 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||
Unitarian Church of Sharon
4 N. Main St.
Sharon, MA 02067
781-784-3652
E-mail UCS
Project AIM:
Accessibility and Improvements to the Meetinghouse
For more infomation on Project AIM contact the Project AIM committee.
May 2008
Memorial Garden
Recently members of the Accessibility Committee (AIM) were quite surprised and unhappy to learn that after very careful consideration, heavy equipment will need access to the construction site of the new RE wing through the Memorial Garden. The Garden has been a labor of love for many congregation members, none more so than Susie Gray who led groups to envision, design, plant and faithfully weed the garden. Susie's ashes are among those that have been scattered or interred in the garden. And many other special events have taken place in the garden; new babies have been blessed and couples have lovingly exchanged their vows here, and the entire congregation has occasionally begun or ended Sunday services in the beauty of this very special place.
AIM Committee members met, worked through big feelings that this news evoked, and have begun to make extensive plans to protect not only the plants, especially the weeping cherry, but even more, soil that contains ashes. Committee members' priority is making certain that this whole matter is handled with love, respect and absolute care. They are confident they can respectfully move the parts of the garden that need protection, store them safely in "healed in" places over the summer, then rebuild and rededicate the garden after construction of the building's exterior shell is complete. The Committee has contacted families who have memorialized loved ones in the garden. The Committee is also planning a ritual in early May (day and time tbd) with the minister, and will make certain that adequate funds are earmarked to hire professionals to help move trees and restore the garden.
If you have concerns or questions about this, or would like to be part of the ritual in May, please contact Linda Godfrey-Bailey or Ellen Schoenfeld.
April 2008
Dialogue Regarding Sanctuary Space
The proposed renovation to our Church building offers many opportunities to improve access to the building, improve RE and office space, and otherwise enhance the physical structure we use for so many purposes. Less obvious is the impact of this renovation and addition on the Sanctuary, the space that is used for worship each Sunday and that is the physical heart of the Church.
Some impacts of the renovation on the Sanctuary space include removal of a large segment of the stage to accommodate the new entrance, use of that entrance as the primary way to enter the Sanctuary, and changes in the flow into and out of the sanctuary as a result of there being two entrances and exits. The current arrangement of pews will also need to be changed to make the Sanctuary fully accessible.
The Worship Committee has been discussing these and other changes to the Sanctuary with AIM, the Board, and other Church Committees. We would like to facilitate an open discussion with the Congregation during April to make all our membership aware of these changes and to offer them an opportunity to voice their opinions about changes to the Sanctuary space.
We’d like to hear your thoughts about how the Sanctuary space could be enhanced during or after the renovation process such as by repairing or replacing pews or pew cushions or making other physical changes. We would also like your thoughts about how the orientation of the Sanctuary space should be changed, if at all, after the renovation, whether or not we should keep the stage, and any other thoughts you may have about the design and use of this important space.
The first of these open discussions will be on Sunday April 6th at 12:00 (in the Sanctuary). There will be a separate opportunity for discussion of this topic on Thursday April 10th at 7:30. If there is sufficient interest, a third discussion will be held on Sunday the 13th.
Please plan to attend one of these sessions and voice your thoughts about the Sanctuary space. Later in April, the Worship Committee will consolidate these ideas and recommendations and present them to the Board for a final decision.
In the meantime, if you have comments or questions on this topic, please speak with Tom D’Avanzo, Chair of the Worship Committee.
March 2008
The newest plans have arrived from the architect, Lou Allevato:
Conceptual Design Elevations I (260k PDF)
Conceptual Design Elevations II (285k PDF)
Conceptual Design Perspective (5.71mb PDF)
Conceptual Design Perspective (View of Entrance) (8.72mb PDF)
Conceptual Design Plan (Roof Plan) (126k PDF)
Conceptual Design Plan (Ground Floor) (409k PDF)
Conceptual Design Plan (Upper Floor) (343k PDF)
Animation (14.3mb, AVI)
March 2008
About four years ago (it feels like it was as long as “once upon a time long, long ago”), the beginnings of what was to become the AIM Committee were doing our check-in at a meeting. I reported that I felt quite adrift, having been routed from my office at the Sharon Community Center, into a trailer, due to the building being deemed structurally unsound. As social worker for the Council on Aging, my work necessitates contact with the older folks of the community but I was now shut away in a trailer with our programs spread about the community. The happily ever after (I hope) is that one month ago, we moved back to the Community Center to a beautiful, spacious, totally accessible space. The Center is alive with activity and the space feels comfortable and like we have come home.
