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Lawsuit settlement offers an opportunity

By Staff | Apr 17, 2002

Settlement of a lawsuit against the county is a bitter pill for residents near Camp Gaea to swallow.

The residents and property owners near the camp, which is 10 miles north of Tonganoxie, complained last fall that they don’t want the camp operating in their neighborhood. Some officials agreed. Two of three Leavenworth County commissioners voted to reject the camp’s request for an operations permit.

But apparently the county didn’t have a legal leg to stand on, and county officials recently reached an out-of-court settlement with the not-for-profit group that owns Camp Gaea. A judge now has approved that settlement which allows continued operation of the spiritual retreat center.

Now, it seems, some healing must begin.

Admittedly, nudism and pagan rituals probably don’t appeal to everyone. They probably don’t appeal to most people.

However, the camp has a legal right to operate in Leavenworth County. So nearby property owners are faced with a choice: They can continue to steam or they can work with camp officials to find a peaceful co-existence.

It would behoove both camp officials and nearby property owners to try to work out their differences.