The condition of the Bass Lake Beach gate house is once again drawing concerns from the Starke County Park Board. During Tuesday’s meeting, Board Member Butch Gerstandt worried that the structure would fall down.
“They didn’t paint it, and all the wood is falling apart,” Gerstandt said. “And he said they were going to do the other side to make it all match, and they’ve never done any of that.”
The gate house was seriously damaged about two years ago, when a pickup truck reportedly crashed into it. At the time, the county’s building inspector said the structure was unsafe and called for its replacement. But the facility’s manager, Larry Clarich, felt that he and some of the campground users could repair it at a lower cost.
The county ended up getting a $2,500 insurance check for the damage, but board members weren’t sure Tuesday whether or not that money was handed over to the site’s operators. Board Member Chris Lawrence wanted to make sure they were held accountable. “If the insurance money came to us and we turned it to them to do the repairs, then we should at least get receipts and have them follow up or buy paint and finish the job,” Lawrence said.
Board members agreed to check their records to see what was done with the money.
