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Pike County commissioners adopt resolution backing restoration of Milford Star, will apply for National Park permit
Summary
Pike County commissioners adopted a resolution supporting restoration of the Milford Star at Milford Knob and authorized applying for a Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area special-use permit and related steps, including outreach to the National Park superintendent and a congressional representative.
Pike County commissioners on Aug. 20 adopted Resolution No. 20523 supporting restoration of the Milford Star at Milford Knob and authorized county staff to apply for a special-use permit from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to allow reinstallation of the star.
The resolution calls for cooperation among Pike County, the National Park Service, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the secretary of the interior to restore the historic star and acknowledges the star's historical role in community patriotic events dating to the Spanish-American War era. The board also directed staff to submit a land-use permit application to the National Park Service and to forward a letter to U.S. Rep. Broshahan seeking his support.
Commissioners said they would submit the application immediately and pay the associated fee, described at the meeting as $125 plus $75 (total described at the meeting as $200). Commissioners described the application as a necessary step because the National Park Service controls the land where the star would be erected and the county needs land-use authorization before any restoration work begins.
At the meeting the board said that once permit and land access are secured, the county would seek community partners such as the Lions Club or Rotary Club to help with fundraising, and that a local organization would need to hold liability insurance for the site. The board described the insurance requirement as a minimal cost and indicated the county would play a coordinating role while community groups would carry out stewardship and fundraising.
The resolution text read at the meeting links the star and the Milford Knob to local traditions and historic figures, including a local family named Metz, and states the site meets criteria for the National Register of Historic Places, as read into the record. The county's action is limited to expressing support and commencing the federal permitting process; the National Park Service retains authority over land-use approvals.
The board took the vote as part of its regular agenda without extended debate; the clerk recorded the motion, a second and an affirmative vote.
The county also authorized the chairman to execute the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area special-use permit application and related documents needed to pursue the project.
The resolution and the permit application conclude the items on the agenda related to the star; commissioners moved on to routine contract and personnel matters after approval.
