Kearsarge group asks New London Rec for support as Camp Wobasso faces zoning appeal

Jackie Hudkins, speaking for Kearsarge Community Common, told the New London Recreation Commission that her organization plans to conserve Camp Wobasso, a 244‑acre former Girl Scout property that includes Blaisdell Lake and Billings Pond and a 46‑acre "core campus." Hudkins said the owners want to preserve the site for recreation and education while opening it to the public.

"We are looking to construct New Hampshire's very first ADA accessible dock," Hudkins said, adding that funding is in place for the dock and adaptive water‑access equipment. Hudkins described concept sketches for a multipurpose building to host day programming (including a possible daycare and community food kitchen), trail systems with accessible loops, and student partnerships with local schools for seed‑to‑table and forestry learning.

Greg Grigsby, a landscape architect on the project team, outlined the regulatory path and said the project is at a critical point because Sutton's zoning administrator has ruled some historical camp uses were overtly abandoned. "We filed an appeal, which is the standard course of action," Grigsby said, noting the KCC team will present its case to the Zoning Board of Adjustment on June 17.

Hudkins and Grigsby emphasized that the property has been maintained during the past years and argued the uses continued in some form; the town's zoning administrator, Tiffany Favreau, and the town counsel had concluded otherwise in an administrative decision. If the ZBA upholds the administrator's ruling, Grigsby warned that the site could revert to a single‑residence lot under current zoning, which would blunt the project's ability to reuse existing camp infrastructure.

The presentation detailed likely next steps if the appeal succeeds: site plan review and a range of permits including alteration of terrain, wetlands and shoreland permits, demolition and tree‑cutting permits. Grigsby estimated a permitting and design period of roughly 9–12 months before construction could begin.

Commissioners asked about partnerships and logistics for programming. Hudkins said a donor will develop the site to the point shown in the concepts and then grant it to a charitable entity to operate programming; the group also noted that Carol Adams has grant funds on hold for adaptive water equipment with KCC as the proposed host site.

With the administrative appeal two weeks away, a member of the recreation commission moved that the commission prepare a general, non‑binding letter of support for the ZBA appeal provided the draft is reviewed by town leadership. The motion was approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The commission did not record a numerical roll‑call tally in the minutes; participants agreed the draft letter should be circulated to higher‑level town officials for review before submission to the ZBA. The presenters asked residents and interested parties—particularly those who live in Sutton and therefore have standing—to submit letters of support to the ZBA ahead of the June 17 hearing.

Hudkins closed by inviting the commission and the public to walk the property now, noting that some soft programming (trail walking, seed‑to‑table) is already running while formal permitting is pending. Grigsby and Hudkins said they would proceed with design work if the appeal clears the immediate regulatory hurdle.

The commission then continued regular business including approval of minutes and event planning.