VBC's Building Project: History

Summary

February, 2006

Start date
In a sense, the project has already started. It's hard to miss all the trees that have been taken down, and the tree debris sitting in our side yard right now. Raymond Nott, our site contractor, has done what he can prior to an official start date. We are looking at a starting full-blown construction sometime after mid-March, depending on weather and subcontractor availability. That could be as little as a month away! After all the years, literally, of preparation, it probably still seems a little unreal to all of us, but it's about to become very real indeed!

Ongoing preparations
The construction committee continues to meet weekly to make decisions regarding materials and details, to discuss issues raised by our general contractor, Cogun, and to try to foresee any issues, obstacles, or opportunities that might be on the horizon in the coming months.

Additionally, meetings with the interior designer, Roney Hoffman, have been held. The week of 2/20, the interior design committee will meet with Cogun and Roney to look over the standard interior finish items that Cogun included in our spec and to decide whether we would like to substitute alternate items. For instance, we might prefer different door hardware or lighting fixtures as we work toward the appearance of a traditional New England church.

As we head into a period of active construction, we really would like to see better turnout at our monthly prayer meeting. Most nights, only one or two people come to pray with us about this pivotal event in the lifetime of our church. Won't you consider joining us? The dates are announced in the weekly bulletin and are posted on the VBC website's Upcoming Events page. They are always held from 7-8pm. We start promptly and end on time. Please come join us as we seek the Lord's will, protection, and blessing on our building project and our church.

December, 2005

We have made huge progress with the building project this fall! In September, there was still a long list of things to do before construction could start. Now most of the hurdles have been cleared and we are very close to being able to break ground.

Through the summer and early fall, a lot of the focus was on financing. We considered several alternatives before settling on bonds issued through Ziegler Finance in Wisconsin. After going through an audit and updating our constitution and bylaws, we closed on the bond issue in early November. Meanwhile, we wrapped up our 2005 fund raising drive in fine fashion, with enough money to complete the pledges and “close the gap” to meet our portion of the construction costs.

Cogun has also stepped up to be ready for construction, with a signed agreement for managing the site work. They have assigned a project manager (Lon Harvey) and site supervisor (George Calver), and set up a construction trailer behind the church office building. They are now hard at work lining up bids from subcontractors.

The process of getting a building permit from the town of Hartford was more complicated than initially expected, but the last issues were resolved and we received that important document in early November. The last major hurdle before we can break ground is moving utility lines – which currently go right through the construction area. A trench has been dug for temporary phone and electric lines, and we are now waiting for the companies to move their lines.

The hard-working VBC Construction Committee continues to meet weekly. We are also holding monthly meetings to pray for the project. All are encouraged to join us.

Since we are now waiting for others before we can begin site work, it is not clear whether construction will start soon, or have to wait until spring. It is very clearly in the Lord’s hands! But He has brought us this far, and will be faithful in His time to complete the project. Please pray that we will be using both the process and final product for His glory!

November 1, 2005

October, 2005

Early this summer, after much prayer and discussion, the elders decided that the most responsible option for stewarding the contributions toward the building fund would be to finance the rest of the "Phase 1" budget, with an eye to eliminating that debt as soon as possible.

Since then, with the Lord's help and our excellent partnership with Cogun, the financing is about to be finalized, the town's final documentation is nearly complete, and we have reason to believe we will be able to break ground this fall and get the necessary site work and foundation work done so that the new building can be worked on throughout the winter. We can expect to see a construction trailer onsite before the end of this month, and groundbreaking will follow not long afterward.

Please pray that the details would all come together so that construction can be started soon, and for the weather to hold until we get our foundation poured!

March, 2005

A letter from senior pastor Pat Curtis:

The current status of our building fund is approximately $900,000 in cash and $225,000 in pledges. We have already spent $180,000 toward the building project.

We are still $1.4 million short of the funds needed to break ground and begin construction. The elders are asking the congregation to take the next three months to pray as we ask God for guidance about where to go from here.

As we spend the next few months praying for direction, wisdom and leading from God regarding the next step in our building program there are a few important things to remember.

It is an exciting time to be part of Valley Bible Church. While I would like our plans and dreams to be fulfilled right now (just like a two year old) I am confident that God's timing and plans are best and will not be thwarted.

January, 2005

This month, we have the final results for the two-year campaign kicked off in late 2002 to fund a new addition to our church. Of the $1,300,000 pledged, we have received approximately $900,000. The remainder can be accounted for by several large pledges that were made contingent upon some event occuring in the giver's finances. We hope to receive those amounts, too, when the contingencies have been met.

