What are we planning to build at this time?

Based on the priorities developed by our congregation, the Building Committee is working with the architect to design an expanded space that will include a new and expanded Fellowship Hall combined with flexible Christian Education classroom space, a new nursery adjacent to the Sanctuary, a new expanded kitchen, a music practice room that will also be used as a meeting room and a couple of storage rooms.

Are any renovations being considered for the Sanctuary?

We have asked the architect look at future modifications to the Sanctuary in relationship to the new Fellowship Hall space; however, no substantial modifications are being proposed at this time. This was done for two reasons:

1) We want to make sure that the new Fellowship Hall will not preclude a future expansion of the Sanctuary if it is something the congregation desires and
2) We wanted to find out if there is a way that the seating can be expanded in the Sanctuary in the near term without altering the walls or layout of the Sanctuary as it is currently configured.

The answer to the second question was a yes, and we've provided information to the Trustees so that they can consider moving some equipment from the back of the Sanctuary to other spots and have a few new pews built. There may also be some additional room up front. The total increase in seating capacity may be around 20 persons.

The one minor modification to the Sanctuary that will likely be recommended is to replace the existing single door exiting towards the Social Hall with a double door to minimize bottlenecks. The door modification may also be required for fire code regulations based on the renovations to the existing Social Hall.

Has a basement or second floor been considered for the new building?

Yes. What we have learned is that it more cost effective to build on the ground level since we own our land and can expand out rather than down or up. If we build a second floor, we'd have the cost of an elevator and one or two stairs which would reduce available floor space for a given cost. A full basement would be nice to have for a future expansion; however, the cost for the basement walls would take away from the funds we have available to create usable space on the ground floor.

How does the cost of our proposed building addition fit in with other construction?

Since the design at this point is conceptual, we don't know the quantity of materials that will be going into the construction, so the architect has used a ballpark cost which is based on the area of the new floor space. To generate their 2004 cost estimate, Centerbrook assumed moderate costs knowing that our congregation did not want something extravagant. The architects are having two contractors put together a more detailed cost estimate for an all-church hearing based on conceptual architectural and engineering information. These costs should give us a better handle on what we can expect, and will allow us to make adjustments to bring costs in line with what we feel we can afford.

Our general goal is to maximize new space so that we don't under build and aren't looking to build another addition in 20 years. We may have to trade off on amenities inside the building to get the floor space we want. It is assumed that amenities can be added over time more easily than it would be to add an extra 500 square feet of floor space.

What are we planning to do with the Parking Lot?

We are planning to improve the parking lot by putting down crushed stone and may consider lighting and planters for safety as well as to better define parking spaces. Ideally, traffic would come in and out of the parking lot as close to Hebron Avenue as possible since it is difficult for cars coming up the hill on Meeting House Road to see cars entering and exiting our parking lot. Expansion into the back meadow may also be considered for additional parking spaces.

What will happen to the Garage?

Currently, we are planning to keep the Garage where it stands as it is an important storage space for our Women's Fellowship, as well as the outbuilding which houses the water pump for the Parish House.

When will we be breaking ground and when will the building be completed?

We are planning to break ground in early Summer 2007, with construction lasting about one year. The architects and engineers will have finalized their conceptual designs by early October, followed by a presentation to the congregation at the hearing on October 22nd. This will be followed by further development of the design with an increasing level of detail, commencing with construction documents that are scheduled to be completed by March 2007. The project will then be advertised, and bidding and negotiating is planned to occur in April and May of 2007.

How will this project be funded?

The project will be funded first through monies raised by our Capital Campaign. We have exceeded our goal of $500,000, with a few outstanding pledges still expected to come in. Since projected costs are expected to be closer to $1 million, we will consider and vote as a congregation at the Annual Meeting on November 5th on how to fund the difference through use of our church endowment (which is approximately $400,000) and a mortgage.

How can I help?

Here's a top ten list of ways you can help with the building project:

1. Pray for God's guidance to be with us, our architects and engineers during design.
2. Pray for God's support during construction for the safety of the workers and a smooth trouble-free process.
3. Come to the October 22nd hearing to hear the presentation by the architect on the updated layout for the building addition and renovation.
4. Come to vote for the building program and funding at the Annual Meeting on November 5th.
5. Ask questions of the building committee and share your ideas and dreams for this project.
6. Identify potential contractors and subcontractors to bid on our project.
7. Identify suppliers that are willing to donate building materials or to sell them to us at a reduced rate.
8. Park in the Church's parking lot, rather than on Route 85 for your safety and to avoid a need for a traffic study (which will add cost to the project).
9. If you have made a pledge to the building program already, please make your contributions as soon as you are able.
10. If you haven't made a pledge, please contribute to the building program.