Township takes step to buy Ligonier Beach for $230k
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Ligonier Township supervisors took another step this week toward acquiring the landmark Ligonier Beach property along Route 30.
Supervisors unanimously authorized their solicitor to draft a $230,000 sales agreement to buy the private pool and restaurant property from owners Sherry and Steven Kozar.
“I want to emphasize that (the sale) is not finalized yet. But it does look very promising right now,” said Wade Thomas, supervisors chairman.
In April, supervisors gave township staff authorization to make an offer to buy the historic property. The Kozars in 2018 closed Ligonier Beach after flooding damaged the pool’s water pumps and the restaurant’s furnace on the 10-acre parcel east of Ligonier.
The pool had operated for more than 90 years. The Kozars filed for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy last spring.
Solicitor Michael Korns said the sales agreement will be drafted with a potential sale date expiring June 1, 2020, to give time to raise money and clear up some existing liens.
“For supervisors, this project is something they wanted to act very quickly on once they saw what happened. For the Ligonier Valley, that’s a very well known property. And the longer it sits, it can deteriorate very quickly, so they wanted to take action,” Korns said.
Thomas said the township is pursuing a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant and charitable contributions to assist the municipality with the purchase.
Supervisors haven’t determined how the property will be used if the acquisition is completed. Thomas noted that potential recreational, natural and conservation uses “all remain on the table at this point.”
A “community committee” would help determine what will be done with the property, Thomas said.
“Appointing that committee is even a long time away,” he said.
Ligonier’s Gallo family in 1925 opened the business, originally known as Ligonier Valley Bathing Beach. Raymond and Reba Graham of Ligonier bought it in 1998.
Raymond Graham sold the property and business in 2008 to his daughter, Sherry, and her husband.