UUFF Chalice Circle Construction Progress

Electric, Painting, Etc

2012-01-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

Definite progress here. Even delivered the cabinets for the island in the kitchen. First coats of paint are on, but not the final.

Nice looking trim work going in now.

We will probably clean before the floors are installed.

Stay tuned!

Progress 14 January

2012-01-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

The mud and tape work looks about done. And I believe the cement work is about complete too. 90-14 >> about 76 days! Getting there quickly now!

Clean Sweep

2012-01-14T10:37:00.001-08:00

Ah, the diligent workers. Thank you!! You got the place cleaned up nicely last weekend.

2012-01-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Much drywall has been hung - about half.
Floor sweeping next Sunday will include more mess from hanging, taping, mudding, etc. Exciting stuff!

Ready for Drywall

2011-12-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

Drywall starts tomorrow! Yay!

Check out the stage, folks.
Cleaning tentatively scheduled for 8 January.

2011-12-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

No cleaning today! They are still working on the insulation, as they had some equipment breakdown on Thursday. They will be done on Monday, and we will clean on Wednesday. We could us a few more hands on Wed, so let me know if you can help out that afternoon.
Stay tuned for more opportunities too.

Dec 4, 2011

2011-12-04T18:33:00.001-08:00

Construction continues on target. Stone work, siding - noticeable progress. Electrical, sprinkler system, etc - not as noticeable, but progress none the less.
For a first hand look, come on out and help sweep up the floors on 18 Dec - please let me know ahead of time, as I want to make sure we have enough equipment.

2011-11-14T16:52:00.001-08:00

Much is happening at Chalice Circle, the changes just are not as dramatic as they were at first. Notice the stone going onto the siding here, and the concrete pad is there. More concrete is in, but not all of it yet. They are still working on the parking lot and such.

Here's some excitement - the vent hood in the kitchen. Complex things, these scrubbers.

And the electrical systems are going in now too. The power should be turned on there in the next week or so. Electricians are pulling all the wires now.
The word is drywall in the next 4 weeks - that's before Christmas! Whoo-hoo! Stay tuned.

This is the outdoor seating area outside the kitchen area.

Tree Planting day, Part I

2011-10-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day for tree planting! UU volunteers got 25 trees planted in our open space today. What a great space that is going to be! BIG THANKS to Anne and Carl and Joni for all the prep work and planning they did to get this day to be as smooth as possible. Not only will we have a lovely new building for interior gatherings, we will have great exterior spaces too.
Hopefully everyone got a good look at the building too - the reality of a new building is materializing! Yay!

A look from the back this time too. :-)

Another week of good progress

2011-10-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Windows are in, Tyvek is on the outside, paper is on the roof, and they were putting the piles of shingles on the roof today. Check out the front overhang too.

Like I said before, don't get too used to the very visible progress. At some point it will all be 'boring' stuff being done on the inside. That's where all the details and a million little decisions come in to play. But it will be spring before you know it!

2011-10-07T04:46:00.001-07:00

Work in progress. Ain't it great!?

More photos

2011-10-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here are the samples we chose for the exterior: shingles, siding, stone. Pretty much like the drawings.

Just another random interior shot. Some of the windows haven't been cut yet. Work in progress.

Indoor pics in progress

2011-09-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Looking great! Things are moving right along.

Looking from the front corner to the back corner of the main hall.

The choir room. The closet at the back of this photo will be great for storing musical things! Such a nice big window here. Extra wood pieces just for bracing for now.

Some photos from the inside. I'll add one of the front of the main hall when they have it closed up this weekend.
Stay tuned. More to come next week!

2011-09-27T03:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Carl! Great shot. Things are changing every day here. Be sure to come out on 16 Oct at 1pm for our Tree Planting. Bring your work gloves.

Sept 24 Framing

2011-09-25T03:45:00.001-07:00

Framing 2

2011-09-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

Taken today, 21 Sept. A bit rainy, but progress continues. See the framing for the windows to the main hall?

Framing 1

2011-09-19T16:52:00.001-07:00

Let there be walls - yay! This is going to be an exciting week.

Ready to frame

2011-09-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

All is ready to start the framing tomorrow - 19 September, 2011. The slab is poured and cured, the materials are ready and waiting. Water is on site, power is coming shortly.
Stay tuned. This place won't be the same ever again!

1 Sept Update

2011-09-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

Do you always need a photo? Well, here's a verbal update, with photos to follow soon.
The slab for the building is poured!
Framing should start on 12 September. Yes, it will be looking like a building in no time!
It's now 1 Sept - wow!
I am excited - hope you are too!

Better Aerial View before slab pouring

2011-08-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just days before pouring the slab. More photos once the slab is poured next week.

Now add some plumbing

2011-08-17T17:19:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the reflections off the wing. Will go back at a better time of day for photos soon. Just happened to be flying by tonight. Plumbing is going in where it needs to be before they pour the slab.

This is from above Pratt Park.

Footers and Block

2011-08-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Inside line is the outline of the Fellowship Hall. Block at the front of the picture is the outside wall of the Admin office.

View looking "IN" the front door.

View looking out the front door.

All of these were taken today, 12 August. Hope you all are as excited as I am!

The Earth is moving!

2011-07-30T04:33:00.001-07:00

So, can you tell the difference? There is something missing here. Dirt is moving as planned to get the site ready for building. Progress!

Friday, 22 July

2011-07-22T07:40:00.001-07:00

Bump of dirt behind the frontend loader, straight ahead, is where the building will sit. Lots of dirt to be moved to level the lot as the county desires, but now you can see where the church will be! Just behind, to the right, where the trees end (now) you can see folks walking in Pratt Park. Walk by and check it out.

