Six Flags New England (SFNE) Discussion Thread

[cfc]

Well, SFA is getting a new water slide this year.

 

I think Dave has an excellent point--SFA is on prime real estate, with fairly easy access to I-95 and Rt. 301, not to mention the football stadium where the Redskins play. I could see condos going up, and rides going out, some time in the future.

[ahecht]

If that is the case, and i have heard similar things somewhere, then it is more the city's fault for being a pain in the a$$. If they approved it and then required changes, they should have worked with six flags rather than against them after that.

 

I still feel that SF was working in good faith, Agawam was not.

 

You're forgetting all the bad blood between Six Flags and the city of Agawam.

 

For those of you unaware, in June 2007 Six Flags convinved the city of Agawam to pass a city-wide parking ban to prevent people from avoiding the $15 SFNE lots. However, this meant that no one in Agawam could let any cars park on their property unless they were a business and the cars were parked by customers of the business. Anyone wanting to offer other parking had to apply for a permit, pay a $250 fee, and hire a police officer to direct traffic. This meant that churches couldn't let people park in their lot to attend tag-sales, senior trips, or other non-church functions. It meant that gas stations couldn't offer car storage. It meant that no one could offer their property as overflow parking to a neighbor or nearby business having a special event.

 

There was such a public outcry over this that the city council repealed the law in October 2007, and the Mayor (who had drafted the original law for Six Flags) was voted out of office in November. Most of the pro-Six Flags members of the City Council up for election were also replaced by anti-Six Flags people in that election.

 

The result is that the Mayor and the City Council of Agawam are all now people who ran for office on an anti-Six Flags ticket, and they want to show that they aren't going to let Six Flags push them around. Six Flags probably realized that even if these permits went through, the new City Council would be giving them a hard time throughout the entire contruction and inspection process.

 

As a side note, Dan Snyder (who owns both Six Flags and the Washington RedSkins) tried to get the Landover, MD police to block off all the sidewalks near FedEx Stadium so that people would have to either pay to park or pay $5 to take the FedEx Field shuttle. In that case, the cops just laughed in his face.

[RIP Psyclone]

Maybe a Yankees jersey was buried under it?

 

EDIT: Sorry, for the non-sports fans, click here.

 

Actually, I think you'd have to be living under a rock (or maybe in another country) to have not heard about that. Non sports fans suck!

[downunder]

^I live in Australia and I heard about that story, it got good coverage - and they are charging the guy who did it, that's funny.

 

Interesting to hear the detail about all the machinations with the council, maybe next they will put in a height limit that forces them to relocate Superman Ride of Steel, preferably they relocate it to SFMM which is closer for me, or even better - sell it to a park in Australia.

[RIP Psyclone]

^See! Not even living in another country is an excuse!

[Token Yankee Guy]

^I live in Australia and I heard about that story, it got good coverage - and they are charging the guy who did it, that's funny.

 

Interesting to hear the detail about all the machinations with the council, maybe next they will put in a height limit that forces them to relocate Superman Ride of Steel, preferably they relocate it to SFMM which is closer for me, or even better - sell it to a park in Australia.

 

Agawam already has a height limit for buildings. So superman isn't going anywhere..

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Well, SFA is getting a new water slide this year.

 

I think Dave has an excellent point--SFA is on prime real estate, with fairly easy access to I-95 and Rt. 301, not to mention the football stadium where the Redskins play. I could see condos going up, and rides going out, some time in the future.

 

Yeah,the third waterslide in HH in 3 years while the ride side of the park hasn't seen anything new since 2003.

 

Anyhow SFNE screwed up by starting construction on their coaster before they obtained the needed permits,it's not the city or state's fault,it's SFNE's.It's unfortunate that they have to scrap the ride as a result & there are gonna be a lot of upset locals who bought their passes with the hopes/expectations of a new ride being added in 08 but sometimes crap happens & you've gotta deal with it.

 

The park's actions in this case may really hurt them in the future when it comes to new ride additions as the city may be loathe to issue permits for construction only to find out that the park jumps the gun on construction instead of following the rules & waiting for the permits to be issued.

