Lakemont Park dispute nearing settlement
Park management, county officials working toward proposal for deal
Trending
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The legal dispute over Lakemont Park operations between the county and the park's management team appears to be headed toward a resolution.
Blair County commissioners Dave Kessling and Laura Burke said Thursday that an agreement has not yet been reached with the Lakemont Partnership but attorneys are working on a settlement proposal.
"I'd say we're very, very hopeful and that we believe there's an agreement ... which is going to benefit all of Blair County," Kessling said Thursday.
"We came to an agreement on major pieces," Burke said of the negotiations that occurred outside court.
Representatives for both sides were scheduled Aug. 17 for a telephone conference with Senior Judge Michael A. George of Adams County who was assigned to preside over the Blair County dispute.
After the Aug. 17 conference, no additional court orders were issued and no court hearings have been scheduled.
"Their attorneys," Burke said in reference to attorneys representing the Lakemont Partnership, "are working on a document that will lay out the terms. But we haven't seen that yet."
The Mirror contacted Lakemont Partnership President Andrea Cohen for comment but did not receive a response on Thursday.
The Partnership, which Cohen described as reluctant to initiate the lawsuit in August 2025, took issue with the county's allegations that it was in breach of its contractual obligations for operating the park and meeting obligations outlined in a lease with the county.
The county, pointing to the park's idle amusement rides and igniting concern for the future of the historic Leap-The-Dips roller coaster, later sought and got a court injunction to halt what it believed to be the partnership's plans to sell the coaster.
The partnership subsequently disputed the need for an injunction and reported to the court that it had no immediate plans to sell the roller coaster. But the partnership had sent the county a required notice of its option to take over maintenance and preservation of the coaster.
The lawsuit -- and subsequent court filings -- also revealed that in the months leading up to the dispute, the county had approached the partnership with an inquiry as to what it would take to buy out its lease which runs through 2066.
At that time, according to the lawsuit, a group had shown interest in creating a sports complex at the park and subsequently offered $800,000 to take over the park's lease.
Lakemont Partnership's rejection of the proposal referenced millions in capital investments and debt it expected to recoup through the length of the lease.
Kessling and Burke declined Thursday to predict when the proposed settlement will be ready for their signatures and/or disclosure of the details. Burke also suggested that the proposal would "clear the way" for some additional discussions.
As for the future of Leap-The-Dips, Kessling spoke of widespread interest in the coaster.
"That's a conversation we've had and will continue to have," he said.
Kessling also on Thursday described the Lakemont Partnership as open to discussions and very willing to engage in negotiating the developing agreement.
"Everything was on table ... and we didn't run into any brick walls," he said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.