In 2017, the Town of Thompson purchased the former Camp Jened, a 142-acre wooded parcel with a 12-acre pond and various recreational facilities. Intending to develop the site as a community park with unique recreational resources – boating, kayaking, swimming, hiking and riding, with large common buildings that could host large-scale community events – the Town engaged Delaware Engineering to create a long-term plan for the development of the property.

During the course of the engagement, it became clear that the opportunities at Camp Jened should not be considered in a vacuum, but rather as part of the fabric of all of the locally available public parks. As a result, the study expanded to accommodate an assessment of nearby public parks in comparison to national open-space guidelines.

Delaware reviewed all existing information concerning the Camp Jened site, performed a site visit to assess the condition of existing buildings, utilized the results of an online survey of resident opinions concerning recreational needs and desires, created potential Park layouts and led public “visioning” workshops to solicit community input concerning the amenities and features that residents would like to see at the Camp property.

In conjunction with the local Parks Committee, Delaware ultimately provided the Town with a Recreation Development Plan that provides recommendations for improvements and a road map for implementation, including action items for upgrades and maintenance at the existing community parks. The Plan concluded with an initial analysis of project costs and staffing needs for the Camp property.