Meeting House remodeling begins
The first of three projects for improving the Meeting House -- renovation of the kitchen -- has begun. All contents of the kitchen were removed February 12 by volunteers so that new cupboards, counter tops, doors, and windows could be installed. The project is being overseen by Wendy Burns and Tamara de la Camp, who expect it to be completed by April 1.Two other projects were also approved at a congregational meeting January 22. Dates have not yet been determined for construction of a new stage and related choir risers, headed by Jeanne Gayler. At the congregational meeting, some church members objected to the "assist ramp" aspect of the stage design, so that feature was reviewed later by the full Committee and confirmed as proposed.
The Commons project, headed by Doug MacCleery, will not begin until January 2013 because it requires additional planning and approvals from Fairfax County. The combined set of projects will be managed by the Meeting House Improvements Committee under supervision of the Board of Trustees. Funds on hand – which were contributed by members and friends to the 2004 capital campaign -- are somewhat less than the total needed for the three projects, but the Committee expects that additional funds, sufficient to complete the projects, will become available from members who have not yet paid all of their pledges from that campaign.
To get involved in the planning, contact Al Robbert, aarobbert@comcast.net, 703-299-9892.
What the project includes
· Enlarging the Commons by moving the entrance and surrounding window-walls about 25 feet closer to the parking lot.
· New carpeting.
· A different interior roof treatment to improve acoustics.
·
Installation of sprinklers for fire protection
(explained below).
Why this is needed
Beginning with surveys conducted by the Long-Range Planning Committee in the 1990s, church members consistently named the crowded, noisy Commons as highest priority for improvement. Accordingly, the plan developed by architects Cole & Denny included an expanded Commons. The current proposal, adapted by the architects from their original design, calls for the Commons to be approximately as shown in that 2006 plan. Because the more elaborate new entrance shown in that plan will not be built at this time, the current proposal calls for an entrance similar in size to the present one but this time with an added roofline consistent with design of the existing wings.
What will be done
A drawing showing the approximate floor plan of the enlarged Commons is shown on the next page. The design would expand the Commons floor area by 60-70% from about 990 sq. ft. to about 1650 sq. ft. With new carpeting throughout and with acoustical treatment of the ceiling, it will be a quieter, more attractive space for meetings and social activities, especially the social time before and after Sunday services.
Sprinklers
In fall 2007 we were informed that if we were to proceed with our remodeling project we would have to install sprinklers throughout the entire building. The ruling was issued by the office of the Fairfax County Fire Marshall because of low water pressure and water flow on the hill. If we now proceed with this much smaller project, we will request a waiver of the ruling with the provision that we will install sprinklers only in the Commons (both the new and old sections).
Estimated cost
A very rough estimated cost for the Commons extension is
$400,000. If we are unable to obtain a
waiver of the sprinklering requirement, the costs could increase substantially
(by perhaps $50,000 or more).
A presentation with conceptual drawings is available here.
Remodeling of the Meeting House Kitchen
Tamara de la Camp & Wendy Burns
What the project includes
· Reconfiguring the kitchen to improve usability of the space; increase storage space; update equipment, cabinetry, countertops, and flooring; and adding a pass-through window to the patio to improve accessibility and introduce more light and a connection to nature.
· Living within existing kitchen footprint while improving appearance and usability.
· Introduces several significant improvements—pocket doors, roller windows to replace current shutters between kitchen/office and Commons, and a pass-through window to the patio.
·
Harmonizes with the plan for a new Commons.
Why this
is needed
The kitchen sees constant use on Sundays, for special events, rentals, and during the week by church staff, volunteers, members, and others. The current kitchen has served us well but now, in 2011, the cabinetry is outdated and failing in several key locations, flooring and countertops are worn, and a reallocation of space is called for. The current proposal calls for reconfiguring the space to improve usability, increase storage space, and eliminate double hung doors that impede ability to use the Kitchen, Reception Area, and the Commons. In developing our plan, we have consulted with many stakeholders and incorporated their ideas into the plan. We will meet with them again, prior to construction – ET kitchen crew, staff, Sunday coffee hour makers, Volunteer Receptionists, and those of us who often help with cleanup at special events.
A presentation that includes the new kitchen design is available here.
The design reconfigures the
existing space to accomplish the following objectives:
· Replace double-hung doors that impinge upon storage and usability with pocket-doors.
· Replace worn, dated, and in some places no longer functional cabinetry, flooring, and countertops.
· Eliminate several traffic bottlenecks.
· Open the kitchen onto the patio with a pass-through window above the current sink.
