A paper alley in Palmerton will stay that way for now, Palmerton Borough Council decided Thursday.

After holding a public hearing late last month - where some residents testified in favor of Alley J, located between Princeton and Columbia avenues, being made public - council decided to deny that petition, citing economic uncertainty induced by the pandemic.

The project came with a price tag totaling over $210,000.

“I disagree with the timing of the project,” said Councilwoman Holly Sell, chairwoman of the body’s streets and sidewalks committee. “We don’t know where we’re going to be at with our finances. We don’t know what our tax revenue is going to be. … We’re not in a place where we can go and allot that kind of money to a project like this.”

Sell’s position was supported by council with a unanimous vote to deny the Alley J petition.

“I feel for the people that want it,” Councilman William Gallagher added, “but you also got to remember: we have no idea where our money is and how much money we’re going to get when revenues come in.”

Community assessment

Personnel from the Carbon County Planning Commission will be going through blocks of Mauch Chunk Road to solicit responses to income surveys, according to Donna McGarry, borough manager.

The surveys will help determine the area’s eligibility for Community Development Block Grant money, which is income-based and distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That information is not kept by the borough; it goes directly to the county to assess whether or not that part of the borough qualifies for funds.