The Marist Brothers organization is asking the court to agree with their position that they are exempt from property taxation based on their non-profit status and charitable status. The Town of Effingham says the camp’s purposes are unduly broad, its programs are not sufficiently different from those offered by for-profit youth camps, and the volume of scholarships provided to families in need is “unremarkable.”
Carroll County Independent
Ossipee Lake Flooding is a Real Problem, Not “Overblown”
The campground’s cavalier treatment of the facts about flooding on Ossipee Lake should have officials on high alert.
Region Residents Express Concerns About Westward Shores Expansion
On July 5 people from across the region got to weigh in on the application at a planning board hearing that attracted about 65 people. There were comments about the impact the expansion could have on the lake water quality, economic impact, and safety, but the focus was mainly on the expansion onto the peninsula. That expansion includes just 15 of the proposed 246 new sites. The campground, located off Route 16 on Newman Drew Road in West Ossipee currently has 258 sites.
Ossipee Planning Board Determines Westward Shores Has Regional Impact
The towns of Freedom and Effingham and the Lakes Region Planning Commission have been granted abutter status and will be permitted to comment on the expansion proposal. The Planning Board also mandated a third-party independent review of the expansion application, to be paid for by the campground, to make sure the application meets the town’s zoning ordinance.
Westward Shores Responds, Newspaper Responds Back
In two long letters to the Carroll County Independent, the attorney for Westward Shores Campground says alleged misrepresentations to Ossipee officials by his client were actually the result of incomplete meeting minutes and inaccurate reporting. In an editorial response, the newspaper says it stands by its reporting and reiterates its recommendation that extra care be taken to assess the expansion proposal “openly and with care.”