[Token Yankee Guy]

The park's actions in this case may really hurt them in the future when it comes to new ride additions as the city may be loathe to issue permits for construction only to find out that the park jumps the gun on construction instead of following the rules & waiting for the permits to be issued.

 

I don't think that the relationship between SFNE and Agawam was damaged that badly. SFNE said in an official statement that they did jump the gun and were following procedures after their construction got halted. The park was waiting for all but one approval before resuming work and that one was being finalized (approval on the fire suppression system and emergency exits.)

 

I believe next year if we do get a new ride, SFNE will be more keen to follow state and town laws and plan things more accordingly.

 

Oppsie, I forgot to add the article I'm reading. Masslive.com posted another article about the dark knight, going into more detail about why the project was canceled.

 

Red tape derails ride at Six Flags

 

AGAWAM - Faced with unforeseen delays, Six Flags New England has decided not to build the planned $7.5 million indoor roller coaster it had hoped to open Memorial Day weekend, park president Larry D. Litton said yesterday.

 

"We knew at the outset that it was going to be a challenge getting this through the permitting process, both local and state," Litton said. "It would've been the first indoor roller coaster in the state, so it presented some unique challenges."

 

"It really just came down to the timing," he said. "We felt like we had to have it open by the middle or end of June to give our customers full value."

 

The framing will be dismantled and stored for possible future use at another park, said Litton, who said no plans are in the works to build the indoor coaster here.

 

Local officials said yesterday they were sorry things had not worked out with the project.

 

"I feel it's sad. I'm sorry that they didn't get what they needed to get, (and) I'm sad that they decided not to put the ride up," Zoning Board Chairwoman Doreen A. Prouty said.

 

Planning Board Chairman Travis P. Ward said, "We're disappointed that that's the decision they had to make. We wish the best for every business in Agawam, including Six Flags, and want them to succeed in every way possible."

 

Mayor Susan R. Dawson said, "Unfortunately, the way that the process went - not just at the local level, but also at the state level - made it very, very difficult for Six Flags to get that ride off the ground in a timely fashion."

 

Dawson, who took office Jan. 2, said she plans to review how the permitting process might be made smoother for a business with unique requirements such as Six Flags New England.

[astroworldfan1]

Well, SFA is getting a new water slide this year.

 

I think Dave has an excellent point--SFA is on prime real estate, with fairly easy access to I-95 and Rt. 301, not to mention the football stadium where the Redskins play. I could see condos going up, and rides going out, some time in the future.

 

Yeah,the third waterslide in HH in 3 years while the ride side of the park hasn't seen anything new since 2003.

 

That's not true. The rides side recieved Catapult and Splash Water Falls after Astroworld closed.

 

-Tatum

[PhillyGirl]

I agree with something some else said previously, this appears to be a way to "sock" it to Six Flags.

 

In the long run, the city is hurting it’s self. The surrounding merchants such as the restaurants and gas stations are losing the revenue they would have gathered from additional park patrons.

 

I can speak for the other non-locals, but I wouldn't take to time to travel to SFNE to see the parade.

 

I really enjoyed their version of SROS when I rode it about 4 years ago, but I don't feel compelled to travel just to ride that again. However, a new roller coaster would have been an encouragement.

 

With regards to SFA, I also believe it would be nice if they get a new coaster assuming they would take care of it. Every year SROS seems to get rougher. When are they going to address that?

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Well, SFA is getting a new water slide this year.

 

I think Dave has an excellent point--SFA is on prime real estate, with fairly easy access to I-95 and Rt. 301, not to mention the football stadium where the Redskins play. I could see condos going up, and rides going out, some time in the future.

 

Yeah,the third waterslide in HH in 3 years while the ride side of the park hasn't seen anything new since 2003.

 

That's not true. The rides side recieved Catapult and Splash Water Falls after Astroworld closed.

 

-Tatum

 

I was reffering to SFA's lack of new ride additions in the ride side,not SFNE's.

