A Lehighton developer continues in his quest to provide a building for a nonprofit to store its dental vans.

Joe Bennett, who owns property at the intersection of Millway and Bridge streets, revisited the matter last week with borough council.

Bennett said he wanted to request the zoning for the property be changed to commercial so two dental vans could be parked on the property overnight as part of a program called STAR Community Health Dental Van Program.

Councilman Steven Hawk asked Bennett if there were land development plans submitted.

Borough engineer Vanessa Nedrick added there is a process that should be followed.

“We haven’t seen the plan to do the review,” Nedrick said, adding that the process needs to follow a specific order.

Bennett noted they are not looking to build, and that they don’t plan on doing anything other than allowing the van to pull in.

One problem that remains is that there are three paper streets owned by the borough that run through the properties in question.

Paper streets are land owned by a municipality that was planned for a street but never built. To be able to move forward, the municipality must vacate or abandon them claim to those streets.

“We’re looking to do some grading, and asking for your vacation of paper streets,” Bennett said.

Council agreed to authorize borough solicitor Jim Nanovic to prepare a petition for next month’s meeting to vacate multiple paper alleys.

Council also agreed to have three properties the borough owns, two on Millway Street, and another that border the properties Bennett wishes to redevelop, be appraised at no cost to the borough, which Bennett agreed to pay for.

Last month, land consolidation plans for the site were reviewed by the Carbon County Planning Commission, but no recommendation was made due to Bennett not owning the paper streets.

In November, council on a 4-2 vote rejected Bennett’s request to provide a building for a nonprofit to store its dental van.