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BUILDING PROJECT PROGRESS
In May 2007, after much preliminary research, the members of UUCE voted overwhelmingly to search and plan for a new church site (either an existing building or a totally new site where we can build). The newly created Building Project Oversight Committee and its five working groups assumed the responsibility for carrying out that decision.
More information is available in the current Q&A and in the Table of Contents to the left. You may offer your comments to the project leaders at NewHome@uueugene.org
What Comes Next in 2010?
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Town Hall Meeting
BUILDING PROJECT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (BPOC)
Sunday, February 8, 2009 12:30 PM - Church Sanctuary
PRESENT: The following members of the Building Project Oversight Committee (BPOC) attended the Town Hall: Karen Gaffney, George Carroll, Jet Harris, Kathy Thomas, and David Gilmartin. David DeCou was out of town on business. Eighty (80) members of the congregation.
OVERVIEW: Karen Gaffney reviewed the proposed agenda for the meeting and explained how we had gotten to this point. This included formation of five working groups under the BPOC umbrella, listening sessions, town hall meetings, converations relating to values followed by joint meetings of the working groups to prioritize the values and a discussion of tradeoffs and links for the values.
In investigating properties, a two tier system was used:
Tier #1 - Location, Availability, Suitability, and Affordability. If those were met, then one or more values in Tier #2 would be considered.
Tier #2 - Social Justice (accessibility, fit with neighborhood, etc.), Environmental, Transportation/Green, Security, Aesthetics and Visibility.
PROPERTY SEARCH: Jet Harris and Judy Sawyer gave an overview of the process used by the Property Search Working Group, which included running an ad in the Register-Guard, contacting the City of Eugene, 4-J School District, and sending a letter to 140 churches in the Eugene/Springfield area asking if they had plans to put any property on the market. They followed up on leads given by members of the church or properties they had seen that looked interesting by going to the tax office and researching statistics on approximately 250 properties. They did on site inspections on the following number of properties that met Tier #1 values:
West 11th - 3
South Eugene 4
East Eugene 2
North Eugene (River Road/Coberg Road) 5
Central Eugene 3
Springfield 2
Glenwood - investigated extensively.
They made offers on two properties - one still has potential, the other was taken off the market soon after our offer was given. There are still three properties under consideration but the largest obstacle is PRICE. It is a roadblock.
FINANCE AND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN: George Carroll explained how the Finance Committee, using a rule of thumb, had projected that we might be able to raise $2 million from the congregation, sell our present property for $1 Million, and Borrow $500,000. Based on those early projections, it was anticipated that we could afford a property costing $3-4 Million. They did a survey of local and national banks to see if they would loan $500,000. The only bank that was really helpful was Selco.
It was determined by the Finance Working Group that an existing building would probably be more viable because some improvements could be deferred. One of the things considered in looking at properties was being sure there was a high standard of construction and maintenance. New construction is very expensive. John Wagner was brought on board by this group because of his background, and a workbook from the Unitarian Univeralist Association was used. The Capital Campaign group is all set and ready to go. They have talked with consultant Agnes Sweeney who will interview the congregation once there is a viable property to see what level of donations can be expected. So far the Capital campaign fund has $159,500 which will be helpful in funding an architect and the consultant. The Capital Campaign Group has been mothballed until a property is approved by the congregation.
CURRENT FOCUS: Karen Gaffney, Jet Harris from BPOC and John Wagner and Mary Otten of the Board of Directors have been authorized by the board to oversee negotiations and represent those two groups. The next piece of the puzzle is:
Find a property
BPOC make recommendation to the Board
Get approval from BPOC and Board
Make an Offer
Get Agreement
Have 120 day period of due diligence so congregation can have full
disclosure, plenty of time to tour, discuss and make up their mind,
and determine financing.
Vote of congregation.
QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Kay Crider thanked the BPOC and all the working groups for the thoroughness of their work so far. There was applause.
Q: Harlean Richardson: Have commercial properties been researched? She referenced the recent article in the Register-Guard about the number of properties near downtown which are empty and for sale.
A: Yes. Extensive review of commercial properties was done. Commercial
is more expensive per square foot, especially downtown, and everything checked so far has been out of our price range.
Q: Jeanne-Marie Moore - A lot of energy has been put into trying to have it so we can all be together in one service. How about considering having one service at 10 AM each week at LCC and using classrooms for RE ?