[gisco]

It kind of sounds to me that it was red tape.

 

I can't believe the city would want to stick it SixFlags when they are a major source of revenue to the city and surrounding community. I can see the city wanting to keep SixFlags in check and not be run over by them but cutting off your nose to spite your face is ridiculous.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

some silver lining in this stormcloud is that one six flags park can escape the horrid trend of buying coasters in bulk, sure, it may suck that people in boston won't get to ride dark knight, but they can travel to new jersey or chicago if it really means that much. sure it will probably be sent to sfmm as their 2009 coaster, minus bat-signage. but i think this gives that park the chance to deliver something new and innovative. Think about it. when six flags sees something they like, they buy three off them and never care to change them. There is no six flags park in exsistence that has a custom b&m invert. Deja Vu...3. Superman Ultimate Flight...3 Tony Hawk's Big Spin...4. I think this can pave the way for SFNE to create something that will distinguish the park apart from other Six Flags parks, but keep the common goal in mind, which is to provide a one-of-a-kind thrill experience. Why not invest in a ride like Sierra Sidewinder (a la Knott's Berry Farm?) Or a euro fighter? A Maverick/Farenhiet type ride all create thrills, are all under 120 ft, so they're not eyesores, take up little space, and are more family oriented than some of the predecessors six flags has been known to invest in. i hope sfne move in this direction, rather than just to wait for "the next batch of three's" to go into development

[BeemerBoy]

Maybe a Yankees jersey was buried under it?

 

EDIT: Sorry, for the non-sports fans, click here.

 

Actually, I think you'd have to be living under a rock (or maybe in another country) to have not heard about that. Non sports fans suck!

Dude, sometimes I really wonder......are you simply here to try and piss off as many people as possible? Believe it or not, some people actually may not have heard that story. I know....crazy concept, but true. A helpful link is posted, and you get your panties in a wad and insult non-sports fans? C'mon.

 

On topic, thanks to the locals for the insight on the matter.

[Jew]

some silver lining in this stormcloud is that one six flags park can escape the horrid trend of buying coasters in bulk, sure, it may suck that people in boston won't get to ride dark knight, but they can travel to new jersey or chicago if it really means that much. sure it will probably be sent to sfmm as their 2009 coaster, minus bat-signage. but i think this gives that park the chance to deliver something new and innovative. Think about it. when six flags sees something they like, they buy three off them and never care to change them. There is no six flags park in exsistence that has a custom b&m invert. Deja Vu...3. Superman Ultimate Flight...3 Tony Hawk's Big Spin...4. I think this can pave the way for SFNE to create something that will distinguish the park apart from other Six Flags parks, but keep the common goal in mind, which is to provide a one-of-a-kind thrill experience. Why not invest in a ride like Sierra Sidewinder (a la Knott's Berry Farm?) Or a euro fighter? A Maverick/Farenhiet type ride all create thrills, are all under 120 ft, so they're not eyesores, take up little space, and are more family oriented than some of the predecessors six flags has been known to invest in. i hope sfne move in this direction, rather than just to wait for "the next batch of three's" to go into development

 

The only people who care about clones are enthusiasts. A new ride is a new ride.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

that's true... i guess you can't argue with the "buying in bulk" discount. I bet it's easier to make three copies of the same blueprint than to make three blueprints

[imbordisux]

I'll admit, I've only been somewhat following the story, so I might be way off on this, but wasn't a lot of the hoopla over fire safety regulations? As in, how easily the ride could be evacuated?

 

Enclosed coasters can be a sticky subject, since, unlike enclosed haunted-houses (where one walks freely) or enclosed flat-rides (where, even with restraints, the ride could easily be stopped and the riders are close enough to the ground to walk/run away), a multi-story coaster presents the problem of only being able to evacuate riders at designated brake-runs.

