Camp Sunnen to be Auctioned Off

[Buggie]

Saw in the news today that Camp Sunnen which was closed last summer, will be auctioned off.  I didn't see anything in a forum search about it from last year, so I thought I'd ask if anyone had more insight than what was posted in various blogs/news articles. 

To summarize, the camp's lake went through a restoration process to remove a lot of silt back in 2007. The article about the restoration makes a few statements about how the camp's property can never be converted to residential or industrial use because of it. Also that the camp is one of two that is in danger of one day being closed down and sold. 

Last year the council suspended activities at the camp siting safety concerns. They don't really detail the concerns in the statement, but such things don't happen without a lot of reasons. Later the council closed the camp officially.  Again, stating safety concerns with the property. 

And today there's a news report about it being auctioned off.

All of the articles site long range possibilities about this camp and another camp being closed down and sold, so it isn't a surprise. And it sounds like there is a lot of work that has to be done to bring the camp grounds up to the appropriate level for usage, more than the council felt was prudent to make given other camp opportunities in the area. Always sad to see a camp close down, but things do happen. 

[David CO]

It looks like the YMCA has a right of first refusal to buy the property.

[WAKWIB]

I know it has to be depressing to see a old familiar camp fade into history, but I don't see it as a tragic thing. The Greater St. Louis Area Council has 7 other camp properties to serve the youth in their area.  

[Buggie]

Yup.  I was just curious. Always sad to see property let go, even if there are good valid reasons and plenty of other places to go. 

[David CO]

Most of the time, the councils don't have any valid reason for closing a camp. The execs just want to cash in on the properties to pay their own salaries. I can't see any valid reason for closing Camp Sunnen.

I'm not saying that there is never a valid reason. One camp closed because the state built a highway along side the property, and the noise from the traffic made it unusable as a campground. That is a valid reason.

Some of these old camps survived the Great Depression. It's hard to believe that they couldn't still make a go of it today.

 

Edited April 28, 2018 by David CO

[ianwilkins]

It's not like they're building more land anytime soon. It's a one way ticket.

[Cambridgeskip]

As per Ian's comments, once these places are gone they are gone.

I don't want the history your side of the pond is but here many scout campsites are the results of generous donations by often wealthy and benevolant landowners back in the early days of scouting, either as a gift or at a very generous price. The days where that kind of things happens are mostly long gone. And as populations rise and demand for housing goes up land becomes ever more valuable.

We sell it off at our peril.

[carebear3895]

On 4/28/2018 at 5:00 AM, WAKWIB said:

I know it has to be depressing to see a old familiar camp fade into history, but I don't see it as a tragic thing. The Greater St. Louis Area Council has 7 other camp properties to serve the youth in their area.  

yea I guarantee you this won't be the only GSLAC camp to go. 

Edited April 30, 2018 by carebear3895