MASON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: EXTRAVAGANCE BECOMES YOU, SHAMEFUL WASTES CONTINUE!!!

[AQUAMAN]

A recent small LDN article referring to the Mason County Campgrounds related the story that the outhouse/bathrooms are in dire need of repairs, not really replacement. The roof leaks some and it could use repainting, and it's a bit on the small side nowadays. But, the story goes on to state that an entirely new unit will now be built, with about 60% of the cost coming in grants, the rest by us taxpayers in Mason County. The proposed cost of the new outhouse is, Get This, $215,000, more than most of us have or would pay for our own HOMES! NO, it's not a typo to my knowledge. Oh, to be fair, it will have a small deck to stand on in case the unisex bathroom is full, and also a registration office to check in for the campers, BIG DEAL! Anyone think I'm extreme complaining about this in this type economy, and given the place and small 4 month a year usage it will get? Anyone ever see that campground full? Even in the height of the season, it's in Buttersville, and I've NEVER seen it FULL!

[Sweater Cows!]

Never been there. the actual Buttersville campground takes the cake. Actually, if you check out the shower/bath facility at Bville, and if this is gonna be a comparable structure and house the office as well, it doesn't seem so high of a price. Oh, wait I could buy property and build a new house or two, even three if I went small, for that. nevermind.

[AQUAMAN]

That's what I'm talking about, and it's not the one near the lake on Lakeshore Dr., it's the one way out by the (PSP) pump storage project, back in the woods, 5906 W. Chauvez, is what I see in the phone book. $215K for an outhouse with attached office/deck? Wonder who gets that contract, another out of towner, or maybe the local signage guy that gets fancy contracts with the DDA? Last I knew the average home of 3Bd/2Bath cost $150K, including a lot or property with it, basement, and a garage of some sort. I know of a foreclosed home on Washington Ave. that only cost $127K, and it's worth about $400K, in a realistic market nowadays. Why not just do it the private sector way, get an architect's drawing, and let the bidders bid it out till they get a fair amount, then seek the grants for much lower costs? Guess their system is too smart for that.........lol.

[XLFD]

Aquaman, I believe the story does not refer to the bathroom/outhouse building at this park which is central in that park,  but from the entrance building, where you will sometimes see the park ranger there.  Here's a link to that park, just to clarify what park they refer to, as many might remember this as the Pump Storage Park, just north of that project on Chauvez Road. 

Mason Co. Campground

This is the article from yesterday's Daily News 

The Mason County Park Campground is in need of a new entry building, the Mason County Board of Commissioners decided, agreeing Tuesday to send in an application for a grant to pay for more than half of the project.
Former campground manager and current parks commission member Ed McCumber said there are several issues with the current entry building. He said it is small — fitting only about four people at a time — the roof is leaking, and it has termites.

“It’s really a non-functional building,” McCumber said.

The plans call for demolition of the existing building and construction of a new 20-foot x 32-foot entry station, including a camper registration and service counter area, a park manager’s office, a unisex restroom, a deck area for waiting campers and a mechanical room.

The application is for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant that would pay for 60 percent — $129,600 — of the project. The county would then split the remaining 40 percent of the project costs with Consumers Energy. The Mason County Parks and Recreation Commission operates the Mason County Campground and day-use facility in cooperation with Consumers Energy’s Ludington Pumped Storage Plant under a long-term lease arrangement. The plan calls for both Mason County and Consumers Energy to contribute up to $43,200 each.

[Willy]

The funny part of this story is that the county does not even own the park, it belongs to Consumers and the new building, which is far to expensive, will belong to Consumers when it is completed. That means the County will be giving the building to a private corporation after they build it with mostly taxpayers money then lease the building back using  taxpayers money. The park has gotten by this long without an overly expensive entrance building. The scamming of public funds never ends.

[AQUAMAN]

Thanks RJE, I just think that the price is waaaaaay over the top, but I'm not dealing with $Millions of taxpayers monies at my disposal in my job.............LOL. Very good points of the ownership/lease too, didn't know that, I thought they donated that site long ago to the County. X, I appreciate the web site pic. but it doesn't show the existing building they are talking about, maybe some savy photographer could post one or two here for our info.. Thanks. P.S. I would hope the new building is concrete, to avoid the lackluster maintenance that apparently went ignored with the old building that now is termite infested, so they say anyways.

[XLFD]

There's a link on the link about midpage that says campground map which shows this:

Campground map

 

The entrance building is at the bottom.  The current central building pretty much has all that a camper needs, the outbuilding just houses the often absent ranger.  Once again, as RJE keenly points out, this is a public/private melange that winds up being upgraded by the public funds almost exclusively.  And this building is just a lousy entrance shack right now that could easily be demolished and even upgraded with a lot less than what they're asking. 

[Sweater Cows!]

If this were my project I would get a hold of Helmuth Const. and Kaminski Const. for a bid. Both people I have had do work here in the past and are local. I can't think of more at the moment but am sure i know more.

[AQUAMAN]

Heck Sheila, we both know good handymen that could demolish and erect a new building, make it to code, and do a nice job for well under 10% perhaps, $20K, and get a nice improvement over the shack office there now. I thought the main purpose for a new bathhouse, but that's already there in a different location. What's so important about this in the first place I do wonder, for those kind of funds being spent? Maybe we should request plans of the new shack/castle that's proposed. If it has a/c, tv, satellite, living quarters, kitchen, heat and the like, maybe someone plans to live there...................lol.

[Sweater Cows!]

Yes, we do.

[Bill "Harley" Fay]

Ben's Construction is another local construction company

[XLFD]

I went out on Sunday, amidst the rain and took some pictures of the current entrance shack.  I even hopped onto the post and took a couple pics of the roof, which seems to hold water-- too well I think, there's a small pond up there. 

I can commiserate with the PSP and the County for wanting a new entry building for the park, but $215,000 with 80% coming from public funds is a bit on the ridiculous side for it's replacement, particularly when the state and county should be pinching pennies.  This building is currently 12' X 13' with two 3' X 6' sections removed in the back.

 

 

[XLFD]