A. The charge for BPOC is to find a new property. The Board is responsible for making decisions about services, whether to rent, etc. BPOC is trying to stay focused on property search.
Q. Susan Verner. How recent are observations now that market values have dropped?
A. We are working with commercial broker John Brown and he has indicated that many property owners are hunkering down to wait out the bad economy.
Q. Victoria Bernuth. She recently returned from Southern California and had visited a congregation that was utilizing a strip mall space that had been retrofitted for their needs. They bought one building for services and rent another for RE. Has that kind of building been considered?
A. Yes. John Brown has a working knowledge of commercial properties and has looked into that kind of property. John Wagner stated that sellers are holding back and our ability to raise money is also an issue.
Q. Mark Koenig. Has co-ownership been considered?
A. Yes, but nothing has come to us so far.
Q. Erik Troberg. What are specifics on properties still pending?
A. Events beyond our control on one and the others are not that far along
in our research.
Q. Al Landy. Is there any chance of renovating our present building?
A. It is possible, but it would take a congregational vote since we voted to seek a new property.
Q. Rick Berry - is in commercial real estate. Stated that Eugene has lost its first tier employers and the second tier has started to crumble. He doesn’t feel we have seen the end of major job loss.
Q. Craig Thorsen. Have you considered property exchanges?
A. Yes.
Q. Ruth Duemler. Have we considered sharing a property?
A. We presently use this property extensively all week. If this is to be considered it would be a board decision, not BPOC.
Q. Jack Stevens. Have we considered properties not on the market?
A. Yes, we went through every area of town, whether it was on the market or not.
Q. Marina McIntire. Are people supposed to openly talk about properties under consideration?
A. No. Rumors and speculation result in higher price. We need to lock in a price before openly speaking about it.
Q. Brian Lewis. Is simple majority or 2/3rds vote required to approve a property?
A. Double quorum, simple majority.
Q. Brian Lewis. Has there been interest in this building?
A. It is not on the market, but the BPOC/Board group has authority to show it. Nothing yet. We are open to offers but we are not on the market.
Q. Mark Koenig - He missed past town hall meetings and would like to have experienced the discussions. Is new to the church. Where can he find background information?
A. Look at the notes that are in the BPOC archives on the church website. The February listening group notes have early discussions. The Dreamcatcher discussions are also on the website. BPOC has talked about the information being stale.
Q. Rick Berry. Talked of the fiduciary duty of realtors on both sides of the process and asked whether the negotiating team has negotiating experience.
A. The background experience of various BPOC and Capital Campaign Committee members was outlined. John Wagner and Jet Harris in particular have that experience.
Q. Rick Berry. Do we still have ability to get credit?
A. SELCO has not indicated anything different.
Meeting adjourned at 1:40 PM - Judie Hansen
THE FOLLOWING WERE COLLECTED ON CARDS:
In these “economic downturn” times. How can we take on this economic burden as we are seeing a downturn in pledge payments. Can we afford a new building now? What about shoring up our building for now and have three services - one in the evening?
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I feel that the economy will greatly influence our ability to afford a property - and that those resources may be needed to support members of the congregation with drastic financial needs - do we need to re-think our priorities?
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Is the area now in the news re: a skating facility, even a slim possibility? How about commercial or industrial sites? Two services meet the needs of some families or individuals. The mall suggestion has merit (Phyllis Peara)
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Are we going to buy a property which already is built or do we have to build it?
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Yes, very good presentation!!
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Just a thought - with school districts and city-county budgets being very tight now. It might be worth asking again if they have recently or might soon be selling any properties.
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If the City of Eugene moves City Hall elsewhere, would the current City Hall be a new home for UUCE? We could bring in lots of revenue renting out parking spaces Monday-Friday 9-5. (Audrey Maslin)
May 19, 2008 UpDate
~ As we move into June and conclude our programs for this church year, let’s take stock of what we’ve accomplished. We’ve voted to find a new home, we’ve examined our shared values, we’ve looked all around the area for properties, and we’ve held listening groups to hear what UUCErs think about all this. That’s a lot done in a short time!
~ Last month our real estate negotiating team began negotiations with another party in the local area. It’s now apparent that this process will not move along quickly, if at all. We are, in fact, currently at an impasse. It’s entirely likely that we may have to consider other properties over the course of the summer. Since we’re now unable to announce a new site, we have no choice but to counsel patience. We know that all UUCErs are disappointed, but we also know that you understand just how important it is that we protect your best interests. Meanwhile, our congregational transition process will continue over the summer.
