Mahoning Township has granted a one-year extension for the Sierra Vista property in its municipality.

Jake Arner, president of Awesome View Properties Inc., told supervisors at last week’s meeting that buyer interest in housing is increasing as mortgage interest rates decline.

Arner said the developers currently have more than 25 lot buyers who have expressed interest in purchasing a lot on Flagstaff Mountain and have provided proof of funds.

He said the plan is to establish an attorney-held escrow account for the buyers’ funds, and once the amount equals the improvement costs, “we will post a cash bond for the improvements and simultaneously transfer lots to the buyers since a cash bond has been established.”

Additionally, Arner said they were contacted this week by a lender offering financing to move the Sierra Vista development forward. In the event additional funding beyond the lot buyers’ contributions is needed, he said it may now be possible to borrow the improvement funds.

Arner described the following economic advantages to Mahoning Township, the Mahoning Municipal Authority, Lehighton Area School District and Carbon County:

• Mahoning Township: $188,401 in Flagstaff Road improvements; $53,614 a year in township property taxes (assuming homes pay $6,000 a year in total property taxes).

• Mahoning Municipal Authority: $1,162,455 in improvements added to the sewer system ($461,000 in EDUs paid and 104 new customers supporting the sewage infrastructure).

• Lehighton Area School District: $529,293 a year in school district taxes (assuming homes pay $6,000 a year in total property taxes).

• Carbon County: $110,687 a year in county taxes and debt service (assuming homes pay $6,000 a year in total property taxes). Arner said he was born in Lehighton and grew up in Mahoning Township, and that he has the area’s best interests at heart.

Supervisors agreed to grant Sierra Vista a one-year extension until Dec. 31, 2026. They previously granted an extension in November 2024.

Arner told the board at that time he had an interested investor who could fund the project, but Supervisor Deb McGowan said she was not interested until Arner could provide proof.

Arner said they had complied with everything except providing a letter of credit because they did not receive approval for short-term rentals. He said then that his proposal would bring $1 million to the township.

Sierra Vista Estates has 104 units on 200 acres on Flagstaff Road next to the Flagstaff Ballroom and has been approved as a residential development.

Arner said he has had someone from Brussels tell him the campsite is the best they ever stayed at.

He added that there are not enough accommodations in Carbon County, and that if tourists stayed longer, they would spend more money at businesses in Jim Thorpe, Mahoning Township and Lehighton.

But Supervisor John Slaw said the township has had four developments go bust over the years and that lot sales in the township have not been going well. He then asked Arner if he would consider abandoning the subdivision and doing something different.

Arner told the board he was willing to work with the township to improve the situation.

Earlier last year, Arner asked the board to change the zoning for his property.

The zoning hearing board denied the request for commercial parking and short-term rentals in the R-3 district, which does not allow either use.

Arner said he wanted to move forward with plans for short-term rentals and said at that time he had 25 parties interested in buying lots who liked the idea.

He said the proposed commercial parking along five lots bordering the Flagstaff property would create about 500 parking spaces. If a proposed gondola were approved, there would be additional parking.

Arner said he hopes the gondola will move forward, describing it as his goal for more than 30 years. He has also planned a residential development in Jim Thorpe.

Canyon Rim Estates, Arner’s residential development in Jim Thorpe, has 270 units and was approved for short-term rentals, a winery, a tram and a camping facility.