BY JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writer
JACKSON — There were many familiar rides open at Six Flags Great Adventure last week, but not all of the new ones the park had advertised.
“The Golden Kingdom is our largest expansion in our 31-year history,” said Kristin Siebeneicher, public relations manager for Great Adventure. “There are five rides for children and three had been permitted by the state and were ready to operate, but the township is withholding the certificate of occupancy.”
Siebeneicher said spring break marks the park’s one full week of operation prior to the summer season.
“We put a great amount of advertising in television and radio spots targeted to families that would bring their children to the park when they’re off from school,” she said on May 1. “We promoted the opening of the section since we had the permits.”
The park received its permits two weeks ago, said Siebeneicher.
The 11-acre Golden Kingdom section includes an educational show incorporating Bengal tigers, five children’s rides and a large interactive play area. The centerpiece of the new section, called Balin’s Jungleland, is the Kingda Ka roller coaster ride. It is billed as the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster.
Although Kingda Ka was scheduled to open last month, the park abruptly canceled its debut. Siebeneicher said additional testing of the ride was scheduled to be completed this week.
Siebeneicher said although the tiger exhibit was open for business, the children’s rides were not.
“There are five rides for children and three had been permitted by the state and were ready to operate, but the township is withholding the certificate of occupancy,” she said. “I guess you could say that was a surprise.”
Given the park’s history, the delay should not come as a surprise at all, according to Planning Board Chairman Michael Reina.
“I think that after the fire at Great Adventure, a safety precaution” isn’t too much to expect, he said on May 2.
On May 11, 1984, eight teenagers burned to death in a haunted house attraction at Great Adventure. The memory of that incident 20 years ago justified the township’s actions, despite the board’s approval of the park’s application, according to Reina.
“My concern when the application was presented was that the tot lot was a little too close to the tiger exhibit,” he said. “I was assured by Great Adventure that all safety precautions are and will be taken and looked into, so when everybody voted, it was based on what Six Flags said. They open up with temporary (certificates of occupancy), but if the building department finds a violation, they can’t open it up for anybody.”
Township Administrator Andrew J. Salerno disputes Siebeneicher’s assertion that the park was unable to open the children’s rides to guests last week because no certificate of occupancy was issued by construction code official Barry Olejarz.
“A temporary certificate of occupancy was issued so that section could be used,” Salerno said on May 2. “We are working with them to resolve any outstanding issues. We’re looking at fencing and proximity, which were issues.”
At the Sept. 7 Planning Board meeting at which the application for the new area was heard, Township Engineer Ernie Peters expressed reservations about the proposed location of a white tiger show in a climate-controlled stadium built to seat 1,000 spectators.
Attorney Ray Shea, representing Great Adventure, said the show would include eight trainers overseeing the performance of four adult tigers and four cubs. He said safety measures would conform to those suggested by the American Zoological Association and the fencing would be the same used in Great Adventure’s Safari Park.
According to the board’s online minutes of that meeting, alternate board member Hal Millemann was also uneasy with the location of the tiger show in front of the children’s play area. Reina is quoted in the minutes as saying that he was concerned about the toddler play area located opposite the tiger show.
Alfred Rubano, director of construction at Great Adventure, told the board that the five children’s rides would be relocated along with the toddler play area, or tot lot, as Reina described it to Tri-Town News.
Board member James Casella told Shea that the amusement park’s operators must use every safety precaution to ensure that children are protected.
Eight of the board’s nine members present that night voted to approve the application.
“We’re working together with Great Adventure to ensure the attractions obtain their COs according to the approval,” said Salerno, “[but] the board passed a resolution with conditions.”
Despite the delay in opening the Kingda Ka roller coaster and children’s rides at Balin’s Jungleland, Siebeneicher said that guests at the park appeared to enjoy themselves during spring break week (April 25-28).
“People were so enthralled by what was available,” she said. “We were bracing for the worst, [but] it still turned out better than expected. The reaction was so much more positive than we could have hoped for.”