There is a lot more than meets the eye her in this situation.:( Waldameer wants to build this coaster, Ravine Flyer 2 patterned after the original Ravine Flyer (which was dismantled after a man feel to his death in 1938). The original rollercoaster travelled over the road leading into Presque Isle State Park (Penninsula Drive). Mr. Nelson owns the land behind the drive-in across Penninsula Drive.
Now that all the setting and stuff is said, lets get into the situation.
CASE 1:
Mr. Nelson wants to build a CCI wooden/steel hybrid coaster (like Villian) that would travel down the "bluff", out across Penninsula Drive, back across the road, up the bluff, and then finish with its course back around where it started (presumably like a terrain coaster). In the 80's Pennsylvania set a law that would forbid the building of anything that was determined a bluff. However, the defenition of a bluff was said to be only overlooking a lake. In 2000, the state said the "bluff" was actually overlooking the bay and Presque Isle, not Lake Erie; therefore, it wasn't a bluff.
However, the Candela's, who own a campground at the bottom of this hill are arguing that it is indeed a bluff. The coaster would be passing within 50 feet uphill of their house/campground (which, by the way, looks seriously run down and I never see anyone in it;)).
They are saying some crap about "how our only concern is to keep the 'bluff' safe and beautiful for the next generations and yeasr to come." Now naturally, even though I love rollercoasters, I wouldn't want some coaster running within 50 some feet of my house. I see their point there.
So now we have a lawsuit and going deep within Pennsylvania's legislation to determine once and for all if it is indeed a bluff.
CASE 2:
The state of Pennsylvania wants to build a $26 million dollar greenway out there across Penninsula Drive (thus tearing down the drive-in) and they want to use Mr. Nelson's 4.6 acres for part of the building. Mr. Nelson has agreed that if he is able to keep enough land for the turn around for Ravine Flyer 2, he would sell the rest of the land for the greenway. However, if he is not able to use the "bluff" in his coaster, he has an alternate design which would use all off the land across the road (how we would get over Penninsula Drive to ride it I don't know). That would mean that the greenway would need to be redesigned to use less space.
Basically, the fate of the coaster is going to be decided by what the state of Pennsylvania determines as a bluff. But, the coaster will be built even if they are unable to use the hillside as part of its' design. I have a feeling Pennsylvania will decide in Waldameers favor because not to would mean the costly process of redesigned the god-forsaken greenway they want to build.
In my opinion (as well as many other Erie citizens), we do not need or want this Greenway built at the entrance of Presque Isle. Penninsula Drive is already VERY crowded and busy, and we do not need another draw. Not to mention they would be tearing down the only drive-in in the area, and it still gets a lot of business!
Lately, Erie has been building way too many things that would draw large crowds in WAY too small of an area. And it seems that none of the stupid planners ever take into account of parking lots. For example, the Erie Bayfront Library never had that much parking space to begin with, and now they are tearing the overspill lot into a "Transportation Hub". Great, just what we need, a bunch of bus traffic bringing visiters onto the bayfront. My mother works at that library, and now she as well as the other employees have to park in a dirt lot behind the library. But I suppose the Transportation Hub is better than building luxery condos there; for those of you who are not familiar, this entire area is located about a quarter of a mile away from the sewage treatment plant (downwind a lot of the time:().
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A New World. A New Technology. One Last Hope for Salvation. Neon Genesis Evangelion
*** This post was edited by Coastercraver on 7/4/2001. ***
