Lehighton has put the skids on a grant that would have been used to have a study done on how to improve its community grove.

On a 5-2 vote, borough council on Monday agreed to terminate the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant contract for the grove project. Councilman Ryan Saunders and council President Grant Hunsicker were opposed.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky stressed that despite some of council’s actions Monday night, they are committed to backing advancement of recreation facilities.

Abelovsky said that while she believes the borough needs to move forward with the recreation aspects of the community, it needs to take the right steps to do so.

The borough was previously awarded a grant for $40,000 from DCNR as a Community Conservation Partnership Program to be used to have a study done on how to improve the grove, and to see if an additional recreation center would be built in the lower field near the existing recreation center. However, the borough also would have been responsible for coming up with a $40,000 match.

Last month, council agreed to table action to advertise for proposals for the grove site plan and feasibility study.

Abelovsky said at that time she didn’t believe it was something that needed to be prioritized at this time in the borough.

Saunders said in January he believes the borough needs to move forward with the feasibility study for the grove.

Last year, council agreed to forge ahead with a master site development plan and recreation center feasibility study for the grove.

Borough Manager Nicole Beckett previously said the study was to prepare a master site development plan for the grove, and that it was through a grant, which expires Dec. 31, 2019.

Beckett had said the master site plan would analyze the facilities, activities, maintenance and operations, as well as lead to the completion of site development drawings for the redevelopment of the grove.

Last year council approved DCNR’s grant contract for rehabilitation and further development of the park.