Dear Friends at St. Paul’s: June 6, 2010

(download PDF of the following letter as printed in the St. Paul's Herald, July/August 2010 issue)

At last Monday’s church council meeting (May 31) some significant decisions were made with respect to our redevelopment project. I want to explain these decisions and the reasons behind them.

In April 2009, St. Paul’s congregation voted to sign a letter of intent with a developer to build a new church facility and life-lease residence. Since that time, the Development Task Force and the Building Task Force have worked very diligently to implement the decision of the congregation.

As many of you know, the first developer, MADY Corporation, pulled out of our project. The second developer, Projectcore, has brought some exciting initial plans to the Building Task Force that show Projectcore is in tune with the congregation’s desires to develop a church facility that will meet our ministry needs and design criteria.

However, Projectcore has determined that it is not economically viable to re-develop our property while retaining all or part of the sanctuary. As a result, Projectcore has informed us that they are unwilling to spend any more time or money developing further plans until they are assured that the existing buildings can be removed from our property.

The way that we can resolve this impasse is to apply to the Town of Milton for a demolition permit. If a demolition permit is granted by the town, the developer will then be in a position to take the next steps to re-develop.

I want to say right now that, as part of any demolition project, we would salvage historical items such as stained-glass windows. The Transition Task Force has spent much time inventorying these heritage items. Their work will assist in deciding which items can be incorporated into the new facility.

At our Church Council meeting on Monday, with the Trustees in attendance, your Church Council approved the recommendation of the Building Task Force that St. Paul’s apply for a permit to demolish. Council has requested the Trustees to endorse this decision and the Trustees will meet on Thursday to discuss this matter.

The uncertainty about the Town of Milton’s approval of our plan to build a new church facility and life-lease residence has extended our timeline to proceed with the project and vacate the sanctuary. The safety of those who enter the sanctuary must not be forgotten or overshadowed by our re-development plans.

The Building Condition Assessment Report prepared by our architect, Allen Avis, in March 2007 advised that church roof structure repairs to the trusses, wall bearing plates, tie rods, purlins, and rafters and replacement of the slate roofing be completed between 2008 and 2012. The estimated cost in 2007 was $375 000.

In September 2009, Bob Peterman, the engineer who supervised the installation of the columns, reviewed our roof structure and gave us a guarded opinion that we could possibly delay repairs for two years until 2011.

This morning, your Church Council voted to obtain a second engineer’s opinion about the safety of continuing to use the sanctuary.

As you can see, the clock is ticking and we must resolve the issues of developing our property sooner rather than later. Applying for a demolition permit will require the Town of Milton to make a decision and resolve the uncertainty surrounding our re-development plans.

Pending the receipt of the second engineer’s opinion, your Church Council voted on Monday to close the sanctuary no later than December 31, 2010. The second engineer’s opinion may change that closure date sooner or later. But until we have clear confirmation of the continuing safety of the sanctuary, we must take no chances.

Members of the Building Task Force were available for an informal question and answer session in the Fellowship Room after worship (on June 6 and 13). If you have any questions or concerns, I urge you to meet with the Team to learn more about the process which we are following to implement the congregational decision of April 2009.

Yours truly,
Kathy Sellers, Chair of St. Paul’s Council