~ We UUs are well known for our fierce independent thought in matters theological. Even so, we’re entirely confident in claiming that our faith runs deep--in the matter of real estate! Your church will persevere, we will prosper, and eventually we will prevail. Our denomination is full of churches who have done so, who have leapt over obstacle after obstacle, only to find themselves in a better space, both physical and spiritual. You may see some examples of this peculiarly UU form of persistence at
~~~~~ http://www.uueugene.org/building-proj/OtherUUChurches.pdf
~ If there is news to report over the summer, it will reach you through church announcements, the newsletter, the various listservs to which you may subscribe, and on our website.
~ So please pay attention, light candles or barbeque grills or both, and know that you are in capable and enthusiastic hands. We are confident, and so is our realtor, that our own special UU version of The Good News will come in the near future!
--Communications & PR Working Group of the Building Project Oversight Committee
Please don’t speculate or pass along rumors. Such actions, while tempting, make thoughtful consideration of the property more difficult. Once the Board and the BPOC have agreed on a property, you will be given many opportunities to consider, tour, discuss and vote on it. In the meantime, please give us the time and confidentiality we need to serve you.
~~ Our recent successful ministerial search showed that our democratic process is really pretty good when given the chance! We truly appreciate your cooperation.
~~ ~~ -- The Communications & PR Working Group of the BPOC
Values Conversation
March 2008
..... On March 16th, a beautiful spring afternoon, about 80 UUCErs participated in a spirited Town Hall meeting, sponsored by the Building Project Oversight Committee (BPOC). There was lots of excitement thinking about our church’s upcoming move, but there was, too, genuine concern about value tradeoffs, keeping faith with our mission, and taking on debt (pdf).
..... Here’s a brief recap of this informative session. Most importantly, we have a process in place and it’s clicking along. The BPOC consists of several working groups whose goal is to make our new church a reality. To that end, the Financial Group assessed eight lending institutions and chose two for UUCE to work with—SELCO and Pacific Continental Bank. With a working budget of $3 to $4 million, we may need a mortgage, so we want to be ready.
..... We are hoping that the Property Search group will soon offer a site to the Board of Trustees, who will evaluate it carefully, and then decide about referring it to the congregation. If the Board does, there will be plenty of time for inspection and discussion, with UUCErs voting the site up or down on May 18th. If the vote is affirmative, fundraising for the new site will begin next fall, led by the Capital Campaign folks. Throughout this complicated process, your church is being advised by a consultant from the Unitarian Universalist Association, who will guide us through a financial feasibility study.
..... After the review, the Shared Values/Property Search working group (now merged) presented three scenarios for UUCErs to consider. The purpose of discussing these “reality-based but not entirely real” sites (pdf) was to evaluate how each would reflect our UU values, keeping in mind four essential factors—location, availability, suitability, and affordability. Using data culled from February’s listening groups, the group analyzed issues UUCErs felt were important: varying degrees of community visibility, overall environmental impact, opportunities for social justice, spiritual aesthetics, and security. These imaginary sites broke down to three regions of Eugene--west, central, and south. Each area has obvious advantages and disadvantages and some not so obvious.
..... To continue to offer your Values and Concerns as begun at the March 16, 2008, Town Hall meeting, use NewHome@uueugene.org. See the starred pages above to review the congregation's previous work so we don't repeat issues which have already been decided much earlier in the process.
November 2007
Who's doing what? (These change over time)
>>>>Building Project Oversight Committee (BPOC): Erik Fisher, Dave DeCou, Patti Hansen, George Carroll, Karen Gaffney (Chair).
..... The BPOC will coordinate, facilitate and oversee the efforts of the "working groups" responsible for the tasks required to move us from where we are today to setting up church in our new home. BPOC members will serve two-year terms, staggering half the terms to end one year and the other half to end the following year. To facilitate communication and completion of all the necessary tasks, each member of the BPOC will serve on a working group.
>>>>Communications and Public Relations WG (CPR):
Jean Coberly, Judie Hansen, Robbie McCosh, Nisco Junkins, Martha Osgood, Susan Verner, Chuck Wagar, Dave DeCou (BPOC), and Marilyn Milne as consultants.