What does this have to do with our own expansion and accessibility plan? For me, who tends to be a bit of a skeptic, it has allowed me to believe our own beautiful, comfortable and accessible addition can happen . The people of the Town of Sharon took a bit of a leap of faith and voted for the money to renovate the Community Center and it now shows itself to have been well worth it. We will be needing to do the same and I am confident that we join together to make it happen.
Susan Edinger
February 2008
In addition to the current intensive efforts of the AIM Steering, Nuts and Bolts, Outreach and Stewardship Committees, a small Short Term Planning Task Force has been at work with committees and individuals to gather information about construction timelines and space and program needs during the building process. We began before the holidays with factual information from Joe Rando, and developed a comprehensive questionnaire for committees and individuals to use. It includes questions such as, “How close to each other do parents and children need to be on Sunday morning?” “Where should the church office be located, and how will the new Interim Minister and members of the congregation find one another?”
The RE and Worship Committees are already wrestling with detailed questions and considerations, and we’ll be asking for more input from other committee chairs, staff and key volunteers as well as members of the congregation. We hope to complete this information gathering phase this winter. When it’s is complete, we’ll make recommendations to the congregation and board about how we can best continue the work of the congregation during construction.
Currently, this short term planning effort has been focused mainly on soliciting information from committee chairs and committees, volunteers who extensively use or care for the building, and professional staff. However, we are very interested in everyone’s questions and ideas and seek your input. Please join us on Sunday, February 27 after the service to hear the latest information and give us your feedback. In the meanwhile, you are also very welcome to contact Jack Armstrong, Joe Rando, Louise Marcoux, or Deb Cayer with your thoughts or questions about this short term planning aspect of the building project.
January 2008
Enter, Rejoice and Come In!
The architectural design is nearing completion. At Coffee make a point
of checking out the draft plans on the Bulletin Board and join backroom
discussions. We look forward to talking with you.
What does Access mean to you?
By this time next year if everything moves along as planned, access to the Meetinghouse will be infinitely easier.
- If you break your leg, the elevator will give you access to the Vestry and Sanctuary.
- If mold and mildew affect your health when working in the building, the elimination of moisture sources will give you access to a healthier building.
- If you don’t stay for coffee because the Vestry is too noisy, the new ceiling will give you access to conversations you can actually hear.
- If your children find it hard to smuuush together in rooms that are too small, the larger spaces will give them access to greater program possibilities.
- If you walk to the Girl Scout House for your RE classes every Sunday, you will have access to a classroom in the Meetinghouse where you can actually pin up your own work!
If you want a quiet and private space for adult gatherings, the new
library will give you access to a bright, large room and the space
for future creative programs.
As a Congregation we choose to exist in fellowship. We choose to uphold our liberal religious values by providing opportunities for spiritual growth, social justice and connection to the wider world. Our mission implies accessibility with a broader meaning: Access to the building. Access to healthy and adequate space. Access to creative programming. And who is this for? Not just for me, not just for you! But for staff and for all people yet to Enter, Rejoice and Come In!
The Outreach Committee
Susan Edinger, Mare Parker O’Toole, Philip Conover, Alison Reid,
Ellen Schoenfeld-Beeks
December 2007
Enter the Meetinghouse easily and safely. Don’t worry that the
outside stairs are too steep or covered with ice. Don’t worry that
there isn’t access for a wheelchair or that the inside stairs are
too treacherous if you are on crutches or have problems with balance.
