KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo County Commissioners are expected to make a decision on the purchase of Camp Rota-Kiwan as an official Kalamazoo County park in the next two weeks.
Camp Rota-Kiwan sits in Texas Township and features over 200 acres with connections to Bass Lake and the Al Sabo Land Preserve. It was closed late last year.
During a virtual meeting Tuesday night, commissioners discussed the matter at length with Kalamazoo County Parks Director David Rachowicz.
Rachowicz stated that not long after the closure, interest was piqued in obtaining the area as a County Park.
“As many of you know, we’ve had in our master plan the idea or need of having a county park on the western half of Kalamazoo County for the past 10 years now,” Rachowicz said. “Through that process, we’ve always said it has to be the right piece of property and something that was unique and worth preserving. This property fits that element in many ways.”
Rachowicz cited the existing infrastructure of the camp and the natural features of the area as being part of the factors in considering the property.
“At Al Sabo, they have passive recreation, primarily walking and biking trails, so this facility could be a key connection to that in really being able to use that 25-plus mile trail system and really making it that much more accessible for our county residents and the visitors of the property,” Rachowicz said.
Other factors Rachowicz pointed out was the availability of youth programming. Beyond Boy Scout usage, Rachowicz said organizations such as the YMCA are “very excited” at the possibility of being able to use the land for after-school and summer programs.
Rachowicz also announced that a private individual has already made a donation of $1 million to start the project.
“We’re anticipating the purchase cost is gonna be approximately $2 million, so we need another million to raise and we’re in the process of doing that in the next few weeks,” Rachowicz said. “We also expect that we will need an additional $1 million to get the property up and running and make the first wave of improvements that will be needed. Our initial goal is $3 million that we’re looking to do through private fundraising. Once we reach the $2 million, we may move forward with the purchase, with the understanding that the property may sit unused until the fundraising is complete, until we can complete that first round of improvements.”
Rachowicz also said that Orion Township had provided a lot of helpful information, who went through a similar process in buying a former scout camp in Oakland County.
“They have reached a point of financial sustainability, so that is our goal on the operating piece,” Rachowicz said. “We would look to operate this like we do the other county parks. We’re not seeking county general fund money to eventually operate this facility. We understand it’s gonna take some time to ramp up…we’re working on that every day.”
As a matter of clarification, Board Chair Julie Rogers asked whether any of the county funds would be used for the purchase of the property. Rachowicz confirmed that the funding would be largely private donations.
“We do anticipate, on the improvement side, that we will seek some State trust fund grants, or we’ll explore any state or federal grants that may help with the development side,” Rachowicz said. “That may offset the money we need to raise.”
Several commissioners spoke favorably about this project.
“I’m super excited about this development,” Commissioner Christine Morse said. “People here were very concerned about where that property would end up, so I’m thrilled to hear that we have a plan for the county to be able to purchase it so that we can preserve the property, mostly as it is, and then improve it. People throughout the county can enjoy it.”
Commissioner Michael Seals also spoke in favor of the camp development.
“As a former Boy Scout and somebody who has camped there many times over the years, that this is one of the best pieces of property we have in Kalamazoo County,” Seals said. “I’m very glad that we are going to be a partner with the Boy Scouts so that they still have a place to go for the future generations. This is a huge win-win for everybody.”
No commissioners spoke against the project. A formal vote is expected as early as two weeks from now.
