JIM THORPE, Pa. — There will soon be a lot more to see than just mountain views when you look up in Jim Thorpe.
Plans to put up a Ferris wheel are moving in the right direction.
Jim Thorpe Borough Council's first action of the new year was a zoning amendment that will clear the way for the attraction to return to Flagstaff Park.
Victor Stabin lives in the borough and was at the meeting.
"Well, it's always nice to have diversity. I think it will be terrific and I think if it's a Ferris wheel, you know, it's not a roller coaster, it's not bumper cars. It's one thing they want to do; let them do it. They have all the space to do it up there and will look great from below," said Stabin.
Tom Romanchik bought Flagstaff last year and asked the council for the amendment because a Ferris wheel is not a current permitted use in this area under the borough's zoning ordinance.
The developer says he wants to bring back a similar Ferris wheel to the one that stood here in the early 1900s; he has his eye on one in State College.
Borough council President Greg Strubinger says the decision was a no-brainer.
"There are some things that the new property owner wants to do in the future, and the council is trying to work with him to make that property the diamond in the rough that it is," said Strubinger.
People who live in Jim Thorpe are excited to learn that there's potential for a Ferris wheel to come back to the borough.
Some do have their concerns considering this is already a popular tourist place.
Nonetheless, they are glad to learn it's not downtown and instead someplace else.
"If they are putting it down here, where, there's no space. But up at Flagstaff, yeah. I would go. I would visit it. Yes," said Justin Aue, Jim Thorpe.
The borough council will adopt the amendment in February.
There's no timeline on when we might see the Ferris wheel spin for the first time.
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