Thread: Farm Island
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Old 01-05-2020, 12:07 PM   #162
FlyingScot
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Originally Posted by MikeF-NH View Post
For what its worth...I have been following this thread and have no affiliation with the camp or Mr Owen so this is pure observation....
1.) I have no doubts that Mr Owen has a checkered past with individuals on this board OR even with commercial interests around the lake. I am not so naive as to assume that developers have anything other than their own financial interests in mind.
2.) I have done some rudimentary research including reviewing the Camp Belknap website and I see nothing indicating that the camp has a legal or other claim to Farm Island. From my vantage..they appear to be squatting there.
3.) My boys enjoyed years at summer camps and I 100% support what these camps do for our boys...HOWEVER...just because of the opportunities these camps give to boys does not give them the right to squat on any land (imagine these boys playing softball in your front yard and your neighbors saying "you're a jerk for not letting them have good clean fun").
4.) these camps are about money also (or they wouldn't be in business) so lets not associate them with charity.
5.) this should be a legal question and not about how an unpopular person here benefits. The town should be deciding if the camp has a legal right to be there and if not...they should be held accountable to return the land to its pristine state and not use the property in the future. If they are legally using the property then Mr Owen should relax and watch the boys enjoying the resource.
6.) it is irrelevant if Mr Owen wants the land for his family or to subdivide as long as he has the legal right to subdivide.

All the final decisions should be made by the town and zoning board and perhaps the court systems. I guess my point is "boys should be allowed to have a good time" is not reason to allow for trespass or for any organization to be allowed to squat on private property. Them doing this previously is not license for them to continue.....all IMHO of course. I have the advantage in this situation of not knowing Mr Owen or having any interest in property on that part of the lake so this is just unbiased observation. I will go back to minding my own business.
The YMCA is not a business, it's a nonprofit dedicated to helping kids/communities. They're lucky if they can just break even each year.

We regularly debate ethical, right vs wrong issues as well as legal points on this forum.

The courts will resolve the legal issues. Until then, it's pretty tough to sympathize with Mr Owens at the expense of the kids.
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