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COPE course gets approved for Scouts

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA COURTESY PHOTO  |  Boy Scouts on a rope obstacle course.
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA COURTESY PHOTO | Boy Scouts on a rope obstacle course.

The new location of the Baiting Hollow Boy Scouts Camp’s proposed COPE course at their 90-acre camp in Baiting Hollow was approved with no opposition at the Riverhead Town Planning Board meeting Thursday.

The COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) obstacle course had met with opposition from neighbors on Silver Beech Lane after it was previously proposed for a location about 100 fee from homes there, on the eastern portion of the camp property, which stretches north from Sound Avenue.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation had initially given its approval to that site, but withdrew its supports due to DEC covenants and restrictions on what could built there and dropped its support.

The reversal came mostly as a result of the opposition from neighbors, who retained a lawyer to fight the plan.

The new location is on the western part of the Boy Scouts camp, and is more than 400 feet away from the nearest homes. The land there also doesn’t have any DEC restrictions, and thus, doesn’t need their approval.

There was no opposition at a public hearing on the new site two weeks ago.

The Planning Board approved the COPE course, which is a series of rope and wire climbing challenges, as well as a new archery pavilion at the site,  by a 3-0 vote, with board members Lou Bochetti and Joe Baier absent.

Camp Director Jim Grimaldi said earlier this year that it will cost the Scouts about $15,000 more to put the course at the new location.

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