NEW DRAWINGS, CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
(Updated April 8, 2008)
All the feedback from the town-hall meetings has been evaluated, resulting in exciting new plans. These plans will be formally presented on April 9, and there will be a Congregational meeting on April 20.
- Wednesday, April 9 at 6:30 PM - Formal presentation of NEW plans by architect
- A Called Congregational Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 20 at 9:30 am for the purpose of approving the proposed facility plans at a cost of approximately $4.4 million, including a $400,000 mission component to support local community mission needs.
The New Plans are Online Now!
You are invited to review them in advance of the presentation and the Congregational Meeting. All are in PDF format, so you can zoom in and scroll around for more details. Most of the files are about 1.5 MB in size, so a high-speed Internet connection is best.
The new plans provide a wide range of benefits:
- More efficient space planning allows one single building to be equal or less in cost from previous plans.
- More open space with an internalized play area
- No loss of parking - gained two stalls and eliminated all existing compact spaces
- The new drop-off allows people to get closer to the heart of the campus and nearer to entry ways.
- The new drop-off allows cars approaching from either driveway to turn-around so passengers are on the curb side.
- The new drop-off presents a clear entry into the campus
- New single, larger and centralized Kitchen has serving capability to the courtyard, Multi-Purpose space and youth patio.
- Larger restrooms with a family restroom added.
- New information booth could also double as a secondary coffee source on Sunday and during the week
- Increased storage areas in the new multi-purpose room and Choir Room
- Additional square footage of storage room was added to the Multi-purpose building with internal doorway system to access the stage from the side for periodical performances
- Choir room has single toilet for Pastors and Choir
- The Second Level floor plan identifies future meeting rooms in a future phase
- The new building is set-up for a licensed preschool when desired
- With a single new building, most of the unknowns of the existing buildings and unforeseen conditions that would arise during construction has been eliminated
- The new building has countless benefits of improvements to the individual spaces from the previous plans.
- Multi-purpose rooms of various sizes allow for flexibility of programs
- The new building will be more energy efficient than a remodel
Please also check the “Frequently Asked Questions” listed below.
Contacts for Questions and Suggestions
Jim Eaton, Moderator of Team... Email
Sandi Woodhall, Staff... Email
Frequently Asked Questions #2
(will be modified as more info is available)
We, the congregation have gone through a Re-Focusing time to discern God’s call for us as a church and out of that time we have adopted 5 initiatives to help us effectively minister in God’s name in this place and in our immediate community. In response to this, the facility team, appointed by Session, has been working with an architect to develop a workable and affordable building plan. During the presentation phase, several questions have been voiced as follows:
VALUE ADDED (Why)
What “needs”, as opposed to “wants” are we correcting?
Ministry needs are described in the initiatives above. “Wants” disappeared from the plans very early in the planning stages. This is a very conservative plan, utilizing existing facilities as much as possible. Aside from needs to accomplish the prescribed initiatives (see separate paper), the buildings most affected (Zirbel Hall & Education building) are over 40 years old and badly in need of repairs. Some specific facility repair/replacement needs:
- Roof repair/demolition for all patio covering, Sunday school rooms on West side, narthex and gym.
- Termite repair/demolition/replacement needed for patio covering, SS rooms, Education Building (especially the toddler room)
- Gym door frames are cracked and need to be replaced; ceiling tiles are falling off the ceiling due to leaking roof
- Gym floor has passed the 10 year life expectancy 18 years ago and is full of patches and bubbling, with more likelihood of liability damage
- Wiring from street to main breakers and from there to Sanctuary breakers is aluminum and 45 years old and needs to be replaced. We’ve already had a fire in the sanctuary breakers a couple of years ago.
- Fencing is full of termite and dry-rot damage (the church did not have an annual termite inspection plan until 11 years ago.
- Kitchen flooring is asbestos and very worn, appliances need to be replaced. The stove has been repaired many times and is very inefficient. The refrigerator has a slow leak in the compressor and needs to be replaced. The residential fridge and freezer are very old and doors no longer close properly so food is lost frequently. The kitchen fan does not meet fire code. Also, the floor drains get clogged regularly. bad construction. Did you know that one of the water shut-off valves are inside the wall between the youth room and Zirbel Hall? That was a fun one to find when we had a leak. Rats have been accessing the kitchen and we are unable to fill all the places where they get in (bad construction)
Gains:
- More efficient parking circulation and drop off area for seniors and young families
- Initiative #2: Centralized and secure children’s building for infants through 5th grade (6th will be included in youth building since our school system includes them in middle school) with a large area for playtime or children’s church or adult ed meeting room on days when Children’s programs are not in effect. This building would meet code with potential to operate daycare or preschool in future if desired.
