Land Use Work Sample_ErinWurfelOstgulen

Camp Shalom Retreat Center 2007

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Linn County, Kansas | December 2007

Camp Shalom

Land Use Plan

Erin Wurfel UBPL 730


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“Shalom is a 120 acre retreat center dedicated to the promotion of evangelism, discipleship, and spiritual refreshment for all people. Our mission is to use a peaceful environment that will allow people from all financial and social backgrounds to experience God in a meaningful way.”

–Shalom Retreat Center Website


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Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3

Summary of State of Community Report ......................................................................... 4

Vision Statement ............................................................................................................. 7

Goals, Objectives and Policies ........................................................................................ 8

Future Land Use Classifications ...................................................................................... 9

Appendix A: Land Use Acres Table

Appendix B: Land Use Map


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Introduction

The Shalom Retreat Center consists of 120 acres of land in Linn County, Kansas. Currently, only four acres are being used. It is being used as a retreat center for couples, male and female church groups, and inner city youths from Freedom Fire Ministries. The Camp Shalom Executive Board would like to create a more distinct plan for the site. The following document summarizes the State of Community Report that documents the existing conditions of the site. It also gives the Vision Statement of the site, as well as, the Goals, Objectives, and Policies. The Future Land Classifications and Future Land Use Map help portray the vision and goals in a visual manner.


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State of Community Report Summary

A State of Community Report for the Shalom Retreat Center in Linn County, KS will assist in the making of a land use plan. This report will help document the existing conditions, trends and planning issues in the community. The topics to be discussed include topography, floodplains, agricultural land, ground cover, historic and cultural resources, sensitive environmental areas, existing highways, roads and streets, existing land uses, open space patterns, annexation, and county regulations. The major issues seem to be the gas pipeline on site, water supply and waste water management. Other challenges that may face Camp Shalom include the preservation of specific areas and transportation issues. The site is located on the corner of 405 County Road and E 1300th Road. Interstate 69 Highway is about 8 miles to the East of the site. The state highway, K-7, is also a few miles west of the site. Camp Shalom is approximately 10 miles from the city of La Cygne, Kansas and 7 miles from Pleasanton, Kansas. Therefore, annexation should not be an issue because the site is too far from the boundaries of the other cities. Figure 1 shows the location of Camp Shalom.

Figure 1: Map of Camp Shalom The topographic character of the Shalom Retreat Center site is flat, hilly and steep. There is one area with a 15% slope and there are three spots on the land that are 910 feet high. Figure 2 shows the topographic map of the site


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Figure 2: Topographic Map

Linn County contains floodplains and Camp Shalom contains a part of the Little Sugar Creek. Two ponds are located on the site, a small pond located in the northwest corner of the site and a larger pond in the western area of the site The land is suitable in some areas for plants and crops. The best soil for this is the Verdigris silt loam located on the western portion of the property along the creek. There are also several open grassland areas with prairie grasses and trees or woodland area near the creek. It was also interesting to find cactus within the grasslands. According to the Kansas Biological Survey, the cactus is most likely Plains Prickly Pear, a native to Kansas. Significant land uses on the site include the Rieder house, Grace’s brother’s house and a mobile home. There is also a church, a basketball court, and six cabins with bunk beds. The current homes on the site use septic systems, therefore, that is a possible way to provide water and restrooms. A sewer system would be too expensive to extend on the site. According to the Linn County Zoning Administrator, the Camp Shalom area is currently zoned A for Agriculture. Permitted uses include agricultural activities, such as crops and animals, single family homes, public parks, playgrounds and recreation areas, cemeteries and mausoleums and home businesses or corporations. The site is a legal non-conforming use, meaning any uses on the site before the land was zoned are allowed to continue. In other words, several of the uses have been “grandfathered in.” Camp Shalom will not be able develop as it likes under the current zoning law unless a conditional use permit is acquired. The county will decide what conditions to put on the permit and will check on the site within five years.

Key 15.9% Slope 910 ft high


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Vision Statement

The overall plan for a retreat center should be based on the purpose and the principles behind creating the center. If we look at the name alone, we find “peace” in Shalom. If we look at Camp Shalom, we find peace as well. The name and mission of Camp Shalom are one and the same. It is a peaceful and open environment set aside for spiritual renewal. The large grassland and forestland areas home to hay and cactus, fresh air, hills, ponds and streams all come together to define Camp Shalom.

The center is a year round facility for men, women and couples retreats as well as summer camps for inner city children. This includes public amenities to accommodate 200-300 people, a sports recreation area, outdoor activities and walking trails. The community members and residents of Shalom enjoy its quiet and peaceful demeanor and want to preserve its historic integrity.


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Goals, Objectives and Policies

