vote, with one abstention, borough council on Thursday rejected a liquor license transfer from Jim Thorpe to 315 Lehigh Avenue.Council President Terry Costenbader abstained. Councilmen Jeremy Barbosa and Michael Ballard were absent.Council's rejection came after it held a public hearing which included testimony from Thomas M. Dowling, and his daughter, Kyla Buluc, both of Kunkletown, who wanted to open an authentic Irish pub and restaurant.Dowling said he and his family wanted to open T.T. Dowling's Irish Pub, LLC, which would specialize in Irish stout, ales, and Irish fare, as well as American fare.As part of his testimony, Dowling said the restaurant would have been able to accommodate between 80-85 customers and would have been open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.Dowling, who most recently owned the 57 Hotel in Kunkletown until a fire burned it to the ground last year, indicated that he would look to hire several employees.Before the vote, Costenbader asked Dowling why he wanted to locate an Irish pub-style business in Palmerton, to which Dowling replied because there aren't any in the borough.Costenbader then told Dowling that upon checking on the state Liquor Control Board's web site, he found that the 57 Hotel had many violations over the past few years.As a result, Costenbader said he would abstain from the vote.The property at 315 Lehigh Avenue had most recently operated as "Jereme's Place".Also on Thursday, borough Manager Rodger Danielson announced that the borough's water company will eventually be able to repair leaks at First Street and Delaware Avenue."They've found several nonfunctioning and broken valves," Danielson said. "We think we're in a position to isolate the area and fix the leaks."