 

I'm sure some will chime in and say that, if that is the case, why are two others going up at other SF parks? Well, one, each state has their own regulations, and, two, wasn't the one at SFNE rumored to be of a slightly different lay-out? Even if the track lay-out and building exterior are the same, there's no guarantee that the rest of the building - that "middle part" that is neither the exterior nor the interior parts used for theming or effects, but rather things like platforms and fire-escapes - would be identical.

 

If this is correct, then everybody who is saying that the governing bodies are just trying to "stick it" to SF are wrong, they are concerned about people being burned to death.

 

Of course, like I said, I could be completely wrong, in which case, just pretend I never made this brief cameo.

[Moose]

That could be the case. I know around here we have stricter fire codes than many places do to a few big fire tradgedies where people were not able to escape buildings.

 

My impression was that the problem was that the fire marshall wanted the building moved away from a warehouse. In so doing SF in essence voided their building permit because it was no longer in the location designated on the original permit. Agawam then shut the construction down because they did not get a new permit. I could be completely wrong.

 

 

As far as the evacuation, you bring up a really good point. It would only be able to be evacuated at brakes, but it would be very unlikely that a train would stop anywhere else. I guess if there was a fire something could block the track causing it to stop somewhere else?

[Token Yankee Guy]

It kind of sounds to me that it was red tape.

 

I can't believe the city would want to stick it SixFlags when they are a major source of revenue to the city and surrounding community. I can see the city wanting to keep SixFlags in check and not be run over by them but cutting off your nose to spite your face is ridiculous.

 

Agawam wasn't doing this purposely to stick it to Six Flags. Six Flags was building a structure without a building permit, and last time you checked, any new business structure like that going up requires a permit. Agawam is just making sure that proper procedures were being followed and this just shows that every company has to follow them without taking a short cut.

 

I would be horrified if six flags did manage to get their coaster and building all built without the permit then have something tragic happen where the possibility of lives could be loss. If that happened, Six Flags would have major lawsuits on it's hands.

[YoshiFan]

If fire was a concern, I'd hate to see a repeat of the Haunted Castle at GADV even though the situations were different

[montezooma]

There have been some interesting posts about fire safety and evacuation brought up.

 

I have been involved in quite a few construction projects and fire safety is usually designed around exits being located certain distances away from each other and based on occupancy of the designated areas of the building.

 

If a fire were to break out in one of these buildings I am sure there are routes that employees of the ride and those waiting in the queue could easily access and get out of the building quickly. But what about those that are on the ride? If a fire breaks out while you are riding and secured in the cars you are in a shit load of trouble. How do you escape a situation like that?

[jamesdillaman]

^ If that happens, just embrace that it's your time and remember that you'll go down as one of the most unluckiest persons in the world...

 

-James Dillaman

[Jew]

^^In theory, the fire alarm system should be tied to the PLC and react accordingly to each fire alarm. By that I mean that the ride should know where and when to stop the cars to keep them out of danger. There should also be multiple evacuation routes, so in theory there will always be a "safe" way for employees to get to the cars to evacuate the guests and exit the building.

 

 

Of course, that isn't 100% failproof...but nothing else is either.

[ginzo]

Maybe a Yankees jersey was buried under it?

 

EDIT: Sorry, for the non-sports fans, click here.

 

Actually, I think you'd have to be living under a rock (or maybe in another country) to have not heard about that. Non sports fans suck!

 

Sorry, but baseball doesn't do much for me. I used to like it, but I went to a game a few years ago and was bored to tears. In general, I'd rather partake in a sport than watch other people play one.

[jarmor]

Maybe a Yankees jersey was buried under it?

 

EDIT: Sorry, for the non-sports fans, click here.

 

Actually, I think you'd have to be living under a rock (or maybe in another country) to have not heard about that. Non sports fans suck!

Dude, sometimes I really wonder......are you simply here to try and piss off as many people as possible? Believe it or not, some people actually may not have heard that story. I know....crazy concept, but true. A helpful link is posted, and you get your panties in a wad and insult non-sports fans? C'mon.

 

On topic, thanks to the locals for the insight on the matter.

 

I have never heard of that story and still dont know what is going on? But I do know I dont suck!