Girl Scouts of North East Ohio Retain Additional Camp Property

Macedonia, October 20, 2011 – On Monday, the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) voted to retain Camp Sugarbush, in Trumbull County, after several meetings with the master planners, Brandstetter Carroll Inc., during their sites analyses. “The board decided to give the master planners and property management experts the flexibility to consider and incorporate the visions, wishes and recommendations of our membership,” responded Dan A. Bragg, GSNEO chair of the board of directors. GSNEO requires more buildable space than Camps Ledgewood and Timberlane have to accommodate the ideas and visions from the member Town Hall meetings held in August, 2011. While the two properties do have significant total acreage and usable space for programming, GSNEO wants to ensure that their unique features are protected while we expand camping experiences for our girls.

Strategically, GSNEO is aggressively working to increase girl and adult memberships and expand programming opportunities.  Girl membership growth continued in the 2011 fiscal year by 3%, adults by 1%. “The size of the sites are important not only for potential programming and housing capabilities, but also to provide appropriate perimeter buffer space to neighboring properties and public ways,” said Richard T. Parker, Brandstetter Carroll architect and project manager for GSNEO’s master plan. He added, “Maintaining the ‘Rustic’ environments was clearly articulated as important to the membership in the Town Hall meetings and by the board at the outset.” 

Camp Sugarbush is the recommended camp to retain because: “It is geographically located in an area that has experienced significant growth and also has potential for new members. Based on the assessment information available, it is my recommendation Sugarbush should be part of the GSNEO’s outdoor program properties portfolio,” added Parker.  This recommendation is consistent with the recommendation made by Glen Chin, property management consultant for the Girl Scouts of the USA, in 2009. It also aligns with the GSNEO staff recommendation made to the Properties Committee of the board in early 2011.

Parker continued, “Based on collected information this site should not require significant immediate improvement investment.” Camp Sugarbush is accredited by the American Camp Association.

Also on October 17, the board of directors voted to move forward with the sale of the remaining camp properties. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Camps Great Trail, Crowell/Hilaka, Pleasant Valley, and Lejnar will be released by December 1, 2011.

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio retain additional camp property press release