KAUKAUNA — The Girls Scouts have decided against the sale of Camp Winnecomac in Kaukauna after all.
After inquiring about the news of the sale, Mayor Tony Penterman said he had received an email from the regional office of the Girl Scouts that they had reconsidered their plan, and no longer were interested in selling the camp.
The new developments were first reported in the Nov. 23, 2022 Times Villager.
The announcement in October by the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes comes as part of a long-term property plan that includes investments, divestments and new programming to reach Girl Scouts throughout the council.
However at the Nov. 1 Common Council meeting, Penterman said he had the legal department do a title search on the Girl Scout Camp property and found a deed that goes back to September 27, 1977.
The deed indicates that if the Girl Scouts were to sell the property, the City of Kaukauna has first rights to buy it back for $3,600, according to minutes from the council meeting.
The deed is good until September 27, 2027
In the email that Penterman received Nov. 10, Missy Brozek of the Girl Scouts said the Winnecomac property will remain under ownership by the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes at this time.
“The Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes is not under contract with any buyer, is not pursuing a sales process for the property at this time and will not transfer ownership to any other party for the time being,” she said.
Even with a sale, Penterman said there is little a developer could do with the property under current zoning.
Penterman said the camp is zoned conservancy, which prohibits residential/commercial development or additional structures.
“It basically has to remain in its all natural state,” Penterman said.
The camp is a 40-acre property located on the city’s south side between 1000 Islands and the high school that provides summer programming for girls.
The Girl Scouts say they are reimagining four Girl Scout Centers in each of our four council regions, including the Appleton Service Center in Appleton create the East Girl Scout Center.
To help facilitate the new Girl Scout Centers, they will divest a few properties over the next year, which had included Camp Winnecomac.
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