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

First Q&A - thru March 2007   <----- you are here
Second Q&A - thru Nov 2009
Third Q&A - current
Where do we go from here?

Q1. I am new to this church. What was the wording of the resolution adopted by the congregation May 2007, and what was the vote?

.....A “The Congregation of UUCE resolves to vigorously pursue finding and obtaining a new location for our physical church in accord with our principles.” The vote was Yes 131 and No 17.

Q2. What did the Yes vote mean?

.....A In essence, a Yes vote was a mandate to look for a property other than the one we now occupy in order to meet our current needs while considering our future growth.

Q3. Has the present site been researched thoroughly to determine whether the building could be remodeled and the site used for expansion and additional parking?

.....A Yes. The various options for our church building’s future can be seen on the church website at: http://www.uueugene.org/SPC/HypothetSite-Dec06.pdf

Q4. Has there been a discussion of the pros and cons of using the existing site versus acquiring a new location?

.....A Yes. The pros and cons are available on the church website at:
..........http://www.uueugene.org/SPC/Pros-Cons.pdf

Q5. What general guidelines will those looking for a new church location consider?

.....A An ideal location would be in accordance with our UU values. These include a site that is fully accessible, and both beautiful and environmentally sensitive. We expect to build or remodel with “green” principles, including but not limited to energy efficiency, the use of environmentally and socially benign materials, and in a central location that is accessible to public transportation, bicycles, and pedestrians. We will look at life span costs and efficiencies.

Q6. Will the congregation have a vote on the new location?

.....A Yes, when our best new location is identified, we will have a congregational meeting and vote whether to purchase that specific site. Section 090.7 of our by-laws provides that an “affirmative vote of the Congregation is required for the purchase or sale of real estate or the borrowing of money.”

Q7. Is there information available comparing the costs of various options for acquiring land and/or existing buildings?

.....A Yes, these are available on the church website at:
..........http://www.uueugene.org/SPC/Pros-Cons.pdf

Q8. Is there a mortgage on the property we currently occupy?

.....A No, we own our land and building free and clear.

Q9. How many people will the new church property accommodate?

.....A A new property must accommodate the size we anticipate we will be in the coming ten years, and have room to expand further in the future. The size of a new sanctuary will be established as we get closer to working with a design team, but the plan currently is for a sanctuary that can accommodate upwards of 350 people, and continuation of two services on Sunday mornings. This is in line with building “green,” and with being large enough for our membership without becoming cavernous and losing a sense of intimacy.

Q10. What is the history of our current property?

.....A This information is available on page five of the Long Range Plan prepared by the Strategic Planning Committee in February 2006. It can be viewed on the church website at:
..........http://www.uueugene.org/long-range/SPC-2-06.pdf

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Q11. How large is the present church building site?

.....A 2.03 acres.

Q12. How much land is recommended for the future site?

.....A This will depend upon whether or not adequate parking is available offsite or must be accommodated on site. A location with a new building and parking all on site would require more land than if we were to locate where some or all parking is available offsite on adjacent property or streets.

Q13. How much parking will we need for a 350-seat sanctuary?

.....A Studies of our actual transportation practice averaging 1.6 people per car indicate we will need a minimum of 220 parking spaces if we have a building with a sanctuary that can accommodate 350 people.

Q14. What is the difference between a capital campaign and the annual pledge drive?

.....A The annual pledge drive seeks funds to keep the church operating on a year-to-year basis, covering expenses such as salaries, program funding, utilities, postage, and supplies. A capital campaign will seek money in addition to the annual pledge for long-term investment for land and building costs.

Q15. Do we have to purchase vacant land?

.....A Not necessarily. If we can find an existing building—a church or another type of structure—that fits our needs in terms of size and location and that can be remodeled into the kind of facility we want, we could pursue that option. Adaptive reuse is often a great option.

Q16. I am uncomfortable about the thought of moving. Will I have an opportunity to discuss this with church leaders?

.....A Yes. In February 2008, Rev. Steve Landale and members of the Building Project Oversight Committee and the five working groups held small group Listening Sessions to hear of your concerns. In March 2008, we held a Town Meeting to discuss the values that we hold most dearly as we are faced with fictional potential but imperfect locations. You may also offer your concerns or make comments to the email address that goes to the project leaders at NewHome@uueugene.org

Q17. Who are the members of the Building Project Oversight Committee (BPOC)?