Enter: this building offers access to all.
Rejoice in a building that has adequate space for children and adults to learn, play, work, breathe, and grow. Rejoice that class will be not interrupted because it is held in the middle of a public room. Rejoice that a committee meeting doesn’t have to move out of a crowded Meetinghouse. Rejoice that there is adequate space for the professional staff to work comfortably and quietly. Rejoice that visitors feel welcome in bright and spacious quarters. Rejoice that the minister has a private place to meet members of our congregation. Rejoice in a building that supports all that we can do together.
Come in to a welcoming community. Come into a building that supports our work. Come into an historic structure that has been preserved for future use. Come into a space that will encourage everyone to worship, learn, give, care, and share. Come in, and be at home.
“Enter, Rejoice, and Come In” is the theme for this year’s
combined Annual Canvass and Capital Campaign. The Stewardship Committee
will work to ensure we have the funds needed both to support our ongoing
operational needs and to make the dream of an accessible and improved
Meetinghouse a reality. You will hear much more about this theme and
about the Stewardship process in the coming weeks and months. In the
meantime, please keep your eyes open for information regarding plans
for the new space.
If you want to help to make it all happen, please contact any of the members of the Stewardship Committee: Tim Monroe (chair), Ellen Schoenfeld-Beeks, Rory McGregor, Philip Conover, David Schoenfeld, Colleen Tuck.
November 2007
Hi All, this is a quick update on the current status of the Accessibility
and Improvements to the Meetinghouse Committee. First, we have become
several groups that work closely together to get the planning, communication,
fundraising and implementation of our addition to the Meetinghouse done.
Our groups include:
Stewardship- The fundraisers working with Tamsin Kemos from the UUA to create the vision and process to raise the commitment and funds to make our church a place where all can Enter, Rejoice and Come In!
Outreach – The folks with the info, they make sure we all hear about any updates with the building project and that we can all share in the process, creatively.
Nuts and Bolts- Not nutty, just focused on the practical issues of getting the building designed and built…kind of like a Buildings and Grounds committee for our future.
Steering – A gathering of members of the groups
above, with added advice of our Board of Trustees, Deb Cayer and experts
in aspects of the project. How we keep ourselves working as a team.
So… what are we currently AIMing for? We are working with our architect Lou Alleveto, to create biddable plans, which should be ready soon. We have been meeting with representatives of groups who use our current space, to see what we need our new space to look like to meet our current and future needs. We know it will be a bigger and better organized space than we have now, still filled with the warm and caring community we are and will continue to be.
June 2007
It’s a busy time for the Accessibility and Improvements to the
Meetinghouse (AIM) Project. A priority has been what will happen with
our septic system. AIM asked the Sharon Board of Health to review our
septic system design and based on Title 5 they asked us to use a bigger
size system. We are asking the state for a decision on size based on
our past water usage, which may allow us to use a smaller system. A quick
decision will allow us to lay the drainpipe in front of the church before
the new circle drive is installed. Between the septic pipes and the Town’s
work out front, these next few weeks will be a time of our own mini “big
dig”.
Jack Armstrong has joined the Nuts and Bolts sub committee of AIM. Welcome Jack!
Lou Alevato, our new architect, asked us for building use information
(both current and future needs) and in response persons familiar with
worship, religious education, meetings, staffing and social functions
filled out surveys which Lou now has. This is just one step in providing
Lou with enough information so that he can help us further refine a design
of an accessible space with enough elbow room to support our journey
into the future.
These last few months have been an increasingly busy time for the AIM Project and we look forward to continuing the momentum into the summer! Look for more updates in the next Chalice. Please join us, we’d love to have you come along.
May 2007
Project AIM Updates
1. The UUA Consultant, Tamsin Kemos, has sent us the summary of her
assessment of our preparation/ readiness for our upcoming building project.
You may view a copy of her report on the bulletin board or ask the office
for an e-mail version.
2. Septic Issues revolve around which system the Town will allow us to install. BOT reviewed the plans drawn up by John Glossa. The preliminary work is scheduled for this spring. And, no, the preservation of our antique cesspool is not an option!
