Grandpa is restoring backyard roller coaster — but PA officials have concerns. See it
The vintage carousel, 105-foot waterslide and go-kart track on Michael Chorba’s property were all fine, but his new roller coaster runs afoul of his Pennsylvania community’s zoning laws.
Chorba, 60, has made a hobby of restoring vintage amusement rides for his grandkids. His latest project, a small coaster called The Tidal Wave, has been making waves ever since Mount Pleasant Township zoning authorities disapproved his request for a variance allowing the structure.
“It’s a small township,” Chorba said. “They’ve never dealt with anything like this before.”
The Tidal Wave’s footprint is approximately 34-by-72 feet. Its tallest element, the control station, reaches 18 feet, Chorba said. Chorba spent roughly $20,500 on the coaster itself, $2,500 on new vinyl decals and an additional $1,700 on lighting. He and his family are eagerly waiting on new lap bars for the ride to finish off the refurbishment.
“You’re really creating wholesome fun [for the kids], instead of keeping them stuck inside on electronics all day,” Chorba said.
He said removing the coaster would spell heartbreak for them, especially his youngest granddaughter, who lives with him.
“[She] would be really devastated, because she considers it part of her play area,” Chorba said.
He said people have suggested he open a petting zoo or some other attraction at the site to skirt the zoning rules, but he said he has no intention of doing that.
“I just want to do this and keep it as our family’s little playground,” Chorba said.
Ed Sanders, zoning officer for Mount Pleasant Township said the law prohibits any structure that isn’t explicitly allowed. Naturally, no one thought to include roller coasters in the municipal code.
“Not too many municipalities will include a roller coaster or amusement park rides, especially not in rural Pennsylvania,” Sanders said. “Something out of the ordinary would have to happen.”
Chorba said he spent 25 years on the go-kart track with the help of friends and family, then took a long break from such projects before buying the waterslide — actually just a portion of a large commercial slide from a ski resort — in 2021.
“We built all the supports, and we themed it after Jurassic World, with dinosaurs,” Chorba said.
Sanders said water slides are covered under the municipal planning code, so its size and origin don’t matter.
Chorba’s next project began when he purchased a 1957 Allan Herschell Company-model carousel for $28,000. Once the horses and carriages were repainted, the leather stirrups and reins were replaced and his electrician wired the structure, he applied for a zoning permit to build a large gazebo on his property and moved the ride inside, Chorba said.
Sanders noticed the roller coaster last spring and advised Chorba to apply for a zoning permit, then a variance when the permit was inevitably rejected. At the variance hearing, one of the zoning board’s three members had to recuse himself from voting because he’s a close neighbor of Chorba’s, Sanders said. Of the remaining two, one motioned to approve the coaster and the other declined to second the motion, leaving the request dead in the water.
“It had to be denied because it couldn’t be approved,” Sanders said.
Chorba appealed to the county court for help, but the court remanded the matter back to the zoning board. Sanders said another hearing will likely commence once the official decision comes back to the board.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Grandpa is restoring backyard roller coaster — but PA officials have concerns. See it."
