(Morning Call, The (Allentown, PA) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 24--PITTSTON -- Carbon County's proposed $4.185 million Packerton Yards Business Park project didn't make the cut for funding from a regional economic development group Wednesday, but that doesn't mean the county will stop trying.

"We are going to continue our funding pursuits," county Commissioner Chairman William O'Gurek said after the project was ranked seventh of the 16 projects seeking funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission's Area Development Program. The top three are likely to get funding, officials have said.

Projects that have most of their funding in place are more likely to be chosen by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance to get money.

O'Gurek said commissioners plan to pull together at least $3 million over the next year from state gaming revenues and from $1.2 million allocated for the Packerton project by state Rep. Keith McCall, D-Carbon, then try again for NEPA money.

County officials had asked for $1 million in federal Economic Development Administration money, $200,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission's Area Development Program, and $300,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission's access road program.

NEPA ranked a $4 million expansion of Humboldt Industrial Park near Hazleton, a $3 million Northampton Community College workforce development training center project, a $2 million Carbondale technology center project and NEPA's own $800,000 regional enterprise development program as its top candidates for funding.

Packerton, located in Mahoning Township, ranked second of two projects asking for Access Road funding. The first is a $1 million Commerce Road project in Luzerne County.

Packerton ranked fourth of the six projects asking for Economic Development Administration dollars, behind Humboldt Industrial Park, the Northampton County College project and the Carbondale technology center project.

In their June 11 presentation to NEPA, Carbon officials said the Packerton project would create 368 jobs and generate $64.7 million in economic activity within five years.

The $4.185 million would be used to build an access intersection with turning lanes and a traffic signal on Route 209 at Jamestown, a rail crossing -- the county is negotiating with Norfolk Southern for access across its tracks -- roads, sewers, water and other utilities, and site preparation.

The project is on the site of the 59-acre former Packerton rail yards, which the county bought in 2005 for $350,000. A $175,000 Business In Our Sites grant paid for engineering work.

chris.parker@mcall.com

610-379-3224

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