East Lyme ― The former Girl Scout camp overlooking Pattagansett Lake is set to become a haven for artists.

Kristi Holohan, an East Lyme-based visual artist who recently founded the Pattagansett Art Center with fellow creative William Potvin, sees the 64-acre site as a place where artists can escape the hustle and bustle of daily life to focus on their craft and well-being.

She said the transformation of existing rustic amenities into workshop space, a writers’ den, artists’ studio, gallery space, high-end tent camping and a sculpture trail could be complete by 2027 if all goes according to plan.

The proposal will get a public hearing in front of the Zoning Commission on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

A narrative submitted to the commission said the property will be leased to the center by owners Jennifer and Damian Firmenich.

Holohan said Jennifer Firmenich, who is Potvin’s sister, is a former Girl Scout who felt a connection to the property when she purchased it for $1.2 million in 2023. Former owner John Drabik had purchased it from the Girl Scouts of Connecticut almost three years prior for $843,146.

The camp served girls for more than 80 summers before it closed in 2020. The Girl Scouts organization since then has gone on to cull its holdings of 13 summer camps to six, citing a portfolio that had become too expensive to maintain.

Holohan noted there were multiple proposals for the site since the Girl Scouts moved out, including a 9-house subdivision that didn’t come to fruition.

“This is meant to be,” she said. “With the nostalgia and our connections, we are going to save as many of the buildings as possible and renovate them.”

She said a partnership with Pollinator Pathways East Lyme, Connecticut College, the FRESH New London food justice organization and the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District will bring in volunteers to develop sustainable native landscapes.

Holohan said Potvin, who is focused on the facilities upgrades while she concentrates on the administrative side of things, has been busy cleaning up the site.

Pattagansett Lake Association President Mick Byrne in a letter of support to the Zoning Commission expressed the 68-member association’s strong support for the plan.

“Their presentation described minimal changes to be made to the property beyond a general cleanup of the grounds, which have been in some decay for several years, and only restoration and upgrades to the existing buildings on the property,” he wrote.

Byrne described the arts center as a welcome addition to the waterfront community.

Art in community

Holohan said Potvin’s career has taken him across the country and around the globe as part of the music festival circuit, where his role involves building and then breaking down temporary art installations. The skill set will be evident in the proposed sculpture trail that will blend the center’s focus on immersive art and the environment.

Holohan’s experience includes leadership of a nonprofit arts collective in California’s Bay Area that bolstered the arts through education, exhibitions and popular street festivals.

“We’re kind of combining our two powers,” she said.

The center’s leadership is currently in the process of incorporating as a nonprofit entity and a land trust, according to Holohan. The official designations will help preserve the site and allow the group to apply for private, state and federal grants to support its programs.

Holohan and Potvin currently operate from New London’s Garde Arts Center, which serves as the fledgling group’s fiscal sponsor. The arrangement provides needed expertise, office space and access to donations while the duo works to become recognized as a nonprofit organization.

Garde Arts Center Executive Director Steve Sigel in a letter of support for the zoning application welcomed the new enterprise to an artistic community built on partnerships.

“PAC’s thoughtful incorporation of the camp’s former traditions exemplifies their respectful and thoughtful understanding of and commitment to this region,” he said. “They will be a welcome colleague and a wonderful addition to the rich fabric of cultural institutions in Southeastern Connecticut.”

e.regan@theday.com