Conneaut Lake Park's 2007 opening in jeopardy

CONNEAUT LAKE, Pa. (AP) — A financially troubled amusement park may not open this year because a judge rejected a plan under which a real estate developer would buy land from the park.

Greg Sutterlin planned to pay $1.7 million for 3.6 acres to build condominiums. Conneaut Lake Park officials had wanted to use the money to pay down debt and to run the 115-year-old park and resort this season.

Crawford County Judge Anthony Vardaro rejected the plan Monday, saying, among other things, that the deal was contingent on too many factors. Also, because the park is held as a public trust, Vardaro said, land can not simply be sold off to help pay debts.

The park’s court-appointed manager, H. LeRoy Stearns, said he is not sure the park will be able to open.