Posted
To avoid further delays, the owner of Waldameer Park will ask local authorities to rezone the land to bypass concerns of erosion and allow construction. The project has been entangled in legal issues for years.
Read more from The Erie Times-News.
Isn't it funny that you can have the vast majority all for this ride, all for this expansion... but if just a select few speak up against it, there blows the whole ordeal and things get pushed back further & further, as in this example... to years behind schedual.
This coaster would really put Waldameer on the map along with Erie, PA.
They have complained to the town board among many other individuals which, in return, have then conducted environmental studies... and yes,there have been a number of studies, not just one. They're just coming up with bogus excuses to delay the construction, such as the impact it will have on the bluffs of Lake Erie when this coaster is built, among other factors.
So, Paul has been waiting patiently for six years & counting to build this coaster, but the Candelas have been the big voice (among a few select others) preventing him from doing this...
...at least, that's the jists from what I've been following.
If your getting this much trouble now, imagine when the coaster is up and running. I am all for the coaster, I have been waiting for it since it was announced and I still lived in Erie, but maybe it is time to redesign it? Without the bluff, it wouldnt be quite as nice, but im sure they could build something great in the current parking lot and move the main parking lot accross the street with no problem.
I'd be kinda surprised if the coaster EVER gets built, but IF it does...I'll be there...
Does strike me as odd that some parks have a good working relationship with the neighbors, while others (IB, AT, KBF, etc.) seem to have CONSTANT battles over noise, hours, and everything else under the sun...
Anyway, in regards to what Jeff said about suing the state/city, it would be a difficult case. In River Park v. City of Highland Park, River Park owned a golf course in the town of Highland Park, Illinois, and wanted to change the golf course to houses. In order to do this, the land needed to be rezoned. River park claimed that the town of Highland Park had to rezone the land as a matter of law (this was not decided, but for the sake of argument let's assume that this is true). Highland park wanted to keep the golf course and stalled. The had committee after committee and eventually River Park went bankrupt and the property was foreclosed by the bank. River Park sued the city saying that by stalling it had hurt them. The courts said, among other things, that the city can take as long as it wants to make the right decision. Also, there is no property right in hoping that the city upzones the land (allowing a greater use of the property).
If you compare this to the present situation, the land has to be rezoned to build the ride, hence the variance request. The park has no legal right to assume that this will be granted and therefore has no claim against the city/state.
Sorry if this is too long, but I find this stuff interesting. (remember, please don't kill me. I didn't make the law and I said that I wanted the coaster built).*** This post was edited by jpb 2/19/2004 2:52:28 PM ***
I still don't understand this matter at all. What I don't get is, wouldn't this addition bring more people to Erie, and potentially give the Candelas more business by having people that want to camp at their residence?
I am still hoping that maybe, one day, the coaster might open. Lord knows Nelson is doing everything he can to get this constructed...
Also how could the land be eroding? I mean seriously water isn't washing up against the land. If it was eroding why could such large trees grow without falling.
Finally, don't they hear enough noise from the park and Peninsula Drive already.
And road noise and roaring wooden roller coaster noise is very different.
I know the layout is nice, and unique to the shape of the land it will sit on.
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