Lone Star marina may be revived

Brad Harrell and Shane Barnard stood along the northern bank toward the east end of the fishing area at Lone Star Lake Wednesday casting their lines and wishing they had a place to go get a quick bite to eat.

“I didn’t have any breakfast,” Barnard said, shortly after noon.

Harrell also was hungry, and said he was thinking about replenishing their supply of bait.

“It would be nice if we had some place to buy some minnows,” he said.

Across the lake on the opposite bank stood the old marina building, which has been vacant for nearly four years.

“We were just talking about that,” Harrell said, referring to the marina. “We wondered if it was going to be open.”

Phil Metsker would like to be able to grant the wishes of Harrell, Barnard and other lake patrons. Last July he approached Douglas County leaders about the possibility of reopening the marina this year.

Shane Barnard, left, and Brad Harrell fish from the bank at Lone Star Lake across from the old marina, which has been vacant for three years. The two Lawrence residents grew up near the lake and still fish there frequently. They said they would like to be able to buy extra bait or get a sandwich at the marina if it were open.

But Metsker has since become wary of taking on the project because of the cost of renovating the building, even though the county would pay for most of that renovation. The county owns the building.

“I just don’t want to spend the taxpayers’ money for that,” Metsker said, adding that he also wants to be sure he can get a return on the money he invests in the marina.

The marina building needs to have asbestos removed, a new floor and new wiring. A bathroom needs to be made accessible for the handicapped.

County Administrator Craig Weinaug said Metsker had been asked to come up with a proposal outlining what he wants to do with the building and the cost. Basically, the county would pay for renovating the building.

A preliminary estimate for renovating the building is from $60,000 to $70,000, Metsker said. In addition, he said, he is willing to spend $10,000 to $15,000 of his own money on work that would have to do with starting his business, one that might include a restaurant and a store where bait and fishing tackle could be bought and paddle boats could be rented.

“I don’t want to throw it away,” Metsker said of the money. “I’m trying to find out what I want to do. I’d hate to spend a bunch of money and let it go to waste.”

Once a proposal from Metsker is made and cost estimates have been prepared, the issue will be taken to county commissioners. They will decide whether they want to spend the money on the building, Weinaug said.

“They might very well say ‘no,’ then you get to the point of what do we do with this building rather than to allow it to deteriorate,” Weinaug said.

Metsker described himself as a pig farmer who lives near the lake. He said he is a longtime cook who owned and operated a catering service before selling out to a partner. If a barbecue sandwich restaurant succeeded at the lake he would consider expanding it and possibly keeping it open all year, he said.

Metsker said he has many childhood memories of having fun at the lake.

“I just think there ought to be something there,” he said. “I’ve got friends and relatives and people who say Lone Star Lake is the best kept secret in Kansas. It is a good-looking lake.”