Girl Scouts' Camp Ilchester To Be Bought For $6M By Howard County

Ellicott City MD

13 April, 2022

4:21 PM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The fate of Camp Ilchester in Ellicott City has been settled. On Wednesday, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball signed a letter of intent to complete the sale from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland to the county for $6 million. The Howard County Council still must appropriate the purchase; however, the amount was included in Ball's proposed fiscal year 2023 capital budget. The County Council will vote on that budget May 25. The goal of the county is to preserve the Girl Scouts camp as green space within the county's parks and recreation system. The letter of intent states that the property will no longer be marketed for sale and lists the steps for final sale. Howard County also plans to prevent the development of 105 proposed housing units at the site and instead utilize the property to expand recreational program offerings to residents across the county and state. Potential uses of the camp could include sports programs, outdoor adventure camps, active aging activities and a nature center with nature-based educational programming, Ball shared. "When the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland announced they were looking to sell Camp Ilchester last April, we knew we had to act," Ball said at a news conference Wednesday. "We had to make sure that our county didn't lose this important piece of green space and valuable community resource that allows Howard County families to experience all that nature has to offer. I am thrilled that we have reached this important milestone to preserve Camp Ilchester as open space for present and future generations to enjoy." In December 2021, Ball made the initial offer to buy the property for $6 million. In April 2021, current and past Girl Scouts held a protest against the sale of the camp. Numerous people also spoke out at a Girl Scouts of Central Maryland board of directors meeting thereafter in favor of keeping the camp. Their efforts fell short, however, as the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland board of directors decided to go ahead and sell Camp Ilchester, one of four Girl Scout camps in the state. Proceeds from the sale would have been funneled toward revamping Camp Woodlands in Annapolis, Girl Scouts leaders initially said. Carrie Koenig, a fourth-grade Girl Scout troop leader in Howard County, told Patch that eliminating a camp "really decreases the camp experiences available to Girl Scouts in Carroll and Howard counties, especially those without financial means." "Giving girls and other youth access to green space is incredibly important in scouting. Outdoors is a core Girl Scout value and eliminating this camp will decrease the amount of opportunities Howard and Carroll County Girl Scout girls have at camp," she said. After learning of Ball's decision to offer to purchase the property, Koenig said The Love for Camp Ilchester Coalition is "incredibly thankful" to Howard County and Calvin Ball for "recognizing the environmental value of the Camp Ilchester property and for making a competitive offer to GSCM, especially in light of Ball's promise to keep the space green." "Though we hoped GSCM would not sell the camp, selling to a preservation buyer is the next best alternative," she told Patch. Maryland Senator Katie Fry Hester applauded the acceptance of Howard County's offer to buy Camp Ilchester Wednesday."As a mom and lifelong environmentalist, providing opportunities for our kids to experience outdoor education is extremely important to me – if approved by the County Council, this will allow us to preserve nearly 21 acres of green space for the local community. This is a win-win-win for our kids, our community and our environment," she said. Maryland Delegate Courtney Watson described Ball's decision to buy the land as a smart investment. "We all know that this is a treasured piece of land. If not a girl scout camp, it is the perfect place for a neighborhood park. In a county with many needs, this $6 million could have been spent elsewhere, but County Executive Ball is wisely investing this money on Ilchester Road in Ellicott City, and therefore this land will be preserved for future generations," she said. Julie Lenzer, chair of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland's Camp Ilchester committee and board member described the county's offer Wednesday as "fair" and views it as a "commitment to sustain the land as green space, which will allow the land to be enjoyed for generations to come." "We are appreciative of the intent of this offer as we move forward in good faith to formally agree upon a purchase agreement," added Violet Apple, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. "This potential sale allows our Council to work toward the long-term sustainability of the Council by strengthening our overall programming for the next 25 years."