Officials in Meredith, N.H., have voiced support for preserving a local camp that has been used by Arlington Girl Scouts for generations but could soon be developed for housing.
Select Board member Jeanie Forrester said the board invited New Hampshire Executive Councilor Kenney to speak last week after learning that some people believed it supported the proposed sale of Camp Menotomy.
“This board was not in agreement with what was happening,” Forrester said. “This board didn’t know. Maybe we should have known.”
Forrester emphasized New Hampshire’s role in the proposed sale in an Oct. 15 op-ed in the New Hampshire Union Leader, saying the camp’s future should not be decided by a Massachusetts court without any input from New Hampshire.
The dispute concerns the Camp Menotomy Trust’s proposed sale of the 95-acre property at 386 Meredith Neck Road. The property is under an $18 million purchase-and-sale agreement with developer Jeremy Martin of Lakes Region Design Group, which plans to build seven single-family homes there. A Massachusetts probate judge authorized the sale Sept. 2, and objectors appealed Sept. 14.
During the Oct. 26 Select Board meeting, Kenney said the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office was reviewing whether the proposed sale complied with the original trust deed, which includes provisions concerning the property’s continued use for camping. Supporters of preserving the camp argue that the trust must first seek another organization to operate a camp before selling the land.
When asked about the recent developments, Michael Garrity, deputy chief of staff at the New Hampshire Department of Justice, wrote: “Our review is ongoing. We have no further updates to provide at this time.”
Rachel Hampe, a lawyer with McLane Middleton who is part of the legal team representing objectors of the sale, urged the board and residents to ask the attorney general to intervene.
“If there was ever a case for the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office to step in, this is that case,” Hampe said.
Hampe also discussed the “Green Umbrella Movement,” a national consolidation of local Girl Scout groups into larger administrative entities. The movement lasted nearly 20 years and ended in 1963. Hampe said local Girl Scout groups resisted the consolidation and argued that the trust was established to protect the property.
“This is very significant because the Girl Scouts had owned the property,” Hampe said. “But they specifically placed it in trust to prevent it from being taken over by the National Girl Scouts.”
Residents urge town to weigh in
Bob Higley, a member of the Meredith Neck and Islands Alliance, said it’s important that the town weighs in on preserving the property as a camp. He cited the Meredith 2025 10-year community plan, which he said emphasizes environmental protection and outdoor recreation.
“It’s a priority, and the town really can’t be passive about this,” Higley said.
Mark Billings, a member of the Meredith Conservation Commission for more than 20 years, compared efforts to preserve Camp Menotomy with a previous campaign to protect land at Page Pond in 2003. Billings said that effort took several years and resulted in the creation of the Page Pond Community Forest.
Billings said he worked with the school district to organize a “child’s day” at Page Pond during the town’s second year of ownership. He recalled students telling him how much they enjoyed the experience.
“I can’t count how many of them came up to me and said, ‘Mr. Billings, this was the greatest day ever at school,’” Billings said. “Menotomy is this story, part two.”
Debbie Walker, another Meredith resident, pointed to a separate example of the town’s conservation efforts. About 45 years ago, developers purchased the entirety of Stonedam Island, prompting the recently created Lakes Region Conservation Trust to become involved. The trust rallied local support and reached an agreement with the owners to buy 80% of the island for conservation.
Residents also asked whether zoning could be used to keep the property as either conservation or a camp.
Angela LaBrecque, a senior town planner with Meredith’s Planning and Development Department, said singling out one section of the shoreline or land would be a “tough argument to make.” Moreso, it would require an analysis to determine whether the zoning change was consistent with the town’s master plan.
Board members consider next steps
After public comment, board members expressed support for preserving the camp but did not agree on a specific course of action.
Michael Pelczar and Lynn Leighton spoke in favor of keeping the property as a camp.
“Personally, I would like to support the camps the way they are,” Pelczar said, “and to protect the lake as much as possible. It’s our lifeline.”
James Gregoire said the town should consider taking action, although he was unsure what form it should take.
“We should be doing something to keep this camp in place,” Gregoire said. “I don’t know whether we can do something stronger than just send a letter to the attorney general, but we need to talk about that.”
Chair Steve Aiken said he had attended camp in New Hampshire as a child and sent his own children to camp. He told residents the board would see what it could do to help.
The board did not take a formal vote on Camp Menotomy or announce any next steps.