HONESDALE, PA — The Christmas star atop Irving Cliff, the object of emotional pleas at Honesdale Borough Council meetings since October, cast its holiday glow over the town as a police presence greeted participants and spectators for the December 10 council meeting. Ostensibly, the officers were there to ensure that borough hall seating capacity of 60 was not exceeded, though the borough police officer might have been there for crowd control as well.

Although seating capacity was not an issue and there was no public comment on the Irving Cliff holiday light displays, there was controversy. The council has been attempting, for more than a year, to find a purpose for the derelict Hoff property at the intersection of 13th and East streets that will benefit borough residents without creating an undue tax burden for the borough. Several times it seemed to have found a solution, only to be second-guessed by the public. This discussion came up again at the December 10 meeting.

Mark Graziadio, of Wayne County Habitat for Humanity (HFH), said his organization would like to use that property for construction of a three-unit dwelling. HFH has built 21 homes in Wayne County to date, three of them in Honesdale. Saying that HFH needs time to review funding opportunities, he asked if it is too late to do so now, considering that in August the council approved a resolution to create a park on the property. His request brought to light the fact that the draft resolution was never advertised, as required by law, prior to adoption.

Debate among the council and significant public comment followed. Many of the same arguments, for and against the park, heard by the council over the past few months were reiterated. But this time there was another option on the table.

President Mike Augello said that he had never been opposed to another park in Honesdale, but in a town where more than 60% of the property is tax exempt, one more such property (a sizable one) is an added burden to taxpayers. The HFH option would create three taxable dwellings, as well as attract additional consumers to the borough. Also applauding the HFH option, resident Sandy Degroat said there is a lack of affordable housing for seniors and single-parent families within the borough. The council voted unanimously to postpone any further action on the Hoff property until its March meeting, at which time HFH should have completed its review of funding opportunities and would inform the council how it would like to proceed.

In other business, the council adopted a 2019 annual budget, with Bob Jennings the only opposition vote. It passed unanimously an amendment to a Quality of Life ordinance that provides for better enforcement of existing street maintenance, which includes snow and ice removal from public areas. Augello said all future complaints about slippery street conditions caused by failure to remove snow and ice should be directed to the borough police, not the council or zoning office. An ordinance creating charging stations for electric vehicles on Main Street passed unanimously, as did a prohibition on burning leaves and brush.

A proposed Floodplain Amendment, to bring the borough’s existing code into compliance with state requirements, will be advertised and its adoption voted on at a special December 20 meeting.