Lehighton has purchased a pair of lots as part of its Riverfront property acquisition project.

Borough council on a 6-0 vote recently agreed to purchase lots No. 1 and No. 2 of parcel 70-11-A500 from Blue Ridge Real Estate.

Councilwoman Jordyn Miller was absent.

Borough Manager Dane DeWire said, “The two lots purchased are part of the Riverfront property acquisition project that the borough has been working through for the last three years.”

He added, “While performing the boundary survey, KCE (Keystone Consulting Engineers) determined that two tracts of land were owned by Blue Ridge Real Estate, so I’ve been in contact with their board of directors and legal counsel to facilitate the property transfer for us to complete the subdivision plans on the county’s behalf.”

DeWire said a 2.89-acre parcel was appraised at $5,500, while an additional 1.45-acre parcel was valued at $4,000, and Blue Ridge Real Estate’s board of directors agreed to sell the land at the appraised values, for a total of $9,500.

He noted that borough council included this land purchase in this year’s budget.

“Once the borough provides the county with drawings suited for subdivision, the county will turn over 23 acres of the 71-acre parcel to the borough,” DeWire said. “Future plans for the property include a riverfront park, possible extensions to the D&L Trail, and a boat launch area, maintained by the Lehighton Borough.”

In November, DeWire said the 71-acre parcel along the river, which stretches between Lehighton Borough and Mahoning Township, required a survey and subdivision in order for the borough to acquire the 26 acres within the municipality limits.

DeWire noted that the contract for the survey and subdivision was awarded to Keystone Consulting Engineers in 2024.

He said that since then, the survey has been completed, and it has been determined that Blue Ridge Real Estate held the deed to two tracts of property that make up a piece of the 26-acre parcel.

At the end of the summer of 2025, DeWire said appraisals for the two properties were provided to Blue Ridge Real Estate so that they and their legal counsel could make a decision on how to move forward with the project.

In January 2024, council on a 6-0 vote, with one abstention, approved the Riverfront property acquisition survey proposal from Keystone Consulting Engineers. Councilman Steve Hawk abstained.

Before that vote, DeWire urged council to act on the matter at the behest of the Carbon County commissioners, whom he said almost sold the property out from under the borough.

DeWire said that council had previously received four proposals for the riverfront property acquisition survey that were in the amount of $45,000, $39,000, $35,000 and $17,000.

He then recommended that council go with either the $45,000 proposal or the $35,000 proposal.

Then Councilman John Kreitz asked if it was accounted for in the 2025 budget.

DeWire said it was, and added the borough wants the property for recreational purposes.

Then Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky, who made the motion at that time to approve the $45,000 proposal, said she felt it ironic that after 10 years of discussing the matter, council was urged to act swiftly on the matter.

Abelovsky said she believed the possibility of expanding the borough’s recreation and tourism was a great opportunity.

In August 2024, the county commissioners approved an agreement with Lehighton to allow the borough to hire a licensed surveyor to conduct a survey of about 23 acres of the former Packerton yards rail yard.

The plans call for possibly subdividing and transferring that portion of the land to the borough.

Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said the acreage the county will transfer is only in Lehighton, with the remaining 40-plus acres located in Mahoning Township.

He noted that most of the land is in a flood plain, between the Lehigh River and the railroad tracks.

Carbon County purchased the property in 2004 with the vision of creating an industrial area; however, after long legal battles, which included several injunctions and finally a ruling against the county’s request to not install sidewalks into the site, the land has sat vacant ever since.

The former Packerton yards parcel in Mahoning Township remains for sale.

The commissioners said that there had been some questions from business owners about the site and they are willing to hear from anyone interested in making an offer.