New gray PPL Electric light poles along West Broadway in Jim Thorpe will be swapped out for a different color within the next year.

Borough Council agreed last week to take PPL up on its offer to replace the fiberglass poles with black ones instead of gray.

“There was also an option of choosing green poles, but the black seemed to blend in better,” Councilman Mike Yeastedt said. “PPL will be replacing them at their cost and believes we can get those black poles within the next year.”

PPL replaced three poles, with a fourth one still to come, along West Broadway last month, but residents blasted their non-historic look. During a public comment portion of council’s meeting, residents called the poles “hideous” and “an abomination.”

“These light poles are hideous,” said borough resident Todd Morris at August’s meeting. “We have a historic town that needs to be preserved in that way. This is something serious and it needs to be addressed.”

While Jim Thorpe will go to black poles for the time being, it is planning a long range vision, which could include seeking grant money to take over ownership of the poles, giving it even greater options when it comes to pole styles.

“We’ve estimated $500,000 plus in the past and that would be to install underground service to the lights,” Yeastedt said. “Right now, we have overhead service, which limits what we are able to do as far as styles.”

Councilman Jay Miller suggested the borough pursue the long-term option of putting in underground service and taking over the lights. The situation, he added, could present the borough with an opportunity to improve its sidewalks downtown as well.

“When you go into Hazleton, you see the sidewalks, the street, the lighting, all taken care of,” Miller said. “Why don’t we do that. Go with the black poles for now and pursue a grant with PPL. If we’re going to consider underground service, you’re going to be ripping it all up, so make it worth it.”

Jim Thorpe officials expect the black poles to be installed sometime in the spring.