Visualizing

2011-07-17T17:37:00.001-07:00

It can be tough to 'see' what is going on at our site when you're not sure where things are supposed to be. I did a quick simple sketch (to scale) of our site plan here. So when you see photos from the front entrance, you know about where the building will sit - a good ways back from the entrance and in the left corner of the lot from there. There will NOT be access from the gravel road on the right (YMCA) to our parking lot, though. We did not get permission from VDOT to do this, as it would have added a year to our site permitting (conceivably) and many more funds to do an impact study and perhaps add another road through to Butler at our expense. Not in the cards for us.

So, here is this week's entrance photo, and the site layout. Feel free to comment with any questions.

This last one is from the YMCA side. The orange fencing is around a filtration pit - four feet deep, and there is another a short ways away. Behind this pit is where our parking lot will be.

Now we're cooking!

2011-07-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

This guy was the first thing I saw on the land tonight. I take it as a sign of good luck. I think he scurried to a puddle before I left.

Finally, I go on vacation, and low and behold - progress! Thought I'd share a few pics from my check on the things tonight. The road is cut through the property and they will be hard at work this week to continue the progress on the site to get the pad site for the building ready as soon as possible.

Stay tuned!

2011-06-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Just to prove that we REALLY HAVE IT - the Grading Permit. Yay! The builder is hard at work getting all the moving parts in motion. The orange fencing will be up soon, and the property will begin to take shape for our new home. We've got photographers lined up to keep the progress photos at our current location, so you don't have to try to see what's happening from the fence line. We are on our way!!

Site Plan Approved!

2011-06-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Whoot-whoot!!! Site Plan has been approved/signed by the county!! Yay!

Ok, so don't look for dirt flying today. We will try to get the bonds posted today (thanks, Carl!). Then the bonds have to be approved (2 days), the Grading Permit has to be approved (2 days), and then there needs to be a builder/county Pre-construction meeting (2 days). Ok, and you know by now that when a government says "2 days" it could be measured by planetary days other than Earth's. ;-) Someone please comment with the conversion factors for us.

We'll be moving that dirt before the end of June! Yee-haw!

Closer...

2011-06-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

Yay and THANKS to Anne and Carl! The documents are at the county! Now for a couple county signatures, "recording" of the documents with the courts, and then apply and get the permit.

Whew. Should be moving dirt next week....

Keep those positive thoughts coming to the great team that is pulling this together.

And STAY TUNED...

Another step closer

2011-06-05T06:36:00.001-07:00

Signed, but not sealed and delivered.

Documents will get to Stafford county on Monday 6/6........

(Yay, Anne!)

Still Waiting

2011-05-29T14:33:00.001-07:00

Yes, we are down to our last signature on the plat and easements, and it is our own bank on which we are waiting. The issue has been "kicked upstairs" - taken to higher ups at the bank, and we should have some word on Tues, May 31.

Send your good UU thoughts to us on Tues!

Stay tuned.

Working on signatures

2011-05-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

We have two signatures down and two to go for the final papers. Getting closer...

Thanks to Anne & Carl for moving the signature process along!

Update 4/15

2011-04-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Stafford County has approved the plat today - yay! Next week we should get things signed off.

Another BIG step closer to moving dirt.

Look out!

Update 3/25

2011-03-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

The information was turned in to the county today - hurray! Hopefully we'll hear back next week. We are making progress!

Just around the corner

2011-03-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

“Are we there yet?” “Just around the corner.” This is the standard answer whenever my family is hiking, or on a road trip or flight. We are almost there, it seems, until we ARE there. Same can be said for getting our site plan. We are “almost there” until, very soon, we will be there.

As an update, we received the county comments on 17 March on our easements and plat. Our lawyers are ready to resubmit, as the comments were minor. Our engineer is making the needed changes, and we should have a coordinated resubmission the week of 20 March.

I can feel it – construction is “Just around the corner.”

The Rules

2011-03-01T17:44:00.001-08:00

Hey folks, we are getting close to time to move the dirt. Hope to hear from the county any day now.

Let's review "The Rules."

PLEASE STAY OFF THE LAND! You put all that we have at risk if you decide that the rules don't apply to you and want to poke around on the land. We are liable for anything that happens there. Don't be risky with what everyone has contributed.

If you want to have a look around, please contact Suzanne. She would be glad to arrange a visit by contacting the builder. Any visits have to be coordinated with the builder to be 'legal.'

PLEASE ADHERE TO THIS! We've come this far - let's get to our new home in an easy manner. The less stress, the better.

Thank you.

The Management

Paperwork submission

2011-02-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

OMG - all our paperwork is NOW IN to the county! Whoo hoo!

Standby for Site Plan approval! (and 'happy dance' by me)

2011-02-19T06:19:00.000-08:00

Still doing paperwork.....

So Close

2011-01-22T10:57:00.001-08:00

We are SO close to starting building, I swear I can smell the exhaust of the earth moving equipment.

These next 10 (working) days will be busy ones. Carl has things set up for closing of the loan, and things should be lined up to get the final paperwork into the county.

Send your good thoughts/prayers to the UUFF Board members and Commonwealth Trustees. We are doing all we can.

More County Stuff

2010-10-29T03:34:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-05T17:36:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-08-28T17:34:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

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

r-rest-area.html

Future Home Sign

2010-06-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

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

New Building Concept

2010-05-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

First Post - Pre Construction

2010-05-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

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