Thursday, April 12, 2018

Starke County Park Board to Decide on Rent Increase for Bass Lake Beach and Campground Operator

Posted on April 12, 2018
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

The Starke County Park Board is looking to raise the rent on the Bass Lake Beach and Campground, but how exactly that will take place still has to be determined. Callahan Development, LLC’s lease on the property was discussed during Tuesday’s park board meeting. While the original 10-year lease period is up at the end of the month, the company has exercised an option to renew it for another 10 years.

The park board doesn’t necessarily have a say in whether the renewal goes ahead, but County Attorney Marty Lucas says there is one area that may be reviewed. “The discussion is really about the clause in the lease that deals with increases in rents,” he explains, “and the issue is that the clause is somewhat ambiguous and difficult to interpret.”

The lease allows the county to raise the rent by up to eight percent per year. “That’s never been invoked up until now,” Lucas says. “I think they probably will invoke it in some form, but the exact form of how they want to invoke that is what’s being discussed.”

Lucas says that with only three of the five board members in attendance Tuesday, the park board decided to wait until its next meeting before taking official action on the rent increase. “I expect they will vote for some kind of increase, more than zero, and eight-percent or less per year, and they’re also going to discuss some other aspects of it,” he explains. “I think they partly want to see if they can achieve some kind of consensus with Callahan, too, so that we continue to have a positive relationship.”

The park board has been looking for ways to work with Callahan to make improvements to the property and clarify the lease.

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