SUMMIT TOWNSHIP — Improving Conneaut Lake Park's assets will improve its future, according to officials of Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park, the nonprofit corporation that oversees the amusement park's operations.
This week is final preparation time for the park's 2017 season, which begins at noon Saturday. It will be the park's first full season with both its water park and amusement rides in operation in about seven years. Last year, the water park came back on line in stages, reaching full operation in early August.
"There's nothing new really (in terms of amusement rides) — we're just making improvements to what we do have," Mark Turner, executive director of Trustees, said of this year's focus.
Trustees have spent about $110,000 to $120,000 in preparing the park for its operating season, which runs Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
The most obvious difference this year will be the park's new entrance.
"We're changing the front door of the park," Turner said.
Instead of being on Route 618, the entrance will be off Reed Avenue about halfway between Route 618 and the lakefront. The new entrance puts the public in the middle of the amusement ride area and next to the water park.
"We're putting in some picnic areas in between the two," Turner said. "And it's a way to subdivide the two parks. The water park is going to be open some days when the amusement park isn't."
The amusement rides will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday plus Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. The water park will operate Thursday through Monday.
"We also want to get people off (Route 618) because that's going to be an expansion of Camperland," the amusement park's camping area, Turner said. "We're hoping to move earth in the fall.
Camperland's expansion is expected to be ready for the 2018 season. Camperland will about double in size — adding approximately 50 new pull-through recreational vehicle sites on what is now a large parking lot next to Camperland, Turner said.
A new parking lot has been built off Reed Avenue across from the new entrance, according to Turner.
"We took down four rows of pavilions that were under utilized and in awful condition — that's going to be a main parking area," he said.
The park also has repainted the walls of the water park’s lazy river ride — Otter Creek Adventure River and its kiddie pool. Those two and the Cliffhanger Falls Water Slide make up the water park, Splash City.
"Having the water park for the full season should give us a boost in revenue," said Bill Bragg, chairman of Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park. "We're trying to do things every year, but with the bankruptcy it's been hard."
In December 2014, Trustees filed for bankruptcy protection with about $3.8 million in debts including $1.3 million of that total in overdue real estate taxes, interest, fees and penalties. The $1.3 million in real estate tax debt dates to 1997 and is owed to Conneaut School District, Crawford County, and Summit and Sadsbury townships.
Trustees’ Chapter 11 reorganization plan, approved by bankruptcy court in September 2016, includes the sale of excess land, but any land sales have been subject to bankruptcy court approval.
Trustees have been selling off parcels of the former Flynn property, located north of Conneaut Lake Park’s midway/ former Beach Club site, to pay down its debt. The Flynn property, vacant land with about 330 feet of lakefront, is considered unnecessary to the amusement park’s long-term operation.
There are some other improvements since last year at the park.
• In the water park, the water filtering sand for both the lazy river and water slide has been replaced — 16,000 pounds worth for the lazy river and about 2,000 pounds for the water slide. Those changes have a life expectancy of five years, Turner said.
• Maintenance improvements have been made to the Tumble Bug and Music Express rides to have them ready for the season.
• About 120 feet of track on the second ascending hill of the Blue Streak roller coaster has been rebuilt.
• A WiFi network has been added.
• Areas of the park, like the sidewalk and entrance to its popular train ride, have been power washed and found to be in good shape, Turner said.
"We want to get everything in good shape for the opening," Turner said of the rides and water park area. "It's in very good shape. It just needs to be taken care of."
Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
Hours of operation
Conneaut Lake Park is open Friday from noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 10 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. May 27 through Sept. 4. It also is open on on Memorial Day (May 29); July 3 and 4; and Sept. 4 for Labor Day.
The park’s water park is open noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Monday, starting Saturday and running through Sept. 4. It also is open on July 4.
Admission to the park is free. An all-day amusement ride pass is $10 per person and includes all rides. An all-day water park pass is $10 per person. An all-day water park and amusement ride pass combination is $18 per person.
Mini golf is $5 per player and its hours of operation are the same as the water park's.
The public can get a full listing of events, attractions and special events days at Conneaut Lake Park at newconneautlakepark.com.
gabed wrote:Also I hate to double post but a random question came to mind. Why didn't more sledgehammers like the one at CW get built? I've obviously never ridden it but it looks incredibly unique. Is it a maintenance nightmare or something?
The Swedish zoo and amusement Kolmarden yesterday confirmed on their website that their wooden roller coaster "Wildfire" will finally reopen again this summer. When exactly will be communicated later.
The ball is eventually cast: Wildfire will soon reopen to have stopped after almost eight months. The building permit for the RMC inversion coaster in October was canceled last year because of possible harmful noise for the environment then there was uncertainty about the survival of Wilfdire.
Beginning in 2017 the Swedish construction and Environment Committee decided the roller coaster then do not let break down , or Kolmarden had to prepare a new detailed zoning plan for the area in which Wildfire state. That plan has now been submitted and is expected to be approved on Monday by the authorities. That means that Wildfire will reopen this summer at last. That news, the park also been officially informed on their website : "Wildfire reopens soon Soon more information about the magical reopening date!".
Wildfire is a wooden roller coaster builder RMC and has no less than three inversions, reaches a height of 57 meters and a speed of 113km / h.
Franz Ferdinand Tour 2017 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
Untitled by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
Untitled by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
Untitled by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
Charlotte Fair 2017 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
Charlotte Fair 2017 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
Charlotte Fair 2017 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
Charlotte Fair 2017 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr
