Ten Mile River Trader » Camp Pouch

State unlikely to cough up money to buy Pouch Camp

billmul — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:55:37 +0000

That was the title of the most recent article on Camp Pouch in the Staten Island Advance.

Don’t expect the state to be Pouch Camp’s white knight.Tucked inside Gov. David Paterson’s preliminary budget released last week was a proposal to place an indefinite moratorium on state land buys.

But the potential loss of the state as a savior for the 120-acre Sea View campgrounds, considered the heart of the borough’s Scouting community, didn’t come as a surprise.

“We always knew we would face this obstacle,” said Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island), who is among a number of elected officials attempting to keep Pouch Camp off the market.

Click the link to read the rest of the article.

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Camp Pouch Update January 24 NY Times Article

billmul — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:45:24 +0000

There was an article in the New York Times this weekend on the status of Camp Pouch.

A Celebrated Scout Camp on Staten Island Is in Jeopardy

By JOSEPH BERGER

Published: January 24, 2010

Financial woes may force the sale of Camp Pouch, 140 acres where generations have learned to rough it.

….

The city has also been involved in discussions about rescuing the camp, said Adrian Benepe, the parks commissioner. He pointed out, however, that with agencies required to cut their capital budgets by 30 percent this year, it was highly unlikely that the city would buy the property. Instead, he said, the city might encourage a white knight, like the Trust for Public Land, to do so.

Give it a read, it was a fairly favorable article to the Scouts and lays out how things stand today.

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Camp Pouch Update

billmul — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:00:31 +0000

Planning continue on ways to save Camp Pouch. A recent article in the Staten Island Advance outlines some of the discussions which are underweigh.

Discussions to save Pouch Camp in the Greenbelt are under way and involve surprising potential saviors: A luxury home builder and the Richmond County Country Club; and possibly the New York Container Terminal.

In an attempt to prevent the Greater New York Councils of Boy Scouts from selling off the 120-acre camp to a private developer, the two separate fund-raising possibilities that are emerging would allow other commercial or residential development to take place.

…

“There has been no decision made on this proposal or any other proposal. We were asked to look at it and we are looking it,” Cusick noted. “The goal here is, ultimately, to save Pouch Camp and to keep it as pristine open space…. We have to listen and entertain any proposal that comes across our desk.”

See the article for more details.

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