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SYRACUSE - Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Club recently voted to build a new scouting facility in the Scout Woods, south of Syracuse.
The current cabin is in Crosson Mill Park. However, according to a press release from the Rotary Club, the Syracuse Park Board notified the Rotary Club that they will not be allowed to replace the Scout Cabin in the park as the club wanted.
"The decision has not been made official yet," said Syracuse Park Superintendent Mike Hixenbaugh today. "It will be made at the next park meeting - Aug. 14 (at 7 p.m.)."
He said the Rotary Club provided several questions for the park board regarding the cabin and park. Hixenbaugh then shared the questions and other information regarding the park with the park board.
"It's pretty much the way it'll go, but it's too early to call it official," he said.
Tim Yeager, Rotary Club president, said, "This has been going around and around in circles for years."
He said some Rotary Club members questioned why the scouts were not involved in the community center. The board told the members their reasons but there were still more concerns from the membership.
The Rotary Club went to the park board with questions including cost based on the scouts' needs. The park board replied with the figures the Club asked for and said it was likely that a new scout cabin would not be able to be rebuilt at Crosson Mill Park, said Yeager.
Two weeks ago, the Rotary Club met and made their decision to build a garage/storage area for $50,000 as part of a larger project.
To construct a 4,000-square-foot facility at Crosson Mill Park, the Rotary Club was prepared to raise $245,000, Yeager said. Since they will not be allowed to build at the park, the Rotary Club was told by the park board it would cost them $205,400 to build a room at the community center plus a monthly lease of $500 per month.
Another option, Yeager said, is that if the town of Syracuse built the community center and rented space, it would cost the scouts $50 per hour to rent a room plus rental costs for a garage and storage space. The scouts, Yeager said, meet anywhere from one hour to several hours per week.
If they build a building in the Scout Woods, Yeager said, it would cost them $252,000 plus other costs, such as water and septic.
"What we decided to do is construct a garage/storage at the woods for $50,000, much of what we raised so far," said Yeager. He said it's part of a larger project.
Crosson Mill Park is 1.9 acres. The total acreage of parks in Syracuse is only 11.5. Hixenbaugh said that for the number of people using the parks, Crosson Mill Park is a large portion of the amount of park space available. While there are no plans for Crosson Mill Park, he said, he has several ideas of what the park could be used for, but it's too early for any decisions.
In past months, the park board and the Rotary Club discussed the idea of having the scouts join as part of the proposed community center at Lakeside Park.
Since that is no longer a possiblity, Hixenbaugh said, it was disappointing.
"(It's) definitely a disappointment. Any involvement we can get, the better," he said. He said several groups in the community are going on their own, which is their decision, but it was better to get as many groups together as possible.
The Scout Woods was purchased by the Rotary Club in the early 1960s and donated to Syracuse for use by the Boy Scouts. Prior to initiation of the building project, Rotary will reacquire the property and vest ownership and control with the Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Foundation, according to the Rotary Club press release. When the Rotary Club first purchased the land, they had no means to handle the property. Since then, the foundation has been legally created to handle such matters.
The Scouts will continue to meet at the Crosson Mill Park cabin as long as possible, then find a new meeting location as required.
Before the Rotary Club can build the proposed garage/storage, they have to reacquire the Scout Woods from the town. Yeager said they want to do that before anything is built. "We could start construction soon if we get the property reacquired," Yeager said.
He said the scouts were asked what they wanted to do and they said they were "just as happy to be in the woods. As far as what's best for the scouts, they seem to be happy with the woods."
Space at the community center, he said, wouldn't best meet the needs of the scouts anyhow.
"When you look at the figures - $205,000 plus $500 a month vs. $50,000 - duh!" he said. They will also have control of their space, which Yeager said they would not have had at the community center.
"The figures just didn't add up. It didn't make sense to go to the community center."
