A proposal to construct a basketball court at Dimmick Park drew concerns from several residents at the June 19 Hellertown Borough Council meeting.

The open space, which sits behind the Hellertown Pool along Depot Street between New York Avenue and Durham Street, is directly adjacent to the backyards of four homes behind Milford Alley.

Neighborhood residents Glenn Trapp, Angela Drake and Jennifer Tabor expressed concerns about noise and other potential consequences of the court’s construction and questioned the borough’s need for another basketball court. Hellertown currently has a full-size court at Water Street Park and another smaller one at Gregory Park on Third Avenue.

Although Trapp complained that he and other neighbors did not receive notice, borough engineer Bryan Smith noted that the court had been discussed for three years leading up to the decision to apply for grants to fund the efforts.

Since the funding has already been approved through Northampton County and the Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, he warned that canceling the project and returning the grants could be viewed “extremely negatively” by the sources.

Councilor Liz Thompson was the most vocal official in support of the residents’ objections, noting that she was not yet in her role when the decision was made. However, the concerns she shared, which were mostly environmental, were somewhat quelled by Smith, who cited flood prevention efforts already included within the project.

In response to suggested alternative development options for the parcel, Smith also referred to an upcoming Saucon Greenway recreation study, which he said could be an opportunity to survey the community and potentially adjust the project while retaining the funding.

Council President Thomas Rieger suggested tabling the proposal for the time being, gathering input from the community over the next several months, and then holding a public workshop meeting on the fourth Monday in September. Ultimately, the board agreed with Rieger, voting to table the decision until sometime in October.

In other news, the council officially accepted Dewey Fire Co. Chief Matthew Simkovic’s resignation. While the department was to hold an internal election to determine who they will present for approval as their new permanent chief at the end of June, Rieger noted that Assistant Chief Jon Delmore will occupy the position until the July 17 meeting as per borough code.