- Initiative #2: Student Ministries Center for grades 6-12 (3 rooms vs 1 now so they can break into small groups as needed)
- Initiative #3: Multi-purpose room 1/3 larger than Zirbel Hall which can accommodate the Bridge, large congregational events such as women’s tea, congregational dinners, mission faires, community activities such as Premier Club, Senior lunches and still provide space for sports as a third priority. Seating for dining will increase to 320 (currently 150 in Zirbel)
- Initiative #3: New more efficient kitchen
- Initiative #4: Open and inviting campus with clear signage for newcomers to find their way around and a central built in kiosk and coffee service area for visitors and members alike
- Initiative #5: Better designed storage areas and cleaner campus by recycling or giving away unnecessary items
- Initiative #5: Office space for new pastor plus centralized offices for better staff communication and access by the congregation. – this configuration is still being studied since current office space is 2611 sq. ft. and proposed is slightly less at 2516 sq. ft.
- Elevator for easier access to 2nd floor
- Initiative #1: Additional Adult Ed space: Fireside Room with more soundproof room divider, a large meeting room for SHIP (showers available), AA, and other community groups needing a more relaxed and comfortable area, the current choir room, board room upstairs in the office, new choir room on the west side (other than on Thursdays and Sundays), Children’s building large room (other than on Wednesdays & Sundays);
- Initiative #3: Mission component in capital campaign to support St. Isadore Plaza Family Center project & Covenant Presbyterian Church ministries
- Initiative #4: Unified appearance to whole campus to be more recognizable and warm, welcoming
Losses
- 20 parking places (we have 350-400 here every Tuesday and I’ve not had one complaint about parking or people having to walk a couple of blocks);
- Zirbel Hall as a large meeting place
- Priority for gym use by NJB Basketball, Church Volley ball league, Seal Beach Volleyball club (community organizations with whom we have no Christian influence or interaction, but simply a landlord relationship)
- Secluded, uninviting look to neighborhood
- Parking lot storage bins
- Blood drive in gym (could be done either on a different day or by utilizing bloodmobiles)
What community groups does our present facility serve and on what schedule?
- Boy Scouts – Monday & Thursday nights (Zirbel Hall)
- Girl scouts - Thursdays
- Community Bible Study – Friday mornings (the entire campus)
- Logos Bible Study – Tuesday mornings (sanctuary & Zirbel hall)
- Taiwanese Presbyterian Church – Sunday afternoons (Fireside room, classrooms & Zirbel)
- Senior exercise class – Mon. Wed. Fri (gym)
- Premier Club (senior program sponsored by Los Alamitos Hospital)– Monthly on Thursday (Zirbel)
- Alcoholics Anonymous –Thursdays (youth room)
- US Coast Guard – Thursdays (classroom)
- National Charity League – Thursdays (classroom)
- VASA – quarterly (Zirbel)
- SHIP – Annually (Fireside, kitchen & bathrooms)
- NJB Basketball
- Seal Beach Volleyball
- Head Start
- Music Camp (inviting Covenant Pres kids)
How would the ‘new’ facility better serve the groups we presently serve, and could those groups be served with a less expensive option?
- SHIP would have more comfortable room and showers rather than having to use their portables which puts one toilet out of commission
- All education space would be on the ground floor for easier access by CBS and other groups meeting here
- Exercise class would have larger screens to see while exercising
- Logos would have a larger meeting area during breaks and an additional bathroom to accommodate 400 people on 15 minute break
- Taiwanese Pres would be able to follow the Bridge service and be less crowded and not have to set-up in Fireside
- More comfortable meeting space for AA, closer to parking lot
- Larger dining area for groups like VASA and the “Rainbow&” dances
- Larger meeting area available to invite the community for “community center&” activities/programs/classes etc.
Did the group consider better/different scheduling as a means to serve groups and why if so, why was that option discarded?
