Lehighton is seeking proposals for 23 acres of property at Dunbar’s Beach it would like to use toward recreation purposes.

Borough council on a 6-0 vote Monday agreed to advertise Requests for Proposals for the Lehighton Riverfront Park Property Survey. Councilman Dave Zimmerman was absent.

Borough Manager Dane DeWire said, “After the initial survey is prepared, the survey will be forwarded to the county for review to establish easements.”

Then, DeWire said, “The county will agree to execute a deed, conveying the borough the 23 acres, after which, the borough will contact the railroad to attempt to secure a public easement to the area of the acreage that is cut off with the existing railroad trestle.”

DeWire added that the borough will also need to contact the owners of what has been referred to as the “trap triangle” to obtain a deed to that area.

“The intent of the borough is to improve the 23 acres for recreation purposes, only with help from the Wildlands Conservancy and the Palmerton Trustee Council.”

The 23 acres had previously been donated to the borough by Carbon County.

In September 2019, county commissioners approved the agreement to allow the borough to move forward with its plans to establish a recreation area on the land, which Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said was along the Lehigh River and not suitable for any type of building.

The property is narrow and not big enough for any structures.

Nothstein said that the area had been used by the rafting companies for many years, and that this was just a natural extension of that use.

All of the property donated is located inside the borough line.

In March 2019, Chris Strohler from the Wildlands Conservancy met with Lehighton Borough Council and said there was interest in constructing a more formal boat launch and fishing access at Dunbar’s Beach.

The formal agreement between the county and borough will allow Lehighton to move forward with the required survey, right of way and easement development in preparation for the submission of a subdivision plan.

Former borough Manager Nicole Beckett said in March 2019 that the project was expected to be funded through the Palmerton Restoration Trustee Council for construction costs for river access once the borough secured the property and access.

The borough will be responsible for the property.