$67,000 (including cabinets, counter tops, appliances, and construction costs)
Estimated cost $52,000 + lighting $2,000
(See conceptual model, drawing, designer’s notes)
Purpose: To redress deficiencies of current stage
by improving the following 12 components
- Safety - Disability access - Storage
- Acoustics - Lighting - Air flow
- Deficit of use - Integration of all elements - Adaptability
- Mobility for speakers - Accessibility - Attractiveness
·
Safety – Build a solid new stage devoid of instability
and squeakiness. Install guard rails at both ends of stage for safety. Build
wider steps all along front of stage for safety.
·
Acoustics
– Construct a backdrop of wooden arches to match existing ones, creating a
band- shell effect that reflects and projects sound toward congregation.
·
Deficit
of use – Enlarge present 12’ stage to 39’ wide and deepen new stage from 8’
to 16’, providing ample space for plays, bands, weddings, holiday activities,
etc.
·
Mobility
of speakers – Enlarged stage allows speakers to move around rather than be
immobilized.
·
Disability
access – Provide assist-ramp for disabled. (Optional: increases cost.)
·
Lighting –
Already the Aesthetics Committee in partnership with the Property Committee has
more than doubled the brightness of the chapel with a new system of perimeter
lighting. Importantly, the newly installed dimmers provide lighting control for
dinners, dances, presentations, etc. The
stage itself will be backlit for dramatic effect.
·
Integration
of all elements – All components would be combined into a holistic panorama:
25-30 choir members, the minister, lectern, chalice, flowers, speakers and
stage furnishings. Another dividend of the double steps allows the children to
sit on the wide steps during story time, thereby becoming part of the tableau.
·
Accessibility
to stage – Presently we have a single narrow set of stairs to access stage.
The new wide, double steps allow for 39 feet of access to stage, all
along the front.
·
Storage –
The new curved design of the stage allows for storage of chairs behind both
ends.
·
Air flow –
Currently the two draperies cover the registers. We propose to extend the ducts
underneath the stage, to the front of stage for increased air flow.
·
Adaptability
– The new stage is designed with a removable third choir tier to create a
flat stage when needed.
·
Attractiveness
– Essentially we could all enjoy a more commodious, comfortable,
professional and attractive setting for a multitude of activities – one vision,
rather than a patchwork of visuals. And safer.
Statistics
- Scale of model: one inch equals 2 feet
- Width of new stage is 39 feet wide and 16 feet deep at widest end. Height is 2 feet.
- Congregational seating is unchanged
- The stage is designed to be permanent. It was originally designed to be moveable, but those who have labored with the present stage advise that the heavy lifting and disentanglement of electric wires and cables, moving sound equipment, then reassembling same is not worth the effort.
Background
In the fall of 2004, MVUC conducted a capital campaign that produced
commitments of about $1,280,000, of which over $1,000,000 has been collected.
In 2006 the congregation approved plans for an addition to the Meeting House
and other improvements. The construction approved in 2006 (substantially
reduced from the more comprehensive design that had been the basis for the
capital campaign) included a greatly expanded commons, a new entryway with
larger cloakrooms, a new nursery, and renovated offices, kitchen, and
restrooms. In accord with the motion passed by the Congregation, over half of
the Building Fund was used for renovation of Hollin Hall and other expenses,
including fees for preparation of construction documents and County approvals. The
remaining $468,000 is invested pending further action. In 2007 the Board
realized that our budget could not be stretched to cover debt service on the
required mortgage. Accordingly, the building project was put on hold.
In 2009 several congregational
meetings were held to explore the feasibility of restarting the building
process. It was decided then that we should have at least two very successful
stewardship campaigns before we could consider restarting the process.
Unfortunately, while we got good results in the spring 2010 stewardship
campaign, falling wedding revenues due to the economic recession created an
unexpected hole in our budget. The fall 2010 Revisit Campaign filled that hole,
but did not provide enough of a cushion to allow us to take on debt service at
that time.
At
the Congregational Meeting in May 2011, members indicated in a straw poll that,
rather than further postponing the full building program approved in 2006, we
should consider three smaller-scale improvement projects: extension and
remodeling of the Commons, renovation of the Kitchen, and construction of a new
stage in the Chapel. These projects would achieve
several aspects of the more extensive building plans without incurring a large
debt. If approved at the January 22
meeting, remodeling of the Commons is scheduled to begin a year later in
January 2013.
Financing
MVUC is facing a deficit in our operating budget, primarily
due to slump in rental income. Although this is serious, the Building Fund
cannot and should not be used to offset operating budget deficits. That would
break faith with those who contributed to the Building Fund in the 2004
campaign and are expecting the money to be used for that purpose.
Stage 54,000
Kitchen 67,000
Commons 400,000
Sprinklers (worst case) 50,000
Total $571,000
Cash on hand in Building Fund 468,000
Balance remaining on pledges 170,000
Total
$638,000
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