..... With the goal of generating enthusiastic ownership and support, the Communications and Public Relations Working Group will proactively develop materials to help the congregation, local community, and denomination maintain an appropriate understanding of the process and progress of creating a new church building.
>>>>Shared Values WG** :
Gretchen Miller, Lee Michels, Larry Cummings, Phil Carroll, Lorna Baldwin, Erik Fisher (BPOC), Linda Anson as consultant.
..... Help the congregation discover and express our shared values that will guide our move to a larger church. Consider trade offs and opportunities to express our values on the environment, economics, social justice, spiritually, and aesthetics. Coordinate with the BPOC and other working groups to ensure that our congregational and individual values are paramount through the process of site selection, building or remodeling, and the move itself.** Our goal is to help the congregation work toward a deeply satisfying, expanded church community.
>>>>Property Search WG :
Judy Sawyer, Jet Harris, Scott Maier, Michael Mattick, Martha Snyder, Linda Anson (BPOC), Jean Tate as consultant.
..... The Property Search Committee will identify potential sites for a new UUCE, evaluate and compare them, then select and recommend the candidate property for purchase.
>>>>Finance WG:
Bonnie Romane, Gretchen Miller, Sheryl Bernheine, Truman Grandy, Patti Hansen (BPOC), Jean Tate as consultant.
..... The Financing Working Group will develop a diverse set of financing options to meet the mid-term and long-term financing of this building project in all of its associated aspects, including Angel Investors, and undertake the tasks to secure all financing.
>>>>Capital Campaign WG :
Kay Crider, Gil Osgood, George Carroll (BPOC), Karen Gaffney (BPOC).
..... The Capital Campaign Working Group is responsible for raising money from the congregation and friends of the congregation to finance property acquisition, construction costs, and salary and associated expenses of any personnel hired during the building process.
** Imagine the different *values* inherent in these two scenarios, both locations costing the same:
Thought experiment: We emphasize that this is a fantasy. NOT REAL.
1) Lovely piece of land, 9.25 acres, out Fox Hollow, within the UGB, kind of a decrepit house (put the youth program there), mostly open, never built on. Pasture sloping down to stream, mature oaks, conifers, deer, hawks, voles, lousy bus service. Lousy pedestrian bicycle access. Put parking lot on the other side, so sanctuary view doesn't look at it. Great playground potential.
2) Same price (as #1 above) : Symantec/Bon building, remodel. We assume no surprises (asbestos), but remodeling is always interesting. Different kind of church. View of Sk. Butte out the north facing windows, past the parking garage and bank building. Bigger than we really need. Performance space? Rent space? Be a landlord or an events organizer? Not much option for outside playground. Sidewalk in front where the dark-clad youth hang out. Safety for our less firm members? Clean up the cardboard boxes and trash early every Sunday morning. Great opportunity for a street ministry. Do we really want that opportunity? We have the heart for it, I believe, but do we have the will, the energy, the organization, and drive?
When push comes to shove, we need to decide what our values are and which (at the moment, imaginary) scenario represents them best.
October 2007
Old hands here at UUCE are used to our peculiar way of doing things, which boils down to this: We can accomplish anything, just as long as we have enough committees. Building a new church is no exception. The Board of Trustees has approved the Strategic Planning Committee’s recommended structure of a Building Project Oversight Committee (BPOC) and five working groups. The BPOC is pretty much what it sounds like, a collection of dedicated UUCErs who are guiding other church volunteers as they grapple with all the ins and outs of our search for a new home. It’s complicated stuff, but not so overwhelming if you think of the BPOC as an umbrella--open, of course, this is Oregon! The ribs holding the umbrella open are the five working groups, all covering distinct areas. Here’s a brief rundown of what they’re doing:
.....Shared Values Matrix—Evaluating how our UU values will be represented in our new home
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.....Property Search—Researching and recommending to the congregation the best site for our new church building
.....Capital Campaign—Helping the congregation raise money for our new church home
.....Financing—Working out the nuts & bolts of financing the land purchase, construction loan, and permanent mortgage
.....Communications & PR (CPR)—Keeping our congregation and local community in the loop about what’s going on
Whew! That’s a lot of info to absorb all at once. Not to worry, there won’t be any pop quizzes, but we still hope UU’all will keep up with news as it unfolds. This is an exciting new chapter in the life of our congregation! We joyfully invite all members of our blessed community to join us in this course, leading to our new home.
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