Planning board hears plans to renovate Camp Rocky Farm; continues special-use review, adds rental condition

The Newport Planning Board heard a presentation from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England and their team on a proposal to renovate Camp Rocky Farm, a 6.3-acre camp property off Carroll Avenue, and continued formal action to a special meeting on June 16 while adding a condition limiting third‑party rentals.

The applicant representative, Michael Monti of Sayarin, told the board "what you have before you is an exciting project by the Girl Scouts to revitalize Camp Rocky Farm," and described upgrades including interior renovations to the existing lodge, a new mariner cabin with overnight bunks and a caretaker apartment, an amphitheater, improved archery pavilion and stormwater management where none exists now.

Why it matters: The site has been used as a charitable camp since the 1950s and the Girl Scouts presented the proposal as a way to formalize that long‑standing use, increase on‑site program capacity and correct safety and infrastructure deficiencies. Neighbors raised concerns about noise, traffic and rentals; the board added a condition requiring City Council approval for third‑party rentals and deferred a final decision to ensure more time to settle conditions and engineering details.

Board and staff process The board adopted the staff report as the board's findings of fact during the hearing. Board Chair Jeffrey Brooks led the discussion of the special‑use and unified development review process; planning staff and the Technical Review Committee had recommended the application move forward for deliberation pending final engineering details.

What the project would change - Lodging capacity and program: The application proposes renovating the lodge (last updated in 1993) and adding a Mariner cabin to increase bunk capacity so multiple troops could use the site concurrently. The applicant said the summer day‑camp enrollment would remain capped at about 40 children. - Site work and safety: The site currently has no stormwater management system and a horseshoe driveway noted by the Fire Department as needing widening for emergency access. The proposal includes a new stormwater system, driveway widening for emergency vehicles, and other site improvements with "minimal removal of existing vegetation," the applicant said. - Use restrictions: The applicant repeatedly described the property as a charitable institution for Girl Scouts programming; Michael Monti and CEO Dana Borelli Murray said the intent is to expand Girl Scout programming, including a Mariner (ocean‑based STEM) program for older girls.

Public comment and board response Neighbor Rachel Connorton, who lives adjacent to the camp, told the board she supports the camp but is concerned by language on the national rental page that appears to advertise private rentals for events. "My concern is the fact that the Girl Scouts rent the property," she said, adding worries about noise, traffic and increased stormwater runoff onto abutting yards.

In response, Monti and the CEO said the organization's statewide rental page covers all their properties and is not specific to Camp Rocky Farm; Dana Borelli Murray said she was not aware of recent event rentals at the site and that the local camp has primarily served Girl Scouts. Monti noted the zoning classification for "charitable institutions" already defines allowable accessory uses and that some special events would require a separate City Council special‑event permit.

Board action and next steps - The board formally adopted the staff report as its findings of fact (vote: ayes have it). - The board voted to add a condition that if the property is rented to a third party, that use must obtain a City Council special‑event license; the board approved that condition by voice vote. - The board then voted to continue the Camp Rocky Farm unified development review and special‑use permit hearing to the special meeting on June 16 so staff, the applicant and abutters can work on specific condition language and outstanding engineering details.

What remains open The board left open the detailed engineering and permit language for stormwater, emergency access, parking and any event limitations. Staff and the applicant were asked to draft condition language for the June 16 special meeting that responds to abutter concerns while reflecting the charitable‑institution zoning standards.

Ending note Board members said they appreciated the historical value of the site and the applicant's efforts to retain on‑site programming while improving safety and infrastructure; they also said they wanted explicit conditions to address third‑party rentals and stormwater before final approval.