Meantime, the elders have approved the budget for the new building (offering the congregation three options) and kicked off a second, one-year campaign. The results of that campaign will determine which of the three options will be built! Pledges are due February 13th, with pledged amounts due by the end of this calendar year.

Since our last update, the constuction committee has:

Additional items "in the hopper":

November, 2004

Your Construction Committee has been hard at work this past month or so. Here's what has been accomplished since our last update:

October 4, 2004

Since we've received approvals from both the Zoning and Planning Boards, we are now proceeding with some of the minutiae that are required in order to be in compliance with various town regulations. For instance, we must apply for a sign permit within 90 days of Planning Board approval, so work has commenced on that. In addition, the construction committee has met with an interior designer to begin to gather information about how we might benefit from her services. The committee has also begun discussing with Cogun how much of the planned building project can be built based on the commitments made by the VBC congregation during the capital campaign. Theoretically, we should receive all but a few of the pledged amounts by the end of this year, but there's some uncertainty about when exactly we can expect the full amount.

August 6, 2004

Our appearance before the Hartford Zoning Board of Adjustment on Wednesday, July 29, was a complete delight, if you don't count the incredible heat in the meeting room! We not only got approval for the variance to have a 92-foot steeple, they also granted our application for expanded use of the site with only a few questions. The board members were quite cordial, and beyond that, complimented us on the completeness of our application (most of the credit for that goes to Pathways Consulting) and the attractiveness of our project. Two of the board members are neighbors, and they were also positive about the project.

The Planning Board meeting Monday, August 2, was also warm in both senses of the word. However, our application was held over until the next meeting (August 30) because they would like to see a complete landscaping plan. We learned that the neighborhood around the church has been zoned to permit much higher density housing. Because of that, the Planning Board views our church as an "anchor" for the neighborhood and would like to be sure it projects itself well. They gave us some suggestions for what they're looking for, landcaping-wise. One of the board members is planning a visit to our site between now and August 30th.

The August 30 Planning Board meeting will be another opportunity for them to raise any other (non-landscaping) issues that they think of between now and then, so we need to be prepared for further questions in all areas when we reconvene.

We had over a dozen VBCers at each meeting ... thanks, folks! We're sure your presence made a difference.

July 1, 2004

With the help of Pathways Consulting, we've assembled a package and submitted our application for a building permit to the Town of Hartford Wednesday, June 23! We are scheduled to appear before the Hartford Zoning Board of Adjustment on Monday, July 28. If you are a resident of the Town of Hartford, we encourage you to attend the meeting (others can also attend, of course, but if you live in Hartford this is your town zoning board in action!). The meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and will be held in the Hartford Municipal Building, 171 Bridge Street, White River Junction.

Because of the application, the local newspapers have begun to contact us about our plans. In today's Spectator, there was a brief article on page 3. They've asked for an interview next week, so we will probably see a longer article in next week's paper ... possibly on the front page!

The Construction Committee has been meeting weekly to hammer out issues related to the contract with Cogun, along with discussing all the issues that needed to be resolved before submitting the application to the Town. We expect to have a signed contract with Cogun in the next week or so.

The elders' desire is for construction to begin this fall. Considering all the permitting and planning that needs to happen, it seems a bit far-fetched to think that will be possible. So, we are in a very comfortable place. If the Lord wants this construction started this fall, it can only happen with His intervention. We are right in the best place to be, totally dependent on Him, in the palm of His mighty hand, awaiting His moving. We would appreciate your prayers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any member of the construction committee, Pat Curtis, or Perry Seale.

Next steps

Once the contract has been signed, Cogun will begin work on the construction drawings, coordinating with Taipale Media Systems regarding acoustics. Once the construction drawings are complete, Cogun will also present several options for phasing the construction. The elders will make a decision about whether to start the project, based on funds in hand and the various options presented. Because the elders have made a commitment to only start the construction when 75% of the project's costs are in hand, the amount raised will determine how much of the project can be started, if any.

May 24, 2004

The building project effort is currently being transitioned from the Building Design Committee to a Construction Committee. Michelle Batt, Perry Seale, and Pat Curtis, all former members of the now disbanded Building Design Committee, have been meeting with the Construction Committee to help them become familiar with the design and the rationale behind its details.

The Construction Committee's mandate is to work with Cogun and various subcontractors to complete the design, produce construction drawings, and monitor the construction. The committee is comprised of people with skills in construction, maintenance, finance, and administration.

The Construction Committee has been meeting weekly for a couple of months now. In recent weeks, they have been working with Pathways Consulting, a civil engineering firm that has been hired to create a site plan, do various required studies, and coordinate our application to the Hartford Zoning Board of Adjustment. That application is the first step toward getting a building permit. The committee has been working all along with a goal of submitting the application May 24th, but additional town requirements have required a redesign of the parking lot, so the new goal is to submit by June 28th, for the July 28th ZBA meeting.

