Carbon County commissioners are rolling out the welcome mat and doing their share to help with the influx of visitors to Jim Thorpe.

On Thursday, the commissioners approved two mobile food and refreshment concessions for Josiah White Park in front of the historic train station, which sees hundreds of visitors daily.

Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said the county has been getting complaints that with the train excursions dropping hundreds of people in town that there are limited food options and long lines at restaurants.

“We were a little hesitant of adding (concessions),’” he said. “But we’re at the point, we have so many people visiting Jim Thorpe, we have to try to accommodate them.”

Nothstein also pointed out that they’re working on alternative parking options, which will keep traffic moving in town and ensure emergency vehicles can get through during peak tourism times, such as the Fall Foliage Festival in October.

“The (Carbon) Chamber, the Pocono Mountain Visitor Bureau, the county, police department, fire departments, we all have been meeting on a fairly regular basis to try to make it as smooth as possible,” he said.

“We know they’re coming and we’re going to do the best we can … to keep things flowing and moving,” Nothstein said.

The county is looking at expanding parking options, including using Mauch Chunk Lake Park, he said. Other organizations and nearby communities are also looking to help with parking, Nothstein said.

Jim Thorpe Borough has had numerous events meetings, bringing together stakeholders monthly to plan for additional parking and looking at traffic patterns, Commissioner Chair Michael Sofranko said.

LANTA, which runs shuttles from the parking areas at Mauch Chunk Lake Park, will be expanding service, going from three shuttles to six for this year’s Fall Foliage Festival weekends, he said.

“There are also groups that are currently trying to work with the school district in Jim Thorpe about having parking in those additional lots,” Sofranko said.

“They spoke to Lehighton Borough about parking. They did not feel that they were going to be ready to provide that type of service,” he said. “Lansford was brought up as an area that they can provide some services.”

The details are being worked out between various organizations and LANTA, Sofranko said.

Nearby communities may be able to help with the parking during peak times and benefit from the overflow, Nothstein said.

“What their hopes are that they provide parking, whether it be in Lehighton, Lansford or Nesquehoning, that it would help bring additional business to those areas. In Lansford, they have the No. 9 Mine,” he said.

“Like I said, the facilities, the restaurants, for eating just can’t accommodate all the people here in Jim Thorpe,” Nothstein said. “So, it’s in the hopes of being able to provide more tourism and hopefully they would visit other communities, instead of just Jim Thorpe.”

For Josiah White Park, the commissioners approved concession leases with Michelle Greek of Nesquehoning, and Kaitlyn Zehner of Lehighton, for mobile food and refreshment concessions in the park through the end of the year.

The rent for the first year, beginning June 21, is $280, and successive year, working with an automatic renewal option for three years ending in 2027, will be $560.