The Bass Lake Beach and Campground has several issues that need to be addressed, according to an independent inspection completed at the request of the Starke County Park Board.
Inspector Rick Brooks visited the property on April 22 and put together a 34-page inspection report. “He is not a code enforcement [officer], so that was made very clear in the very beginning,” Park Board President Debbie Mix explained during Tuesday’s meeting. “What he did was take a look at the building, saw the things that he saw that needed to be corrected, whether it be capital improvement or maintenance.”
Mix says the property’s structures are solid, with no major foundation problems suspected and nothing bad enough that the facility would need to close down. But several items were found to be in poor condition. Masonry issues were noted on the beach house’s two chimneys. Part of the metal guardrail around the beach house patio is reportedly missing, while other sections have become loose, which the report says poses a fall hazard.
The report also noted damaged ceiling tiles in the beach house bathrooms and kitchen, with mold seen in some areas. They are looking to replace the damages with new tile backsplashes. The water heaters in the beach house and campground bath house were found to be past their design life, and numerous electrical issues were reported around the property.
Park Board President Debbie Mix believes most of these problems are maintenance issues, which means it would be up to the property’s operator, Callahan Development, LLC to cover the cost of repairs. “Anything that does get repaired must go have a permit pulled. It has to be done by someone who is licensed within Starke County, so we know that they’re insured and bonded and that kind of thing. And then that’s the tickler for our [county building] inspector to come in and inspect it after the work’s completed.”
As for how and when Callahan will be required to address the concerns, the park board Tuesday authorized County Attorney Marty Lucas to start negotiating an agreement. Then, the park board will meet in special session on Tuesday, May 23 to further discuss the repair process. Meanwhile, the park board plans to make the complete 34-page inspection report publicly available on the county’s website.