3. Surveys are coming! Think Big. Think Mission! Reach! All committees will be asked to review their needs, wishes and ideas for the future. Our new architect will be asking us for details, refinements and projections into the future so he can design space that is useful for how we could use our building.
4. Space. We all know we need an elevator and why. But do we all agree
that we need space as well? What are your reasons for needing space?
What kind of space? Individuals also may fill out a survey.
5. Are you new? We would like to invite anyone who has the eyes of a newcomer to look at our space and our processes with Fresh Eyes and let us know what you see, think, feel. What would make our building and congregation more inviting? (Those of us who are used to the clutter and chaos need not apply!) Time TBD.
Assessment Report
Tamsin Kemos, the UUA consultant who spent a weekend
with us in March to help us with our building project, has given us an
Assessment Report. If you would like a copy of her report, contact Janet
Mayo at the church office and she will mail or email you a copy. Following
are a few points from Tamsin’s report.
Tamsin emphasized that it is essential for us to
create a long-range plan, saying, “Knowing how you want to ‘live’ and ‘grow
into’ your enlarged and improved spiritual home will help you to
build the space, and sustain the programs that allow you to best fulfill
your important mission.” She says our strengths include a strong
leadership core, a solid financial footing, and a commitment to putting
our faith into action. On the other hand, she also noted that one of
our challenges is making room for newer voices in order to maintain the
long-term health of the congregation. “As you change the ways in
which you communicate and make decisions, you may experience some conflict,” she
says. “Being comfortable with conflict and learning how to successfully
manage conflict as it arises will be critical.”
Next steps, she suggests, include undertaking a series of initiatives
around finances (establishing a planned-giving program, for example),
strategic planning, and organizing for a combined annual and capital
campaign drive. Overall, her assessment is encouraging and well worth
reading.
Report Discussion
If you have had a chance to review UUA consultant Tamsin
Kemos' report on her weekend with us, you probably want to discuss it
with others who have. (If you haven't, you can get it from Janet in the
office.) Tamsin has laid out a rigorous schedule of learning and growth
for us over the next 12 months, and we need to talk about how to incorporate
that work into our plans for the coming year. We need to talk about the
exciting prospect she has set before us, too, so that we come up with
a design that meets our future needs as well as our present ones! Therefore,
please plan to gather for an in-depth conversation about the consultant's
report on Sunday, May 6th after church in the Vestry.
March 2007
Going Up!
Accessibility and Improvement to the Meetinghouse: Project AIM
All of us working on Project AIM have become convinced that we will build. No one knows exactly when. No one knows exactly what. But, with each step we come closer to realizing the dream of a universally accessible meetinghouse and much needed space.
Recent AIM progress includes: Submission of a grant to the local CPC (Community Preservation Commission) for funding to offset the cost of the elevator; setting a March date for a visit from the UUA fundraising expert; visiting church sites designed and built by our potential new architect; continued communication with the Historical Preservation Commission and the Disabilities Commission. The latter was overjoyed to hear of our plans since we are the last house of worship in Sharon to address universal access! Our congregation and our staff have also taken the time to review the latest plans, ask questions and suggest changes. Only with our concerted effort will we design a building perfect for us, our children, and future generations.
Our next steps will include: Partially beginning the new septic by laying of pipe so the Town can finish the front Streetscapes Project and finalizing our design for submission for estimates.
Everyone has been hard at work, including the Jr. Youth Group who took the time to express their thinking about where their class is located. You may be surprised to learn that not ALL the young folk travel into the RE Wing and Vestry for classes after the upstairs moment with the children. Their class travels by foot, in rain or shine, snow or wind, to the Girl Scout House! They and their teachers don’t complain (well, maybe a little!) but with the completion of Project AIM, they will once again, after a very long time, be nestled under the roof of the Unitarian Church of Sharon.
About
UCS
| Worship | Religious
Education
Fellowship | Social
Justice | Home
