More County Stuff

The Site Plan has been re-submitted to the county. Whew. We will hear back from them by 15 Nov. There are a few more items to be done after that to check some more boxes, and then we can get moving dirt. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not a freight train. Although when we get to it, there is LOTS of work to be done.

Keep sending us good thoughts. This doesn't seem like tough work, but paperwork can be as grueling as the physical labor sometimes.

Publish Post

Cabaret - Mini Capital Campaign

We had a great Cabaret event last Saturday. What a talented bunch we have! Thanks to all who planned, performed, organized, took care of food, pledges, graphics, etc, etc. I'm posting one of the great graphics that Lee R created to make a video 'walk through' for us. What a great way to get a feel for how the building will be. Remember that the colors are just there so that the computer gives us the right perspective and texture. All light colors tend to wash out on a computer screen.

Stay tuned. Next week should have some good news on the permit front.

Good News

Just a quick note to let you know that we are now under contract with Cantrell Builders for our New UUFF Home. I am looking forward to working with them!

Lots of county work, site work type activity going on right now. Will let you all know when we have a firmer date on getting started with the site work itself. Working on the re-submit with our engineer and builder.

Stay tuned!

Quick update: Our Site Engineer has answered the first round of questions for the county offices, and nothing looks 'show stopping.' Notes to add to drawings, a few minor changes here and there. He should be ready to re-submit in the next couple weeks.

Meanwhile, it looks like we should have our final drawings next week from the architect, and we are putting finishing touches on the building contract with the builder.

In the next few weeks, several things should be falling in to place. VERY exciting!

Don't miss your chance to contribute to the building fund during our "Mini Capital Campaign." The cabaret on 2 Oct should be lots of fun. We have a very talented bunch!

Moving Forward

Hey there, fans of UUFF!

Just a quick note to let you know that the Site Plan for our new building has been submitted to Stafford County. A big step. Now we wait while the county reviews it. So at least the clock is ticking - they will give us a 'pass' or 'fail' in a month. If we 'fail' it's not fatal - our engineer will answer their comments or questions, and we'll continue to move forward.

Keep the good vibes coming. We are inching our way to really getting going on this building!

Alternative Energy Solutions

The question was posed at the UUFF Annual meeting about geothermal heating/cooling, solar and alternative energy solutions for our new building. Many of us have been following with much interest the developments of solar, wind, geothermal and algae biodiesel (my personal favorite) solutions these days. Much government stimulus money is being poured into these industries, as they are not at the level of competing with current established systems for cost of installation, and pay back times have been too long for most consumers. I know that over the past several years, many folks in our Fellowship have looked into geothermal as a heating/air conditioning system for our new building. Being from the Midwest, I always have to say, ”Show me the numbers!” So, I checked into it. I figured since we have a bit smaller building now, perhaps it would be more affordable. Well, maybe somewhat. Here is what I found.

Putting HVAC systems into large buildings such as a church is not quite as ‘easy’ as putting it into a home. It does not scale with square footage, it scales with the heat loads, or tons of the HVAC system. Compare a 3000 sq ft home with a 4 ton load with a 7500 sq ft church with a 25 ton load. This is what you use to determine the size of field for the geothermal, or the number of wells that you have to dig. It’s all just a big heat transfer problem. So, with our size building (about 7500 sq ft) we would need a 300’x300’ field – about the size of a football field. We all looked at the site plan, and could not find an area large enough to put in this kind of field, even if you put it under the parking lot, which leaves you with risks (costs!) of replacing the parking lot if you have any leaks, which tend to happen on occasion. So, the next option is digging wells (if you can get someone willing to do it for you, since this type of digging pays only half of other types of drilling.) I think the number was about 8 wells, at a cost of about $43k at current rates. Either type (field or wells) would cost an extra $30k for the pumps and pipes to move the liquid around.

So, it all comes down to money. Doesn’t it always? If we can afford an additional $75k to install this system, we certainly will, as it is keeping with our values of ‘walking lightly on the earth’ (using less energy!) Our biggest savings will be in creating an efficient building that is well insulated and a ‘tight envelope’ for energy purposes. Right now we aren’t even completely sure if we can afford our current design, but we will be working on this soon. Oh, and yes, there are currently tax credits for installations of such systems, but it doesn't help much for a church that doesn't file much in the way of taxes.

Stay tuned. We should have more information on construction plans in a few weeks!

For an interesting comparison, check out the VDOT Welcome Center in Winchester, which has geothermal installation. Note that it is a $6M 15,000sq ft building.

http://www.harveyhottel.com/resources/wincheste

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Future Home Sign

Thanks to Heather, Don and Paul (and others?) for making this happen. Our presence has begun!

New Building Concept

First Post - Pre Construction

First Post! Sorry, all I've got right now is what I just sent in for the June/July/August newsletter. This should bring you up to date.

Ah, summer! I so love the spring, but not the allergies that have kept me from operating full throttle lately. Whew. I’m back, and our wonderful construction team has continued to be on top of things. While we didn't get a full cost proposal in our hands in time for the UUFF Annual Meeting, it should be here shortly for our Board to review. Our architect has finished the necessary drawings and the subcontractors are putting together their bids. Our engineer will be presenting our completed Site Plan to Stafford County this summer, and we will be ready to immediately submit a building permit to the county when that is approved. When it all falls into place, we will be moving dirt before you know it. (Still shooting for Oct.)

Since I know we don't have a newsletter in the summer, and eventually I know that this maybe be a good way to communicate more efficiently, I have started a blog site: http://uuffnewbuilding.blogspot.com/. Don't expect daily updates, or really very many updates this summer, but I will post as appropriate. As the info increases with the beginning of construction later in the year, the posts will increase accordingly. If you’re not computer savvy, I know there are lots of people in our Fellowship who would be willing to help you keep up to date in a way that suits you. Just ask.

I'm excited about our beginnings of visibility at our new home site: the sign and flower box and plants that our hardworking Buildings and Grounds team has created on our land. Thanks especially to Heather, Paul, Don and Lara! Our visibility at our new location is beginning and the energies are shifting! Help us create more positive energy towards our vision of a new place for UUFF to flourish. Be ready to contribute should you be called upon, as we will be tapping more and more into expertise in our ranks. Stay tuned and Have a great summer!

Suzanne Logan, Construction Liaison, BoT