Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge will begin its journey through the City of St. Michael government process, officially, as it proposes to take over ownership of the former Girl Scout Camp on the western shores of Lake Charlotte.
The Planning and Zoning Commission will host a public hearing at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 2 at St. Michael City Hall on the matter. Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge (formerly just Minnesota Teen Challenge) hosted an open house at city hall earlier this year to discuss the potential purchase of the girl scout camp, which was abandoned by that organization about four and a half years ago.
A DNR map of Lake Charlotte, St. Michael. The scout camp is on the left side, on the west bank of the lake.
“They’re a faith-based organization who treat kids, and adults, for various forms of addiction,” said Marc Weigle, St. Michael Economic Development Director, in a meeting with the St. Michael Economic Development Committee two weeks ago. “They would use the property, as well as the lake for various recreation activities.”
Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge operates, currently, four campuses around the state of Minnesota, with locations in Duluth, Brainerd, Minneapolis and Rochester. This new location would be a teen champ for boys who are supervised by a staff of counselors and a site director.
The scout camp is located on the west bank of the small lake. It has access to Beebe Lake Road (County Road 34) via Garrison Avenue.
The St. Michael EDC said, informally, it supported the group’s purchase of the property. Member Chuck VanHeel said he’s confident activities at the camp would be well-supervised and wouldn’t post any problem to residents on the lake.
Weigle agreed, saying Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge has a specific set of programs in mind for the location, geared toward healing the residents there.