- Our campus is in operation pretty much non-stop. It’s been difficult finding space and time to schedule classes (one being Crown Ministry) during times designated for ministry when childcare is provided such as Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
- We have a new calendar program, accessible to the entire staff to help with scheduling
- It is by design that Wednesdays and Sundays are congregational ministry & outreach times… we are packed during those times so outside groups such as AA cannot even be considered during those times.
What new community groups would the ‘new’ facility serve?
- St. Isadore.
- Session has added a new elder to specifically address outreach to the Farquhar/Howard/Green Street area and we will know more when that team has had a chance to work.
What community groups would our ‘new’ facility no longer be able to serve?
- Blood drive as we know it now, however, it could either be done at a different time than Sunday during Worship, or utilize the bloodmobiles available
- NJB Basketball & Seal Beach Volleyball may lose some times in the evenings since we would need the multi purpose area for programs currently held in Zirbel Hall
How many bathrooms will we have?
- Total gain of one stool
- Showers to help with SHIP & senior exercise class members attending luncheons afterwards
FINANCIAL (how)
What will this project cost?
- Estimated “budget&” at present is $4 million plus a 10% mission factor to go to local community agencies to be determined.
- The preliminary budget provided by Jacobs Development for the current plan is based on per square foot costs ranging from $34.59/sq.ft. for the youth building to $320.27/sq.ft. for the multi-purpose building, depending on the extent of the work necessary. These costs include allowance for soft goods such as partitions, carpet, and appliances.
How do you plan to finance this? What is the financial commitment per member or per giving unit?
- Simple answer is: through pledges and if needed, a mortgage. We’ll be able to provide a complete cash-flow financing plan after we know the amount of pledges.
- A credit-line for the construction duration, which will roll into a mortgage at the completion of construction needs to be secured prior to beginning construction (Presbytery requirement).
- There are guidelines set by Presbytery about this and we are well within the affordability guidelines, based on our annual operating income and the financial study performed by the Capital Campaign consultant company. In any case, it requires Presbytery approval and a congregational vote to acquire a loan.
- Per member commitment is difficult because as you know, God has blessed each differently and we are called to give as God has prospered us. Simple math would indicate that a $4 Mil project would cost $5,000 per member or $7-10,000 per family unit (we have 800 members and approximately 500 giving units/families at present)
Why now with such a difficult economy?
- We feel God is calling us to do this and feel confident that He will also provide through the saints who call this their church home.
- Interest rates are very favorable at this time
- Construction costs are lower due to less work available
Who owns the property?
The property is held in trust by the Presbytery. We are a connectional church and that is part of it.
TECHNICAL
Will we have enough parking?
A parking study completed for the sanctuary remodel reported that the City requires for a church of our size 155 parking spaces (1 for each 3 seats) and we currently have 181. The study further reports that we average only 1.5 people per vehicle.
Who can vote, as specified in our Book of Order, at the congregational meeting?
Members only may vote
How long will construction take?
Minimum 10 months, depending on whether the project is phased
How will programs be affected during construction?
The sanctuary will be in operation the entire time and other program details will be addressed by the team once the timing of the construction is established
Why change the exterior?
- The desire is for GSPC to be a “light&” and “welcoming&” rather than blending into the Rossmoor wall. People coming here for the first time have to be told we are the church next door to St. Hedwigs.
- The light exterior being a possible target for “taggers&” is being addressed by our architect
- Some would like to keep the brick; some would prefer a fresh new exterior. Solution: Incorporate some degree of brick in the outside design
What about security?
Security, especially for our children, is very important and necessary steps will be taken to provide the utmost security while being open and welcoming to the community. Gates and locks only keep out good people.
Why are there no covered walkways for when it is raining?
Our current patio covers are infested with termite and dry-rot and the posts holding them up actually hinder circulation so they need to be removed. There is provision for a covered area just outside the narthex doors.
Can we save/re-use the crosses on Zirbel Hall?
They could possibly be relocated to another area.
SUGGESTIONS
- Make the cross/steeple more prominent
- Fence height around playground to be 6 ft.
- Replace the block wall around the parking lot with a more open fence
- Storage concerns particularly for the items in the bins in the parking lot
- Trash area too close to the kitchen and youth area – concern about odor
- Leave North 40 section as part of the sanctuary
- Need lighting in the parking lot
- Reduce number of trees in the parking lot to reduce maintenance and provide more open space for activities
- Include sinks in each Sunday School classroom
- Utilize gym for gathering space between services
