Several Jim Thorpe business owners and residents attended a Jim Thorpe ordinance committee meeting Monday to offer their input on the proposed legislation.

Maureen Sterner, borough manager, explained why the ordinance needs to be updated.

“The problems that we have had with our current ordinance is that all we can do is permit new signs. The regulations are so poor and so contradictory that we can’t enforce anything,” Sterner said.

“Zoning isn’t just for the people who need a zoning permit. Zoning is to protect everyone in the borough.” It’s a way to protect the neighbors, Sterner said.

Brian Evans, who lives on West Broadway, shared his concerns:

“My primary concern overall is with the level of oversight; the level of government oversight that this introduces. It’s taking three pages of ordinances and turning it into 26 pages just for sign­age. The whole premise is that the final drafts for these next revisions will be a much more pared-down version which isn’t so restrictive.”

Carson Helfrich, the consultant from Community Planning & Management, pointed out that the borough is in the process of taking a photographic inventory of signs around the borough. The zoning amendment will not be finalized until after that inventory, so they can get an idea of the various sizes and types of signs.

“What we’ve attempted to do here is to address most of the types of signs that would ever be proposed and be erected,” Helfrich said. “And it’s been my experience that if you don’t address it in an ordinance and be reasonable in what you’re doing, it just adds total confusion to trying to regulate signs. Because, if you don’t have a rule for a specific type of sign, a reasonable rule; if someone erects that sign, and it’s not addressed by the zoning ordinance, then how do you govern that? That’s kind of the balance that we’re trying to achieve.”

Victor Stabin, owner of the Stabin Museum on West Broadway, also spoke about the proposed ordinance.

“I am actually wondering about the spirit of this whole thing; what are you actually trying to protect people from?” Stabin said.

“I’m wondering if you can just inform me about my first amendment rights, or when I’ll be informed about my First Amendment rights; and, is there any comment about what’s going on with my artwork (that is already being displayed in the borough), as far as, is it going to be grandfathered in, can I not put any more up? If something is up and gets weather-beaten or destroyed, am I allowed to replace it?”

Local developer Jake Arner added, “I had an expert come in, and he said, ‘Look around Jim Thorpe; what’s wrong with Jim Thorpe? It looks like it’s doing well to me.’ Why would you want to change it?”

Jim Thorpe is performing well with its current ordinances, Arner said.

“Although all towns have problems, I don’t think you should change anything, because I think you put all the businesses and people at risk for things that aren’t able to be seen right now. And, when I say that, I can only direct you to the parking ordinance in that something that was meant to solve problems, probably created as many problems as it solved,” Arner said.

I’m not saying it wasn’t needed; I’m just saying these things are extremely difficult to get right for towns, let alone a special town like Jim Thorpe.”

Sterner advised the group that this draft of the ordinance is not the rule yet.

“These are just starting points for us to talk about; and to decide what might be good for Jim Thorpe, and what might not be good for Jim Thorpe,” Sterner said.

The Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance Update Committee will continue working on the draft.