News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Suttle Lake Camp, run by the United Methodist Church, has been serving campers in Central Oregon for decades - and most of its facilities date back decades, too.
The organization is now seeking permission from the Forest Service to significantly update its facilities.
The plan calls for new 1,700-square-foot shower house facilities to replace the existing shower house, which dates back to the 1950s.
The camp also hopes to build a new 1,200-square-foot welcome center and office facility; construct new vehicle storage facilities; add 144 square feet to an existing cabin; and create 200 square feet of new meeting space by modifying the existing shower house.
The shower house is the top priority, according to camp representative Jane Petke.
"We've had architects and plumbers come out and say 'you need to start over,'" she said.
The shower house is expected to cost $200,000.
Petke said the funds for the project will be raised through a United Methodist Church capital campaign across the Oregon/Idaho region. No funds from camper fees can go to capital projects.
Petke said that neighbors at Suttle Lake have been receptive and supportive. She noted that the changes do not reflect an expansion of the activities at the camp.
"While it looks pretty large on paper, it's for basic needs," she said. "We're not expanding our program... so the impact will be pretty minimal."
Plans for the upgrade started in 2005, Petke said, and the camp submitted plans to the Forest Service in January 2007. The project is now in the comment phase, with the comment period ending June 20.
Comments should be mailed to Jeff Sims, Suttle Lake Methodist Camp Master Plan Update Project Leader, Sisters Ranger District, P.O. Box 249 Sisters, OR 97759. E-mail [email protected] Comments should include your name and address.
For more information call Sims at 549-7706.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)