Late May meeting

Folks active in the newspace@chpc task force gathered on the day after Memorial Day (Tuesday, May 26) to follow up on recommendations to the session and discussions with architect Kevin Milburn. Pastor Jane Larsen-Wigger reported that – partly through a June newsletter article – she had invited Crescent Hill church folks to participate in the facilities-related committees that the task force had recommended the session set up: building maintenance committee, housekeeping committee, grounds maintenance committee, and green committee.

Jane later reported that Ben Randell and Doug Yeager have been hashing out where to put the old sound system, recently fixed, and whether to pursue a new system. Jane also reported that the preschool board has decided to mulch some of the playground (which inspectors recently banned preschool kids from using, without the mulch) and have the swing set removed.

(Anita reminded folks about the possibility of moving the playground to the other side of the parking lot and the opportunity of striping the lot and having traffic U-turn around the lot.)

Anita reported on her Education Building research about replacing the huge gas-powered stove in the kitchen ($1,000 total for one each gas-powered and electric-powered stove like what you’d find in someone’s house) and improving acoustics in the Fireside Room (draperies for $100?) and carpet over the floor of most of the Fellowship Hall (along with perhaps banners and baffles). (Replacing the stove and installing ventilation would promote safety and energy conservation, while improving acoustics would promote accessibility.)

Anita will follow up by convening a group of users of the kitchen and other interested persons – in the kitchen – to explore the stove possibilities. The church will not try to make a stove change (and the addition of ventilation) prior to Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville’s summer Garden Camp, as the task force had hoped. Anita will also explore some other issues, including how much a commercial electric stove would cost and what exactly the building code requirements about ventilation are.

Anita will also consult Ada Bartlett-Asenjo about draperies and additional and replacement carpet tiles in the Fireside Room.

The group affirmed its long-term interest (as per the architect’s suggestion) in a westward expansion of church buildings and the construction of a new, larger Fellowship Hall (plus church offices) (where the playground and Scout Hut now sit). But group participants said that – especially with the state of the economy – this would not be something to undertake immediately. (In this scenario the current Fellowship Hall would be subdivided and the western end of the main building would be devoted to children’s and youth ministries).

Folks in the group expressed some interest in building a ramp out of a side door (on the south side of the main building, between the sanctuary and the choir room), heading down towards the Education Building and then raising and widening the roof over the breezeway between the main building and the Education Building (possibly extending out to the parking lot). This would be with or without a glass wall enclosing the ramp and with or without a lift to get people from the sanctuary floor to the floor with the church office. It could lead into the westward expansion, by helping people – including people who have trouble getting around – get to the current Education Building (and then through that building to the new building) – without having to go outside.

Task force folks talked at length about whether to spend the $10,000 to have the Scout Hut – at the northwestern end of the church property – removed or to invite Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville (SAL) to fix up the building a little and occupy it for two or three years (before the westward expansion might proceed). Ted Trautwein will take another look at the building and will talk with SAL’s Stephen Bartlett about whether the organization is still interested in using the building and whether it is willing to take the lead with any necessary changes to the building.

Laura Kelleher will follow up on suggestions from Martha Gee that Presbyterians for Disabilities loan and grants funds might be available to help finance changes designed to promote accessibility (such as the carpeting to improve acoustics). The group also recommended (to the session and the Stewardship Committee?) that the church fix and cover with exterior glass (having already done this to two of the some 14 old stained glass windows) an old stained glass window that is currently leaking.

-- Perry