Twin Rocks Friends Camp’s Board of Directors recently finalized a new Master Plan that lays out a vision for the camp over the next several decades.

The Master Plan consists of two major components: Ministry Plan and Site Plan:

MINISTRY PLAN

The Ministry Plan is a central guide to Twin Rocks’ future direction, but it contains very few surprises. The Twin Rocks Board has largely chosen a “stay-the-course” approach toward future ministry.

Mission & Core Values. The mission of Twin Rocks Friends Camp & Conference Center is to use God’s creation and a Christ-centered environment to promote personal and spiritual growth. Twin Rocks accomplishes its mission through a commitment to the following core values: (1) Christ-Centered Camping, (2) Serenity, (3) Leadership Development, (4) Community-building, (5) Excellence, and (6) Fun & Safety.

The mission and core values were formally adopted by Twin Rocks Friends Conference Association in September 2005. They are seen as being consistent with the historic purposes of Twin Rocks, and fully relevant for its future.

• Constituents. Twin Rocks’ primary constituents are the approximately 30 Friends churches in Western Oregon and Southwest Washington that collectively own the camp. Secondarily, Twin Rocks serves other evangelical Christian churches/organizations, as well as secular groups of a non-profit and/or educational nature.
• Ages Served. Twin Rocks desires to continue serving all age groups, providing programs, facilities, and amenities that successfully meet the needs of children, youth, adults, and families.
• Program. Historically, Twin Rocks has programmed camps and retreats for the Friends denomination, while providing the facility, food, and recreational infrastructure for dozens of groups each year who rent the camp for their own programs. In future years, Twin Rocks will continue this same pattern, but will gradually expand its slate of fully-programmed camps and retreats (and likely target some of these less-exclusively toward Friends). Specific emphases will be placed on programs that emphasize the camp’s core values.
• Size. Twin Rocks wants to maintain and enhance its overall sense of serenity. Any expansion will be limited to what can be added in a comfortable, aesthetic manner that ensures a sense of peaceful retreat. To effectively meet the needs of its current and future camps, some growth will be necessary. Ultimately, Twin Rocks will likely have 425 beds on its 120-acre main camp (up from the current 320 beds) and 50 beds at its beachside Harbor Villa Retreat Center (the same as now).
• Maintenance. Twin Rocks’ ministry effectiveness is contingent upon well-maintained facilities. Keeping current facilities in top working condition will take priority over new facility development.
  

 

(Click here to download an easier-to-read version of this Site Plan Map.)

SITE PLAN

Twin Rocks Friends Camp & Conference Center worked with architects from Fletemeyer & Lee Associates, Inc. to develop a Master Site Plan that sets the course for the camp’s long-term future.  This plan provides the backbone infrastructure to future development.  It will be subject to significant change and modification – especially in its later years, but it is expected that this Master Site Plan will provide Twin Rocks a basic roadmap for the years ahead.

Key Master Site Plan Components:

• Keep Camp in Top Condition.  The overall condition of Twin Rocks Friends Camp is great, but there has been a tendency for the camp to defer routine maintenance tasks, allowing some facilities to dip below acceptable standards.  Better attention to upkeep will be required in the days ahead.  Seven of the ‘Cabins of the Trees’ are currently in need of major overhauling.  Timely replacements of mattresses, docks, ovens, carpets, vehicles and other such items will be necessary if Twin Rocks is to be kept in top condition.

• Create Green Spaces that Promote Connectedness, Serenity & Safety.  At the core of Twin Rocks’ new Master Site Plan is a Greenbelt – a meandering grassy area that serves as the central connecting point of camp, creating wonderful spaces for relaxation and fellowship.  The center of camp will shift further from Highway 101.  The Cabins of the Trees and the Athletic Field – previously disconnected from the rest of camp – will open onto this pedestrian-friendly Greenbelt, as will Hadley Hall, the Cabins of the Meadow, the Dining Center, and the Shelter Recreation Center.  To create the Greenbelt:

• Sections of shrubbery will be removed and grass planted.
• Existing roads will be re-routed outside the center of camp, around the Greenbelt’s perimeter. 
• RV and parking spaces will be relocated to the perimeter.
• Maintenance facilities and staff homes will be moved out of the camp’s center – to a parcel of camp-owned property south of Watseco Creek.
• The “Hadley Hall courtyard” will be dramatically improved by eliminating gravel, creating a sound-reducing wall that separates the courtyard from Highway 101, and adding an outdoor amphitheater.

 

• Expand Recreation & Nature-Focused Options.  Continue to enhance the camp’s emphases on the out-of-doors:

• Construct a lookout tower atop Charlotte’s Mountain.
• Create an “activity room” at Harbor Villa Retreat Center.
• Install a large swimming pool with a sloping, beach-style entry – complete with waterslide and ‘Blob.’
• Construct a zipline and a challenge course.
• Create several outdoor education stations at key locations in camp (forest, lake, stream, etc.)

