A crowd of about 50 Wetmore area residents attended last Thursday’s public meeting to learn of the fate of the Lone Pine Inn property there.

The crowd collectively agreed that the former restaurant building should be torn down. There was less agreement about what should happen next with the property.

The county in January purchased the 0.61 acre property for about $42,000, considerably less than the original asking price of $178,000. Funds for the purchase came from the Conservation Trust Fund, state lottery proceeds distributed to local communities for parks and open space.

At the Jan. 18 meeting at the Wetmore Firehouse, the county commissioners said the former restaurant building, which has been closed for the past five years, was recently declared a public hazard by the county health nurse.

As part of the acquisition, the county obtained certain assets, notably restaurant equipment, which will likely be auctioned sometime in the near future.

The commissioners said the old building will be razed sometime this spring.

A proposed plan for the property was presented by landscape designer Lauren Howell who works with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and Colorado State University Extension program in Pueblo.

Howell displayed design proposals, which call for a lawn area, picnic pavilions and general landscape improvements on the property.

The property borders Hardscrabble Creek, and to make the creek accessible to the public, the current county road, which leads to the Wetmore Community Building and library, would be moved from along the creek to the western boundary of the property, providing a larger open space.

A privately owned parcel sits between the Lone Pine property and the Community Building.

County commissioner Lynn Attebery, who spearheaded the action to buy the property, said this would be the first county-owned park, and county personnel would be responsible for maintaining the property.

Members of the public asked about water rights attached to the property.

Attebery explained that an original decree allocated usage of 1,000 gallons per day from the spring-fed system. He said county attorney John Naylor was “comfortable” with the legality of the decree.

Regarding the existing septic system, Attebery said it would be removed. There are currently no plans for public restrooms at the site, though that possibility is being considered.

The sketches showing proposed improvements to the site are currently on display at the Wetmore Community Building, and the public is encouraged to view them and leave written comments.

Future meetings will be held in Wetmore to solicit additional public input on the project.