By Jane Smith
April 15, 2008 02:15 pm
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CONNEAUT LAKE — Despite recent events that have severely hampered the future of Conneaut Lake Park, the historic, 116-year-old amusement park could still see more activity this summer than it did a year ago.
None of the park’s rides will be open anytime soon, but several facilities that were open in the middle of the 2007 season — the Beach Club bar, Camperland campground and boat docks — should all be back in business in 2008, members of the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park are predicting.
A devastating February fire leveled the park’s Dreamland Ballroom and some nearby Midway booths; and in early April, a wall collapsed at the former bowling alley (later housing the Funhouse and some other attractions). But those losses haven’t halted the Trustees from getting parts of the park ready.
Work to upgrade the park’s aging water system is a complex issue that is getting plenty of attention and could be a key to future efforts.
Following is an update on some key elements of the park and its neighbor, Snow Waters Harbor Village and Golf Course.
Park water system
Park officials have lost the help of Jeff Davenport, president of Lake Properties Holdings LLC, which is constructing Snow Waters and wanted to tap into the refurbished water system. Davenport had been helping with plans to construct a building for a new water treatment plant, and Trustees now must come up with a new plan for that work.
The arsenic level in the park’s water supply is no higher than it has ever been, but federal guidelines about the amount of arsenic in water were lowered several years ago and the arsenic level in the park’s supply was determined to be too high.
A federal grant of approximately $500,000 was received to do the rest of the work for improving the system.
“We are looking at alternatives for the water system,” said Jack Moyers, chairman of the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park. Moyers said the Trustees are working to hold onto the grant for the system.
Brad Vanderhoof of the Northwest Regional Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources said the EPA project “is still in the works,” but had no recent update on the status.
Camperland
Camperland, a recreational vehicle campground across Route 618 from Conneaut Lake Park, will officially open May 1. The area has electrical service as well as water and sewer and is ready for campers. “We will be doing some cleanup work,” said Moyers, but that won’t delay the opening.
Camperland has 118 sites, 55 of which are year-round permanent sites with water, electricity and sewer hook-up. Seventeen sites are left in that category. There are 57 additional sites to rent, including some “tent” sites with no facilities such as water and sewer. Others have water and electric, but no sewer.
Docks rentals
Of the 44 Conneaut Lake Park boat docks rented on a seasonal basis, only two are available. Five other docks are rented on a weekly or daily basis, and they are available to reserve.
“The docks are good to go,” said Moyers.
Volunteers stalled
by movie-making
Moyers said volunteers wanting to help can only work at Camperland or “that side of the street” or on the docks. No work can be done at any other site until scenes being shot for a movie, “The Road,” are completed at the park. A thriller featuring several major movie stars, it will feature some scenes to be shot at the park, beginning perhaps as soon as the end of April. Moyers said the Trustees won’t receive a lot of money from the movie company, but he believes the shoot is good recognition for the park.
Beach Club/Hotel Conneaut
The Trustees also are doing what they can to get the Beach Club open by Memorial Day, if feasible.
Several engineers are reviewing possibilities for the fire escape and what can be done at Hotel Conneaut as well, said Moyers.
The hotel was open for a time last year until an inspection revealed that the fire escape was unsafe.
Snow Waters,
bridge and channel
Motorists on Route 618 in Summit Township are having to take a detour to travel from the west side of Conneaut Lake to the east side as construction has started on replacement of the bridge just north of the park. The bridge replacement was one necessary component of the proposed $60 million Snow Waters Harbor Village and Golf Course.
The more than $1 million bridge contract was awarded through Summit Township to Shingledecker Construction, and work is expected to be complete by July 24, according to Cindy McCoy, township secretary.
The project will involve raising the height of the bridge to allow boats from the Snow Waters development to travel under it and down a canal to access the lake.
“The old bridge is gone and they (the contractors) are making great progress,” said Davenport. “It’s really going well.”
Plans for that development also are progressing. “We will start the harbor excavation June 1, if not sooner,” said Davenport of the work to begin the work on the harbor. “Channel dredging won’t start until the end of July or the first of August.”
Canal dredging will go from the Snow Waters site down a currently existing channel and 400 feet into Conneaut Lake. “We will be removing the sand bar,” he said, noting the dredging process will take about 60 days.
In the meantime, he is working with Aqua Pennsylvania, a water company which provides water to the east side of the lake, to hook onto that company’s lines for water for the complex. “We are very close to finalizing the agreement,” he said.
Original plans had been for the Snow Waters complex to be hooked onto the Conneaut Lake Park water system and Davenport had offered to pay the $150,000 estimated construction costs of a building to house a water treatment system to remove arsenic in the water. In return, Snow Waters would become a customer of the park’s water system. The Snow Waters complex will have 189 town houses plus a grill, restaurant, golf course and club house when complete.
However, the initial plan of working with the park is no longer being considered. “There were too many uncertainties,” Davenport said about why those talks ceased. “My partners and I could not get comfortable with the variables. As much as we wanted to help out, there were just too many uncertainties. In addition, he added, it’s better to have a “public regulated water company” for the Snow Water residents.
“We are looking to have the infrastructure — the roads, streets and utilities — in June or the first of July,” Davenport said. He predicts the first home in Harbor Village will be turned over to the owner by Christmas.
The company is not selling the town houses right now, but is completing agreements to reserve the homes. Six are in place right now. “We are only releasing in Harbor Village,” he said, speaking of the first phase of the development. The first release package will only be for 21 of the 69 town houses.
In the meantime, construction of the golf course will begin in spring 2009 followed by the club house. Harbor Grill construction will start this year, he said.
One reason for the golf course construction delay is that materials from the dredging and the excavation will be used for the golf course.
“Things are really moving. There’s a lot of activity,” said Davenport.
Jane Smith can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at jsmith@meadvilletribune.com.
cutlines under four photos at bottom of package
n Camperland, officially opens May 1.
n Docks, now open.
n Beach Club, working toward possible Memorial Day opening.
n Hotel Conneaut, several engineers reviewing ways to fix the fire escape so the facility can open.
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