Palmerton has shot down an appeal to pay additional engineering fees that have been assessed to a proposed project at the Little White Church, at 911 Third St.

By a unanimous accord, borough council on Thursday denied a verbal request from the Palmerton Area Historical Society to pay the engineering fees.

Councilwoman Holly Hausman Sell made the motion to deny the request, stating the borough can’t balance the budget without increases, which she doesn’t feel is fair to the residents.

Further, Hausman Sell added the borough doesn’t have the money in either this year’s budget, or next year’s projected spending plan.

Last month, Barry Scherer, of the Palmerton Area Historical Society, approached borough council about clarification of Community Development Block Grant support.

Previously, CDBG funds in the amount of $90,000 were granted to the Little White Church for the proposed project for a paved parking area at the church.

However, Scherer told borough council that Keystone Consulting Engineers said there is an additional fee between $18,000 to $20,000 that is not covered by the grant.

It was noted that the borough received a verbal request from the Palmerton Area Historical Society to pay the engineering fee.

Scherer said the Palmerton Area Historical Society came to the borough to ask for a handicapped ramp in front of the building, but that request was denied by the county.

At that point, Scherer said borough manager Autumn Canfield asked if the Palmerton Area Historical Society would consider parking on the north side of the church.

He said a bill has been presented by Keystone Engineers for doing an engineer’s estimate of the cost of the project and to produce a schematic drawing for the project in the amount of $2,500.

Scherer said the Palmerton Area Historical Society would pay the $2,500 if it has to, but that if it would have to pay the additional $18,000 to $20,000, then it would divorce itself from the project.

Council President Terry Costenbader told Scherer the fee caught both parties off guard.

At that, borough council agreed to table the clarification of CDBG support for the project.

In April, borough council on a 6-0 vote approved a request from the Palmerton Area Historical Society to utilize CDBG funds to be applied for Americans with Disabilities Act parking for the Little Which Church at 911 Third St.

After that meeting, Canfield said the borough would be applying for fiscal year 2025 CDBG funds.

Canfield added that the borough’s entitlement amount of CDBG funds for fiscal year 2025 is $110,614.

However, she said at that time the borough didn’t have an exact cost of the project.