Westchester-Putnam Council, BSA - Clear Lake Development

Overview
The major goal of the first phase of development at the Clear Lake Scout Reservation is to provide indoor weekend-only camping facilities for the Scouts of the Council and of the surrounding counties. To achieve this goal we have planned the construction of nine cabins, associated latrines, roads, wells, parking areas and a campmaster cabin. All structures and layout have been created with the least possible ecological impact.

At its October 23, 2000 meeting the Executive Board of the Council voted final approval for the go ahead on the Clear Lake development project. Although the projected cost for the erection of 9 cabins and a campmaster cabin has escalated to $2.8 million, the Executive Board felt they had to go ahead with their commitment to build these cabins to offer a quality program to our young people. The following describes the type of cabins and roads that we built. These expensive changes were required by the Health Department and the Putnam Valley Planning Board in order for us to get approval of this project.

Cabins
The cabins are erected in three clusters, each consisting of three one-story cabins. A cluster will have one cabin with a total occupancy of forty persons and two cabins that will accommodate thirty people. The cabins are of 2"x 6" panelized construction with an insulation factor of R-25. The exterior will feature half-log siding for a log cabin appearance. They each have a small kitchen that will include a two bay sink, a four-burner stove with an oven and a refrigerator. Each cabin has a dining area and a main bunkroom. Off of the dining area are two separate rooms intended for adult or coed use, which each sleep four. They feature a passive solar design and will have a small wood stove and a propane heater. Each cabin is required by the Health Department to have hot and cold running water.

Cluster Infrastructure
Each cluster is designed with a clivus multrum composting toilet facility. This is an ecologically beneficial process that eventually produces a substance that is safe to handle. The Health Department has also mandated hot and cold running water in each latrine. The latrines will also have a "log cabin" exterior.

Eight foot wide limited use roads for maintenance, disabled campers and emergencies will provide access to each facility. Twelve parking places off the main road will be provided for camper parking with any overflow going to either the Sperling or new Campmaster lots.

Campmaster Cabin
A small cabin, of the same construction as the large ones, will be erected on a site along the main camp road before the cabin clusters. This cabin will have a small kitchen, two bedrooms that each sleep two, a living area and an office. It will also have a shower with outside access that can be used by campers in the case of an emergency.

The cabin will be sited on a parking lot that will hold more than forty cars and will have its own well and clivus multrum latrine.

Site map showing new structures and roads. Buildings are represented as squares with numbers indicating cabin occupancy.

Cabin Locations. P = Parking location, L = Latrine. All parking will be done in designated locations. There will be no vehicular access directly to the cabins. Units are permitted 3 cars in parking areas along main road near cabins. Additional vehicles will be parked in either the Campmaster lot or the Sperling Center lot.

Main Camp Infrastructure
The main road into camp is presently twelve to sixteen feet wide. It will be enlarged to sixteen feet, one inch wide, with an additional two-foot hard shoulder on each side. Eight inches of item four road material will be added to the road after drainage and guideposts are installed. A ten thousand gallon water tank will be buried near the Sperling Pavilion to serve as a fire-fighting reservoir.

New York State Electric and Gas will be installing a new electric line the length of the main camp road to provide electric to the Campmaster Cabin and each of the three cabin clusters.

Contractors
After an extensive bidding process, Valor Construction Corporation of Pawling has been selected to perform all of the work on the project with the exception of the widening and upgrading of the main road, wells, and cutting of the trees. Yonkers Excavating of Brewster will do the work on the main road. Volunteers have cut the trees and the wells remain to be bid. Cots, tables, refrigerators, cooking stoves, wood stoves and propane heaters will all be purchased directly by the Council to avoid any contractor mark-up.

The cabins were purchased earlier in the year from Lincoln Logs and materials for nine of the cabins are at Clear Lake waiting to be constructed.

Further Information
For further information on this project or how you can lend your support to the effort, contact Steve Hammonds, Clear Lake Ranger, (845) 528-1536 or shammonds@wpcbsa.org