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Board approves impervious‑cover variance for Boys & Girls Club’s Camp Rock activities building
Summary
The Board approved a variance allowing the Boys & Girls Club to construct a new activities building at Camp Rock on a large conserved parcel, citing the site’s large legal acreage and the limited additional impervious area from the proposed structure.
Monroe County’s Board of Zoning Appeals approved VAR‑25‑20 on May 7, allowing the Boys & Girls Club to build a new activities building at Camp Rock (Riddle Point/“Camp Rock”) on property that includes Lake Lemmon and a large conserved acreage held by the City of Bloomington.
Planning staff recommended approval, noting the petition site is part of a large legal parcel (total legal acreage for related parcels shown as 364.24 acres) and the proposed activities building and associated parking would occupy about 45 acres of the larger parcel; because the county’s rule uses “whichever is less” when calculating allowed impervious area, staff concluded the request represents the minimum required relief under Chapter 8.04 for this consolidated, large parcel.
Jeff Baldwin, director of development for Boys & Girls Club (testifying), and Camp Rock director Rachel DeBias described Camp Rock’s operations: the camp serves roughly 100 campers per week and runs transportation from downtown Lincoln Street; the rebuilt activities building will increase indoor program space, allow an additional bus to be accommodated, and increase weekly capacity by roughly one busload (about 45 campers per week), enabling the organization to serve more children and to operate more consistently in inclement weather.
Multiple letters of support from parents and community members were submitted and included in the record. Staff added that any future impervious increases beyond the approved plan would require either removal of existing impervious material or an additional variance.
Why it matters: The new building expands access to a longstanding community camp, increasing capacity and improving facilities for children from across the county; the board’s decision balances recreational access with impervious‑cover controls on a very large public parcel.
Implementation: The Boys & Girls Club has confirmed funding and plans to proceed with design and permitting; approved changes must still obtain permits and adhere to stormwater requirements.
