Brett Sholtis, and Kate Penn

York Daily Record

Area hikers are taking to social media after Talen Energy posted no-trespassing signs at a Lancaster County park that it owns.



A Facebook group, "Save Kelly's Run from Talen Energy," formed earlier in the week and had more than 3,700 members by Thursday evening.



The 400-acre property includes Holtwood Picnic and Recreation Area, an arboretum and a trailhead to Kelly's Run, said Todd Martin, Talen Energy spokesman.

Rob Danner — the York Township-based hiker, kayaker and conservationist who created the group — said he never could have predicted the pace of the growth.



The park

“People are very angry," Danner said. "They feel like they’ve been robbed of a regional treasure.”

The park includes pavilions, a playground, parking and public restrooms, he said, and was also a popular draw for non-hikers. For hikers, however, the biggest issue is access to the trailhead, said Tim Schmidt, Mason-Dixon Trail System president.

"As a hiker, people come from all over for both the Mason-Dixon Trail and the Conestoga Trail, which has Kelly's Run." he said. "So this is a big deal."

Though Kelly's Run can also be accessed from the Pinnacle Overlook, the Holtwood trailhead leads to an easier section to hike and is more popular, Danner said.

On a summer day, Danner said, the Holtwood parking lot would be full, and more than a hundred hikers would be on the 4-mile loop known for its scenic waterfalls.

Susquehanna River cottage owners want to save summer homes from demolition

How will the closure affect trails?

Contrary to the speculations of some hikers on the Facebook group, the land closure won't affect access to other Lancaster County trails such as Shenk's Ferry and the Enola Low Grade Trail, said Kate Gonick, the Lancaster Conservancy's director of land protection.

In addition, the closure won't affect the Mason-Dixon Trail, which runs through York County, said Schmidt.

York Mason-Dixon Trail: Waterfalls, adventures

However, it will affect the Keystone Trails Association Trail Challenge, formerly known as the Super Hike, Schmidt said. That event, held each September, usually draws more than 400 people, and the 50-kilometer hike includes Kelly's Run and goes through the park, Schmidt said.

Why is the area now closed to the public?

Closing the land to public access is a result of Talen Energy's sale of the Holtwood Hydroelectric Dam to Brookfield Renewable Partners, a deal that closed April 1, Martin said.

During the sale, Brookfield decided it didn't want the Holtwood Park parcel, leaving Talen Energy with the property, Martin said.

Without employees in the area or operations in Lancaster County, Talen would no longer be able to maintain the property or provide public access under federal regulations, Martin said.

What's next?

The company has no immediate plans to sell, develop or donate the land, Martin said.

Members of the Facebook group plan to hold a rally Saturday. They also have contacted legislators, Danner said.

The park is located in Martic Township, Lancaster County, and the township would be interested in discussing options for the property with Talen Energy, said Duane Sellers, township chairman.

Sellers said the park has been part of the community since his own childhood in the 1970s, when he played Little League baseball there.

"Because of the interest and how long it’s been open to the public, it’s definitely a concern for a lot of folks," Sellers said.

Talen has agreed to discuss options for the land with the Lancaster County Conservancy, Gonick said, adding that the Conservancy works to protect forested land, and this land includes a large parcel of forest.

Her organization also has a longstanding relationship with PP&L, the energy company which created Talen Energy as a spin-off company in May 2015. The Pinnacle Overlook and Kelly’s Run in Lancaster County, as well as Otter Creek in York County, had all been owned by PP&L and were granted to the Conservancy, she said.

This isn’t the first time PPL/ Talen Energy has upset area residents. Last year about York County cottage owners along the Susquehanna River near Indian Steps Museum got eviction notices from PPL, which owns the land the cottages are built on. PPL planned to buy the cottages at fair market value, raze them and donate the land to the Lancaster County Conservatory.

Separately, those who own cottages on Shelley and Bashore Islands, on the Susquehanna River, have been fighting their own battle with Londonderry Township and York Haven Power Company to keep the recreational dwellings.

Meanwhile, the closure is beginning to affect peoples' plans. Richard Urban and his 9-year-old son, Jacob, had planned to hike Kelly's Run and picnic at Holtwood Recreation Area with Boy Scout Troop 101 this Saturday.

They drove by and saw the gates down at the park, said the Pequea Township, Lancaster County resident. Urban saw the news in the paper and came down to see for himself, he said.

"I guess we won't be doing it," Urban said.

Summer homes on Shelley, Bashore islands to go?

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct day the Facebook group "Save Kelly's Run from Talen Energy" reached 3,700 members.