The elders' desire is for construction to begin this fall. Considering all the permitting and planning that needs to happen, it seems a bit far-fetched to think that will be possible. So, we are in a very comfortable place. If the Lord wants this construction started this fall, it can only happen with His intervention. We are right in the best place to be, totally dependent on Him, in the palm of His might hand, awaiting His moving. We would appreciate your prayers.

Next steps

As we press forward with obtaining building permits, Cogun will begin work on the construction drawings, coordinating with Taipale Media Systems regarding acoustics. Once the construction drawings are complete, Cogun will also present several options for phasing the construction. The elders will make a decision about whether to start the project, based on funds in hand and the various options presented. Because the elders have made a commitment to only start the construction when 75% of the project's costs are in hand, the amount raised will determine how much of the project can be started, if any.

August 28, 2003

Much has been accomplished since our last update!

Next steps

We now need to decide which of the acoustic engineer's recommendations we plan to accept and implement, and communicate those to Cogun. Within eight weeks, Cogun will give us a fixed price bid. We will review that, decide how much of it we can accomplish within our current budget, and work out a phased approach to the building project. Our hope is to be able to commence construction next spring. As always, though, we wait on the Lord to make His timing clear.

May 12, 2003

Much has been accomplished since our last update!

The floorplan has been revised based on the feedback from our subcommittees, and there's still a chance we'll need to revise the sanctuary floorplan based on input from the acoustic engineer. We hope to have his report within the next 30 days.

Before we can ask Cogun to collect bids on our new building, we need to wrap up with the acoustic engineer, zero in on the final design, and gather bids for the portion of the construction that we have assumed responsibility for (site prep, legal costs, startup costs). Then once we ask Cogun to go to bid, we expect it will be four to six weeks before we hear back from them. So, while we're making progress, we've still got that last 5% to complete.

February 12, 2003

The BDC has swung into high gear in recent weeks, meeting almost weekly to review architectural plans, consider building materials and finishes, discuss the need for various subcontractors (particularly an acoustic planner and someone to do site preparation work), and discuss the many decisions that need to be be made so that the architect can produce a nearly final set of plans. They expect to continue to meet often through the end of March to bring this phase of the project to a close. The committee has been wrestling with issues such as traffic flow, safety issues, and esthetics, as well as trying to address the multitude of needs which have led us to commence this project.

Once the next set of drawings are done, they will be posted on a bulletin board in the foyer, along with some sketches of an exterior elevation to give everyone an idea of how the building will look from the outside. Additionally, there will be opportunities for the congregation as a whole to come together to review and discuss the plans.

January 9, 2003

As of Sunday, January 5 we had $1,318,367 in pledges toward the building project --- more than twice the amount the experts said we could raise! In addition we had $97,745 in the building fund before the pledge campaign, and have received several gifts that will be sold and added to the total. This puts us in a good position to move forward with building plans.

On Thursday, January 9, several members of the Building Design Committee had a conference call with

Dale from Cogun, requesting some revisions to the architectural plans. Dale will get the changes incorporated for us and produce a new version of the drawings. Meantime, the BDC will meet again January 22nd to begin to discuss materials and finishes. Roughly two weeks later, they plan to have Dale come here for a face-to-face meeting to go over the final (we hope) drawings and the finishes chosen. Cogun will produce an estimate for us with our chosen finishes, for the entire project. Then begins a process of negotiation and consideration of what portion of the project we will be able to finish, given the amount of money pledged.

November 14, 2002

A Cogun representative met with the elders and the BDC to go over the revised draft plan. The response was generally favorable; everyone seemed pleased with the plan so far, while acknowledging the need to get input from the building design subcommittees. That will be the next step; each BDC member will meet with one or two of the subcommittee heads to go over the entire building design, with special emphasis on the subcommittee's area of interest. It is possible that revisions to this plan will be needed. Additionally, the architect's drawings are being made available to the congregation at large, via the web and a display in the church foyer. We are requesting that any comments about the design be made in writing, at this point in time. There are paper and a box to drop comments in near the foyer display, and web viewers may e-mail the church with comments.

October 28, 2002

The BDC will meet to begin getting feedback from the building design subcommittees on the very early draft design, and to put more definition to the sizes of rooms that will be in the new building, as well as any modifications to rooms in the current main building. Once this process has been completed, the architect will be given the feedback and will take about 4 weeks to incorporate the changes. At that time, the entire congregation will be invited to view and comment on the drawings.