Goal 1: A peaceful and open environment used for spiritual renewal. Objective 1.1: Preserve one open grassland or meadow and one forest area by December 2008. Policy 1.1.1: The preserved areas should be in the southwest corner of the site and the northeast area near the property line. Objective 1.2: Designate and construct three walking trails around the site by December 2008. Goal 2: A summer camp. Objective 2.1: By the end of 2009, build and construct a camping area with a fire pit and picnic area for 50-100 people. Objective 2.2: By the end of 2009, create a recreation area for basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball and an obstacle course. Policy 2.2.1: Use tax deductible donations and publicity for local sports teams or sports stores to donate sports equipment. Goal 3: A year round facility. Objective 3.1: Insert at least one air condition unit and one heating unit in each closed building on site by the end of 2009. Objective 3.2: By 2010, coordinate a snow removal service to create a safe outdoor environment during the winter season. Policy 3.2.1: Establish an agreement between a local organization to use the camp’s facilities in exchange for snow removal and salting of wet driveways and parking lots Goal 4: Public facilities that house 200-300 people. Objective 4.1: By the end of 2010, create a septic or other sewer system to accommodate 200-300 people. Objective 4.2: Build single family housing units and dorm-like residents to house 200-300 people by 2010. Policy 4.2.1: Use tax deductible donations to encourage developers or organizations to build and donate residential units to Camp Shalom. Goal 5: The site is maintained through a discipleship program. Objective 5.1: By December 2008, pair 30 adults with 60 inner city kids to serve as role models. Policy 5.1.1: Freedom Fire Urban Ministries coordinates the matches between church going adults and inner city children. Objective 5.2: By 2010, train the regular attending Camp Shalom children to maintain the site along with professional workers. Goal 6: Historic Integrity of the site is preserved. Objective 6.1: By 2010, preserve in its entirety the Rieder house on the Camp Shalom site. Policy 6.1.1: Nominate the Rieder house to the Register of Historic Kansas Places. Objective 6.2: From the beginning of the design process to end of construction, record and photograph the process of rehabilitating the Shalom retreat center.


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Future Land Classifications

The Future Land Use Map incorporates a number of land uses. Symbols and colors represent these land use classifications. These physical guides will help create the peaceful and open environment set aside for spiritual renewal of men, women, couples and inner city children. The land use plan also refers to patterns from Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language, to help shape Camp Shalom’s “timeless way.” These patterns contain a common problem and solution when creating a town or building. Recreation Land Use describes the area set aside for soccer and football fields, a volleyball court, an obstacle course, basketball court, camp site, fire pit and picnic area. Other recreation includes star gazing, horse shoes, hiking trails, fishing and water sports with canoeing. These places of team and individual sports will be scattered throughout the site according to Pattern # 72, Local Sports. “It is necessary to scatter opportunities for physical activity, so that they are close at hand, indeed next door…” (Alexander, 364). Cabins are housing for men, women, couples and children using the retreat facilities. They will also serve as housing for maintenance workers. The cabins will also contain restrooms, showers and changing areas for camp visitors and workers.


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Forest Land Use describes the land on the Camp Shalom site that contains mature trees and shrubs.

Dining Hall is the area retreat attendees gather for meals. According to Alexander, “communal eating plays a vital role in almost all human societies as a way of binding people together and increasing the extent to which they feel like ‘members’ of a group” (698). This applies directly to retreats that are meant to bring people together. Pattern #147, Communal Eating, suggests that every group should have a place for people to eat together. The Dining Hall can also serve as another meeting place.

Historic Preservation Land Use includes the Rieder farmhouse and the two acres surrounding it. Other buildings include the old kitchen with the retreat participant signatures and a museum containing history of the Shalom site and its rehabilitation.

Animal Land Use describes land used to house animals such as sheep, horses, cows, goats,


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birds, deer and chickens. According to Pattern #74, Animals, the land will be fenced in and protected where animals are “free to graze, with grass, trees, and water in it” (Alexander, 373-374). The fenced in area for animals would be a petting zoo for the inner city children. “Animals are as important a part of nature as the trees and grass and flowers. There is some evidence, in addition, which suggests that contact with animals play a vital role in a child’s emotional development” (Alexander, 372).

Agriculture Land Use includes the land set aside for farming or a small garden.

Business Use includes the barns or storage areas used for maintenance of the land, agriculture and animals. It also includes the Camp Shalom Business office. Institutional Land Use is characterized by the old chapel which could be made into a small school house or meeting room. It also includes new larger church to accommodate up to 200 people.


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Parking describes the paved areas with vegetation, plants and infiltration swales. It will also incorporate Pattern #22, Nine Per Cent Parking, in which no more than 9% of the land will be used for parking. Out of the 120 acres on the Camp Shalom site, 10.8 acres will be allowed for parking. “When the area devoted to parking is too great, it destroys the land (Alexander, 121).” Therefore, using tall grasses, wildflowers and shrubs in the parking lot incorporates the ranch theme of the camp while reducing storm water runoff.

Open Space Land Use describes the grassland areas to be preserved for spiritual renewal. These areas will follow Pattern # 60, Accessible Green, in which open public green spaces are three minutes walk from the cabins and retreat center. The greens are “uniformly scattered at 1500-foot intervals” throughout the land (Alexander, 309). The open space is “at least 150 feet across, and at least 60,000 square feet in area” (Alexander, 309). These areas are peaceful and in touch with nature.

Natural Water Use describes the pre existing bodies of water on the site. This includes the small pond located in the northwest corner of the site, the larger pond in the western area of the site and Little Sugar Creek. According to Pattern #25, Access To Water, “preserve a belt of common land, immediately beside the water” and “treat them with great respect” (Alexander, 137). Do not build places right next to the water’s edge.


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Retreat Center is the main meeting place for guests. It can accommodate up to 200 people. The building will follow the cabin theme.

Appendix A

Acres of Land Classification Agriculture Land Use 0.39 Animal Land Use 1.05 Business Use 0.69 Cabins 1.45 Dining Hall 0.13 Forest Land Use 58.25 Historic Preservation Land Use 1.64 Institutional Land Use 0.63 Natural Water Use 2.19 Open Space Land Use 43.66 Parking 0.87 Recreation Land Use 11.52 Retreat Center 0.16 Total Acres for Camp Shalom 122.63

Appendix B

Land Use Work Sample_ErinWurfelOstgulen

Documents

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