Jim Thorpe Borough Council voted 6 to 1 on a zoning amendment Thursday night that paves the way for a Ferris wheel atop Flagstaff Mountain.

The amendment permits “amusement structures or rides” in the R2 district including Ferris wheels, trams and zip lines, provided the land where it would be located is over 10 acres.

The change comes in large part due to the request of Tom Romanchik, who along with Catherine Jaindl-Leuthe purchased the former Flagstaff Park property in 2020, to purchase a Ferris wheel of a similar style to the one that was located there in 1915.

After Thursday’s meeting, council President Greg Strubinger said allowing the zoning change seemed to make logistical sense.

“We were kind of taken aback to begin with that the Flagstaff property was in the R2 district,” Strubinger said. “We would have thought it was zoned differently. For that use, it made sense to pass the amendment so they can do what in reality were some of the things that were done up there originally. It made no sense for zoning to restrict a Ferris wheel, which was up there before.”

Romanchik and Jaindl-Leuthe purchased the property for just over $709,000 at a sheriff’s sale. Among the Flagstaff features is a more than 9,000-square-foot event center with ballroom, which once hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Dorsey Brothers.

Over the years, plans for a hotel and other attractions on the site have not materialized, but Strubinger is hopeful brighter days are on the horizon.

“We are excited we have an owner who is really ambitious and wants to do great things up there,” he said. “I think they really have a genuine vested interest in the community. It would be nice to see that property return to some of the success it had years ago, and I think it can happen.”

Medical marijuana facilities

The zoning amendment passed Thursday also regulates where medical marijuana facilities can be located in the borough.

The amendment calls for clinical research centers to be allowed via special exception use in C-1 neighborhood commercial, C-2 general commercial and industrial zones, growers/processors to be allowed via special exception in the industrial zone and dispensaries to be allowed via special exception in the C-3 neighborhood commercial and industrial zones.

The facilities can’t be located within 1,000 feet of the property line of a public, private or parochial school, charter school or day-care center unless a waiver is granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Councilwoman Jessica Crowley voted no Thursday to the zoning amendment. She said last month she felt the amendment was too restrictive.

Strubinger, however, said council did its due diligence before deciding on where the facilities could be located.

“This was not rushed at all,” Strubinger said. “We reviewed ordinances from other municipalities, looked at state regulations, used county mapping to make sure we were staying the proper distance from schools, held discussions with the police department and looked at planning commission recommendations. The borough has been working on this for four years.”