 

• Create Top-Notch Cabins.  Twin Rocks will continue to offer cabins that work multi-functionally well for youth camps, adult conferences, family camps, and couples retreats.  To accomplish this:

• Several Cabins of the Trees will be retrofitted to a more couples-friendly design.
• Three deteriorating cabins (Kilchis, Quechua and Aymara) will be removed.
• A new “Quadplex”-style cabin will be introduced.  Each Quadplex will accommodate two groups of 8 campers (plus counselor), or 4 couples/families.
• Upgrade and expand the Cabins of the Meadow to alleviate overcrowding at existing camps/retreats.  Several Quadplex cabins will be used in this area, and porches will be added to the remaining Cabins of the Meadow.
• A new cluster of Quadplex cabins will be constructed south of the miniature golf course to reduce overcrowding in Hadley Hall.

 

• Expand Motel-Style Accommodations.  To meet the needs of adult and family groups, more motel-style housing will be offered, complete with bed linens and towels:

• Expand Pacific Woods Lodge from its existing 16 rooms to 24.
• Convert Hadley Hall into a motel-style facility – its bed & breakfast-style architecture will make this an appealing upscale facility.

 

• Comfortably Accommodate Large Camps.  Due to a lack of bed space, many campers and counselors are currently forced to sleep on the floor during large camps and retreats held at Twin Rocks.  Similarly, the camp’s Dining Center and Meetinghouse (chapel) are too small for several of Twin Rocks’ current camps.  Twin Rocks needs to expand its facilities to meet the needs of its current and future campers:

• An expansion of the 318-bed main camp is needed.  A 456-bed “maximum build-out” plan is shown in this diagram, though a smaller capacity may eventually be settled upon.
• The Dining Center will need to be expanded to seat as many as 500 people, and be configured to more efficiently accommodate multiple groups of campers.
• Construct a new Chapel facility on the greenbelt (giving a larger alternative to the 300-bed Meetinghouse).
• Create a meeting room in close proximity to each cluster of cabins.
• Enhance Harbor Villa Retreat Center by expanding Anchorage and Lighthouse meeting rooms to accommodate up to 50 people (equivalent to Harbor Villa’s current bed capacity).

 

Phase 1 – 2007-2009

The Master Site Plan provides the central framework for the future of Twin Rocks Friends Camp.  Its full implementation will likely cost $10-15 million and perhaps require 30 years to accomplish.  Therefore, over time the Plan’s details may deviate from its original concept – but the basic Master Plan model is expected to remain constant.

The Next Three Years.  Twin Rocks plans to focus its immediate efforts in several key areas – most notably implementing the initial portion of the Greenbelt that is so central to the Master Plan.

CREATE GREEN SPACES – Phase 1:

• Initial Greenbelt Established.  A greenway corridor will be created stretching from the Cabins of the Trees to the Cabins of the Meadow, and east to the Athletic Field.  Fire pits, picnic tables, patios, and camp games will be placed in strategic locations to provide the beginnings of the Greenbelt.
• Roadways Re-Located.  Roads that currently run through the center of camp will be replaced by a road that runs along the camp’s perimeter.  The new 2-lane road will be paved, reducing the gravel-causing dust that has tended to cloud the camp in years past.
• Parking Re-Located.  A new parking lot to the east of the Cabins of the Trees will enable these cabins to become vehicle-free, with the area between the cabins replaced by sidewalks, attractive landscaping and a fire circle.  Parking for Recreational Vehicles (RVs) will also be moved to the camp’s perimeter.

CREATE (& RETAIN) TOP-NOTCH CABINS – Phase 1:

• Cabins of the Trees Renovations.  Three of the camp’s Cabins of the Trees will receive major upgrades.  These cabins, constructed in the 1970s and 1980s, need an in depth overhaul to bring them into a more pleasant condition.   
• Aymara Cabin Removed.  To make room for the Greenbelt, the 1940s-era Aymara cabin has recently been removed.
• Quadplex Cabin Constructed.  The first Quadplex cabin will be constructed, replacing Aymara.  This cabin will accommodate two 8-person camper groups (plus counselor) or 4 couples/families, and be placed next to the existing Cammack Cabin.

KEEP CAMP IN TOP CONDITION – Phase 1:

• Capital Improvement Funds.  Several thousand dollars will be set aside each year to provide timely camp upkeep, such as replacing worn out carpet, linoleum, mattresses, ovens, and other such items.
• Dining Center Noise Reduction.  Efforts will be made to enhance the peacefulness of the camp’s Dining Center by reducing the noise level in this facility.