An Issue In Deed
Both Sides State Cases Regarding Camp Menatomy’s Future
MEREDITH — Former campers have joined the Meredith Neck and Islands Alliance and other Lakes Region residents in opposing the proposed sale of the Camp Menatomy property at 386 Meredith Neck Road to a developer who hopes to build lakeside residences there. Beyond seeking to preserve the pristine nature of the 95-acre shoreline property, opponents point to the the original deed, recorded in 1962, that seeks to preserve its function as a campground.
The Camp Menotomy Trust, a tax-exempt Massachusetts organization that owns the property, has been leasing it to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts for $1 a year. The Girl Scouts no longer intend to rent the property due to declining interest since the COVID-19 pandemic and because of the rustic nature of the campground.
The terms of the deed specify that the property can be sold only if the Arlington Girl Scouts or their successor, or another organization, does not wish to “hire the camp grounds for camping purposes, and if no other organization can be found to utilize the site for camping purposes….” The proceeds of any sale must benefit the Girl Scouts of Arlington.
In the trustees’ most recent filing with the Internal Revenue Service (the 2024 990EZ, dated November 13, 2025), the trust lists total assets of $102,119, valuing the land and buildings at $87,000.
The form goes on to state, “The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, Inc. is the successor in interest to the supported organization (trust beneficiary) named in the governing document, which was the Girl Scouts of Arlington.” The statement goes on to say, “The organization provides access to a campsite to the supported organization for a $1 per year triple net lease. Such lease has been determined to have a fair market value of at least $300,000.”
A triple net lease is an agreement in which the tenant agrees to cover both the rent and any ongoing expenses on a property.