Blair County’s recent decision to sue Lakemont Partnership and a decision in August by Lakemont Partnership to sue Blair County are evidence of a lease dispute too complex to be resolved quickly.

That’s why we’re recommending Blair County Court of Common Pleas identify a mediator as fast as possible to work with both entities and set deadlines to be monitored by a judge.

Perhaps a mediator — one with a good legal background — will be able to sort through the accusations and arguments in the lawsuits and work on potential resolutions.

Some may shake their heads at the suggestion of mediation and say it won’t work with these entities.

Perhaps not, but what mediation offers in this case is a faster chance of resolving a dispute that threatens to keep Lakemont Park’s management in limbo for years.

The county’s lease with Lakemont Partnership — amended several times — governs operations on the Lakemont Park grounds that include a few amusement park rides amid outdoor recreational courts, Peoples Natural Gas Field, Galactic Ice, the Casino building and Boyertown-era office buildings.

The 83-acre site also includes our community’s beloved Leap-The-Dips, the 1902 figure-eight wooden roller coaster recognized as a national historic landmark.

In October, Lakemont Partnership notified commissioners of its intention to sell the historic coaster, claiming it’s no longer financially feasible to maintain and operate, and giving the county the first option to buy.

That option, however, rang hollow with commissioners Chairman Dave Kessling and fellow commissioners Amy Webster and Laura Burke. In their lawsuit, they accuse the Lakemont Partnership and its current principal, Andrea Cohen, and associate Phil Devorris, not only of failing to maintain Leap-The-Dips but also of falling short of other obligations within a lease extending through 2066.

This is the kind of dispute that makes a lot of Blair County taxpayers shake their heads and say what a mess. But our commissioners, rather than giving in or walking away from this dispute, are wading in on behalf of all taxpayers and residents.

At this point, it may be hard to ascertain who’s right and who’s wrong, but it’s easy to see that this is a legal dispute that could go on for years while nothing changes — or while Leap-The-Dips gets sold. That’s why it would be wise for these disputing parties to engage in mediation, an option that will likely require a judicial order.