A Jim Thorpe developer is hoping to run a sewer and water line down Flagstaff Mountain to connect with the borough’s system.

Jake Arner, of Awesome View Properties, described his plan to borough council last week and on Wednesday night received approval to have municipal engineers work with his engineers to determine if the appropriate capacity exists. He provided the borough with a $1,500 payment to be held in escrow and eventually used to pay its engineers for their work.

“We’re looking at a low pressure sewer line and a water line, but only if it proves feasible,” Arner said. “The engineering work, however, is going to be costly, and we really only want to proceed with that if this is something council feels it would support. If you want good things to happen up there on Flagstaff, there has to be water and sewer.”

Arner has proposed a residential development, Canyon Rim Estates, for his land atop Flagstaff Mountain. He has also pitched short-term rentals, a winery, a tram and a camping facility for the property at borough meetings in the past.

“The sewer line would service the 270 residential lots in the Canyon Rim Estates,” Arner said.

Work would include a directional bore, which Arner said would cause “very little earth disturbance.”

“It wouldn’t have any effect on trees on the mountain or disturb any soil on the mountain,” he said.

Should Arner’s sewer and water line come to fruition, he has left the door open for the owners of the neighboring Flagstaff Park property to connect to them.

“If they would like to join the borough sewer, that would then be an option for them,” Arner said. “It might be relevant if they plan on having larger traffic and need more public restroom facilities.”

The plan currently calls for a 6-inch sewer line because of the possible business from Flagstaff Park.

Borough solicitor James Nanovic said Wednesday night that if it is determined capacity is available, Arner would need to amend his plan for the residential development and apply for the appropriate number of equivalent dwelling units.

“If you actually want those EDUs you are going to have to purchase them,” Nanovic said. “It’s not something you can hold until later. If you want them, at that point you’re going to have to buy them.”

Greg Strubinger, council president, said he had reservations about locking the borough into anything long term without having any more information than a conceptual plan.

“Your engineers would have to review everything,” Arner told council.

According to Arner, he would own the sewer line from where it connects to the borough’s system near Highland Beverage to his property.

“I’m not looking to cost the borough any money,” he said. “I’m going to pay your engineers and everything like that, but if there is a grant available for the roughly 300 feet that would be the borough’s down on Route 209, I think it would be fair to go for that money. We’re hearing about all of this infrastructure money that is going to be available, I’d hate to see us miss out on that.”

Arner brought Bill Erdman of Keystone Consulting Engineers with him to last week’s workshop meeting. Erdman said Arner has put in lots of preparatory work to determine if running the line down the mountain is going to be feasible.

“There is a big question is the vertical boring and while it would have its design challenges with that steep of a slope, I wouldn’t say it isn’t feasible,” Erdman said. “I think the bigger question at this point comes with capacity, and those are discussions that need to happen with the borough.”

Jim Thorpe Public Services Manager Vince Yaich warned that the borough’s water withdrawal limit does limit it to pulling 425,000 gallons a day from Mauch Chunk Creek. There are also limits at the sewer plant, he said, that would need to be investigated before any project went forward.

“In my mind, these are the first things we would look at,” Erdman said, “because they could be fatal flaws in the plan that could send us looking at Plan B, whatever that may be.”