.....A. The BPOC is comprised of: Karen Gaffney (chair), George Carroll, Dave DeCou, Erik Fisher, and Patti Hansen. The BPOC group is the linking connection to all of the Working Groups. Their focus:
.....Karen Gaffney - Property Search and Capital Campaign
.....Erik Fisher - Shared Values
.....Patti Hansen - Property Finance
.....Dave DeCou - Communications and Public Relations
.....George Carroll - Capital Campaign

Q18. What are the five working groups, and who are their members? (These can change over time...)

.....A Capital Campaign: George Carroll and Karen Gaffney (BPOC), Kay Crider, and Gil Osgood.

.....Communications and Public Relations (CPR): Robbie McCosh, Dave DeCou (BPOC), Judie Hansen, Nisco Junkins, Martha Osgood, Ron Prentice, Susan Verner, and Chuck Wagar, with Marilyn Junkins and Marilyn Milne as consultants.

..... Property Finance: Sheryl Bernheine, Truman Grandy, Patti Hansen (BPOC), Gretchen Miller, and Bonnie Romane, with Jean Tate as consultant.

.....Property Search: Jet Harris, Michael Mattick, Scott Maier, Judy Sawyer, Linda Anson, and Martha Snyder, with Jean Tate as consultant.

.....Shared Values: Gretchen Miller, Lorna Baldwin, Phil Carroll, Larry Cummings, Erik Fisher (BPOC).

Q19. What are the missions of the five working groups?

.....A Capital Campaign: The Capital Campaign Working Group is responsible for raising money from the members and friends of the congregation to finance property acquisition, design and construction costs, and salary and associated expenses of any personnel hired during the building process.

.....Communications and Public Relations: 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.

.....Finance: The Finance 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.

....Property Search: The Property Search Working Group will identify potential sites for a new UUCE, evaluate and compare them, then select and recommend the candidate property for purchase.

.....Shared Values: 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, spirituality, 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.

Q20. If I have more questions, whom should I contact?

.....A The Communications and Public Relations Working Group has created a contact address on the UUCE website for questions on the new church building project: NewHome@uueugene.org

Members of the CPR will monitor the queries sent to NewHome@uueugene.org and will seek answers from the BPOC or the other working groups in order to get you an answer. CPR will send the answer to the person who made the request and will save the question and answer for potential addition to this Q&A website.

Financial Q&A

Q21. What financial resources does UUCE have to work with as it searches for a new location?

.....A UUCE has four sources of funds to manage the acquisition and construction of a new location.
..........• The equity available from our current home. This is guessed to be between $750,000 and $1,000,000. An actual appraisal of its value will be performed as UUCE looks to leverage this resource.
..........• UUCE has maintained and grown a Building Expansion Fund from donations and funds remaining from the sale of a previously held property in the neighborhood. Some of this money has been used in the Strategic Planning process. About $55,000 remains.
..........• UUCE will perform a capital campaign, perhaps in the fall of 2008. Information from UUA and other churches, which have acquired new buildings recently, indicate that a capital campaign can raise about 3-5 times a church’s annual budget. UUCE had an annual budget in FY 2007-08 of about $360,000. Five times that figure would be $1,800,000. Next years budget may be somewhat larger but not a large amount more.
..........• UUCE can borrow money, which would need to be paid back as a mortgage. The UUA recommends that healthy churches carry some debt, and that the payments for this should not exceed 25% of their annual budget. This would add to our annual budget because UUCE has not had a mortgage for many years.

Q22. Are there other sources of funds available?

.....A UUA has a modest loan guarantee program and the PNWD has a small grant program but the funds available are very modest (perhaps $10-15,000). The BPOC will continue to seek other opportunities for grants and other revenue as the project becomes more defined.

Q23. If the congregation decides to acquire a property in spring how would UUCE address its financial needs until the capital campaign in the fall?

.....A The most likely scenario is one in which the Building Expansion Fund is tapped to place an option to buy on a property until an actual purchase can be made. If necessary, UUCE might get a loan against its current property to make a down payment. The Property Finance Working Group of the BPOC has selected 2 local financial lending institutions to potentially work with. Much of this depends on the specific property being purchased.

Q24. What if an appropriate property is not found this spring?

.....A The Property Search Working Group will continue to search and any schedule will be delayed. Although a “perfect” property is unlikely to be found the UUCE does not need to settle for just anything now. We will find a property, which is suitable, or keep looking.

First Q&A   <----- you are here
Second Q&A
Third Q&A
Where do we go from here?

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

3/2007

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