October 17, 2002

The BDC met with Cogun and their architect, and were presented with two draft site designs. Of the two, they chose one that has a second building, larger than our current main building, positioned parallel to it and approximately 30 feet to the right (in the current grassy area), connected by two breezeways. The rear of the new building would abut the office building; its front facade would be positioned slightly forward of the current main building. It would give us roughly 15,000 additional square feet. The ground floor would contain a 4800 square foot sanctuary and a narthex/foyer. The layout of the basement is yet to be determined. Outside, the area bounded by the breezeways is being considered a courtyard area.

Sept 30, 2002

The BDC will meet with Cogun and their architect to review the first rough draft of the design the evening of Monday, September 30th. We expect that this first draft will be rough enough that a revision or two will be required before it is presented to the congregation.

Sept 16, 2002

We have received notification from Cogun that the architect has a first draft ready for us to review. The Building Design Committee is setting up a date to meet with the architect, probably next week or early the first week of October.

Sept 9, 2002

Last week, Michelle Batt thoroughly measured all the rooms in all the buildings, except the office. These numbers were input into a spreadsheet and sent to Cogun to be given to the architect. We're still waiting to hear when to expect our first draft from him.

Summary

In the beginning ...

We are a church committed to growth, not for its own sake, but to increase our influence for Jesus Christ in the Upper Valley. In the late 1990's, we began to burst at the seams. We were joined by new people moving into the area and new believers, and the families in our midst continue to grow as well. Our church building was beginning to stifle our capacity to grow further.

Felt needs

We've been forced to go to two worship services to accommodate our full population. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but historically, we've all liked to be able to worship in one service. With two services, there are people that you never see all year! In the past, our summer population would drop down low enough, given the "outflux" of college students, to be able to hold just one worship service, but not any more. Even in summer, we can't all fit into the sanctuary. When we do want to have a single worship service, like on Christmas Eve or Easter, we have had to find a different, larger site to do so. That's a huge logistical effort.

Likewise, our children's Sunday School classrooms are all overcrowded. When we switched from adult Sunday School to Adult Bible Fellowships, we tripled our adult participation. Wonderful! But we've had to arrange for two of the groups to meet offsite, due to lack of facilities for them to meet with us.

Our nursery has room for 9 to 10 children at a time; we have at least three times that many babies and toddlers in our congregation.

When a service gets out, and another is waiting to start, we learn that we are short on transition space, indeed, as one group of people tries to move in one direction, against the flow of another group. It makes for wonderful serendipitous meetings and quick moments of fellowship, but also for much congestion. We have no space that can accommodate large groups for social times. And our blossoming youth ministry is housed in, frankly, a cruddy old house!

Options considered

In early 2000, we received a generous donation ... 41 acres of land on Melisi Road in White River Junction. We had engineering surveys done, and were staggered to learn that just getting the land itself ready for building (long driveway, utilities, etc.) would take around $1 million. And that price wasn't guaranteed, since we couldn't know what problems we might run into while constructing these.

So, we began looking at other properties. Over the next year, we considered and rejected several. It became clear that purchasing land and building from scratch would be considerably more expensive than we felt the Lord would bless.

Next, or actually somewhat concurrently, we began looking at large buildings in the area that are currently being used for other purposes. While some looked like good possibilities, in the end, for one reason or another, they were eliminated.

Which brought us back to take another look at our current property. There certainly were drawbacks to spending our time and effort (not to mention the Lord's money!) on improving our current site, but in the end, the elders unanimously agreed that this is the direction that the Lord seemed to be leading us. And, countering the disadvantages were the many advantages:

Fast forward to ...

Since then, nine subcommittees met to think together about various aspects of the new building, both to address deficiencies in our current facilities as well as to think about what we like about them and would want to preserve. A very rough draft plan was created, purely as a "straw man" for the congregation to respond to and discuss, and the elders and the Building Design Committee (deBDC) began to interview architects.

In the process of interviewing the various architects, the elders and BDC began to realize that contracting directly with an architect involved us in more risk than we were ready to take on (cost overruns, etc.) So they began interviewing builder/designers who specialize in church buildings. These folks not only have lots of experience building churches, they are also willing to quote a fixed price for each stage of the process, which greatly reduces our risk. And, as a bonus, the firm that was selected, Cogun Industries, Inc. of North Lima, Ohio, was founded by a pastor. He had just built a church for his congregation, realized that pastors across the country were going through the same learning curve as he did, and probably making some of the same mistakes, and decided to go into church building as a ministry. The elders and BDC feel very comfortable and confident that God has provided us a trustworthy partner in this very important process.