Nearly five years after the partial collapse of the Sportsman’s Bar and Grill, what’s left of the structure continues to cause headaches for the Town of Monterey. The town council recently sent a letter to the Pulaski County Commissioners.
It says the building continues to deteriorate, the holes in the walls are getting bigger, and wood panel walls are shredding, sending debris into the streets. Town officials are also worried that if that part of the structure were to cave in, it would cause the other section to cave in, as well.
Now, the town council is urging the county to take possession of the property, if the current owner is delinquent on taxes and fees. Town Council President Doug Denton told the commissioners Monday that as long as the property remains in private ownership, officials’ hands are tied, since any cleanup efforts would technically involve trespassing.
That process may get underway in the next few months, according to Commissioner Kenny Becker. “It’s still owned by a person,” he said. “We’re going to have to wait until after the certificate sale, which will be the 9th of April, 2020. It takes three months after the certificate sale to get everything in order.”
Town and county officials believe county ownership will make it easier to move ahead with a cleanup plan. Becker added that it would be nice to get it cleaned up and find a new buyer.
