Here Comes the Rain Again, More on Stroudsburg’s Main Street Strategy, Bad Romance

📬 IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING

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📰 THE LEAD STORY

CATCHING UP: WHAT THE COUNCIL MINUTES SHOW ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN PLAN'S DEBUT

We first told you about Stroudsburg’s downtown strategic plan in our July 13 edition. To recap, the Downtown Strategic Plan is a five-year roadmap. It sets four goals:

Build an organizational foundation for the new Stroudsburg Main Street Program

Position downtown Stroudsburg as the Poconos' cultural hub

Strengthen it as a community connector, and

Make the Borough more business ready.

The wish list includes a facade improvement grant, a rotary at Main and Broad Streets, expanded wayfinding signage, and eventually a Business Improvement District or similar funding model.

The minutes for the July 7 meeting, where Pelham Advisors' Brian Abernathy formally presented the plan to council, were recently released on the Borough website. Like many of the recent council meetings, it had the same dynamics as an uncomfortable Thanksgiving meal with Leslie Jones (if you have not seen the sketch, do yourself a favor and look it up on YouTube).

First, let’s start with the financials (after all, they are spending our tax dollars). Pelham Advisors was one of three firms that responded to the Borough's RFP, and the council picked the middle-cost bid at $45,000. Council President Matt Abell also told the room the state recently doubled the funding window for the Downtown Manager position — originally set to taper from 100 percent state-funded to zero over five years, that phase-down window is now ten years. Abell separately clarified that the Borough applied for, but was not awarded, a façade-improvement grant. It never committed funding to one, despite public confusion on that point.

The real friction was over who got a seat at the table. Sharon Sinkevich, who has owned The Apple Tree for 45 years, told council she didn't know who the plan's “stakeholders” were and asked why she wasn't among them. Abell said Downtown Manager Michael Moreno had emailed her an invite to a focus group and she declined to attend. Tricia Fritz of Dunkleberger's Sports Outfitter, in business for 54 years, said the Borough needed to fix the basics before recruiting visitors: dirty sidewalks, poor lighting, and homelessness downtown. She also flagged deteriorating sidewalk concrete outside her store that was supposedly replaced a couple years back. Borough Manager Larry Kopp's answer was that the contractor who did the work is no longer in business. Kris Anzini pressed on how the stakeholder list was built; Moreno said his list of property owners started at 11 names, grew to 39, and produced no participants. Michael, if you are going to throw a party, make sure someone shows up!

A few smaller threads worth banking: Abell said he'd stop referring to “Main Street” and start saying “downtown,” after a business owner on a side street pointed out the plan keeps overlooking anyone off the main drag. Chris Loebsack of Boundless Yoga raised a real logistics complaint — Ann Street businesses keep getting cut off by street closures for parades and events — and Abell agreed to put it on the Street Committee's agenda. And Rev. Gary Barraco of Zion Church asked that the plan account for the Borough's six mainline denominations.

As I noted before, the plan itself is public and available for download on the Borough's website. Break out your popcorn because Stroudsburg Council meets again Tuesday, with a full docket (see details below).

📋 THE DAILY RUNDOWN

Local Fuel Index. The average for East Stroudsburg regular gas is $4.21 per gallon, down just slightly vs. $4.24 per gallon this time last week. That is in line with the Pennsylvania state average. Small relief at the pump, if you squint.

Middle Smithfield Marks Six Years of Community Day. Middle Smithfield Township held its sixth annual Community Day on Saturday, and WNEP was on hand for the festivities. The township's recurring event typically features a Volunteer Fair showcasing local community organizations, plus a Touch-a-Truck and other kids' activities.

🤦 WHAT WERE YA THINKIN'?

Get Over It, Dude. Pocono Township Police have a warrant out for 47-year-old Marvin Louis Burton after they say he followed his ex-wife to Camelback Resort on July 28, blocked her car in, broke her driver's side window, and took off. He's wanted on simple assault, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, harassment, criminal mischief, and reckless driving. Police are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to call Pocono Township PD at (570) 992-9911 or dial 911. Burton is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Delaware Water Gap Borough Council (Monday, Aug. 3, 6 p.m.) On the agenda: the Cherry Valley Waterline Project, a grant application for Phase 2 of the Mountain Road Pedestrian Safety Project, the Storm Water Management Ordinance (Act 167), and firehouse renovations.

Stroudsburg Borough Council (Tuesday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m.) A packed one. Council holds a public hearing to adopt a sidewalk ordinance amendment, votes on whether to advertise two more public hearings (Aug. 18) on parking ordinance revisions, discusses filling the council seat vacated by Joseph Shay in July, discusses vehicular noise enforcement in the Borough, and gets a presentation on the Borough's MS4 stormwater program. Council is also set to finalize the Twin Boroughs Recycling office trailer purchase, a $59,950 deal with SDVOSB vendor Monmouth Solutions that's been in the works since July.

We'll follow up on the council seat, the noise enforcement discussion, and the sidewalk ordinance once Tuesday's outcomes are official.

Agendas for the East Stroudsburg meetings weren't available at press time — we'll cover any notable action once minutes are posted.