A developer seeking changes to a decade old agreement with Jim Thorpe Borough will not get his wish.

Borough council voted unanimously Thursday night to keep its original arrangement with Jake Arner of Awesome View Properties for the proposed 86-lot Canyon Rim Estates development atop Flagstaff Mountain.In 2005, Arner agreed to pay $153,000 to the borough for improvements to Flagstaff Road, which adjoins the first two phases of the development, in exchange for relaxed subdivision rules related to curbing and lighting.That cost has since escalated over $200,000, but Arner said the current financial climate won't allow him to simply borrow that money from a bank.Instead, he asked council to allow him to pay for the Flagstaff Road improvements out of the first few lot sales. He also offered the borough a mortgage on part of the property."I don't really see where we're being secured," Councilman Jay Miller said at a workshop meeting last week. "The bank won't give you a bond and you're asking us to take that mortgage."Several council members told Arner in past meetings that they felt they would be acting as a bank if the deal were changed.Arner said he thought the new deal was a fair proposal. If he's unable to start putting roads in his development, he added, the lots are tougher to sell."People are interested, but they want to see things start," Arner said. "I have a contractor willing to do the improvements, but he didn't have the money to front for the Flagstaff Road improvements."According to the agreement Arner and the borough have had in place since around 2005, the cost of fixing Flagstaff Road will continue to escalate each year until the work is paid in full."I spoke to (Rep.) Doyle Heffley and there are grants out there available to do work on the road, but I would have to work with the borough to get them," Arner added. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes."Mayor Mike Sofranko questioned Arner as to whether timbering done on his property generated any money.Timbering companies, Arner answered, did the work in exchange for free chips.The clearing was done to create better views from the proposed houses."If you can find someone out there with the money and you hand the borough a check for the road, you could start tomorrow," Sofranko said. "The bottom line is, I'd like to build a casino on Flagstaff Mountain, but I don't have the money."