Reevaluation

"Camp Design: Master Planning Basics" Series

As you’ve worked through this series on the basics of master planning, you’ve undoubtedly seen how the presence of a master plan can positively impact your camp’s future.  As Greg Copeland describes in his book “Camp Design: Master Planning Basics”:

A well-crafted master plan is the most effective management tool for the orderly development of a camp site.  The plan integrates the culture of the organization and its programs, activities and operational criteria with the capabilities and limitations of the site.  It must also balance the desires of the organization with the limits imposed by government regulations while balancing dreams with the practical considerations of management, maintenance, and cost estimates.

That being said, while the plan strongly guides the camp’s future it must also be adaptable to the camp’s inevitable evolution.  The final step in the master plan process, the reevaluation, closes the loop on the planning process.  Annually reviewing and updating the master plan ensures that it always represents the camp’s current thinking, which in turn saves money and maintains the appropriate visionary course.

Here are a few questions to ask when reevaluating your camp’s master plan:

• Do we need to increase or decrease camper capacity?
• Do we want to explore new program modes or year-round operation?
• Are there any new regulations that could impact our planning?
• Have there been unanticipated physical changes to the site?
• Have construction costs increased or decreased in the last year, and how will they impact the next phase of development?
• Are we ready for a new capital campaign?
• Do we need to shift our priorities for the next phase of development?

The reevaluation can be as simple as a one-to-two day work session with staff, volunteers, and the planning team, and it will ensure the continued bright future of your camp.

This concludes our series on master planning basics.  If you have any further questions regarding master planning or even questions specific to your camp, please don’t hesitate to contact Greg Copeland at Domokur Architects – 330.666.7878 or gcopeland@domokur.com.  And be sure to subscribe (on the right) to receive further updates on all kinds of camp-related topics! 

Note: This series is based on Greg Copeland’s book “Camp Design: Master Planning Basics”, which is available for purchase here.  Greg leads Domokur Architects’ Planning and Landscape Architecture team with over 40 years of professional and planning experience.