WE HAVE A BUILDING PERMIT!!!
It was beginning to feel like this day would never come. We had a couple of last-minute glitches, but now the permit is in hand, and we can move forward with the project. Thanks to Pinkard Construction and Ewers Architecture for seeing us through this frustrating process.
First thing Monday morning, workers from Fort Collins arrived to install the electric transformer. That work was scheduled for one day and has grown into three but should be completed soon. The gas line relocation is once again delayed. The first draft of this newsletter reported that work started on July 13, but now we can only say it’s expected to start on July 15. In any case, Construction officially begins on July 18th!!!!
One of the first tasks will be to move our sign on Drake Street. The sign will be removed and stored until it can be safely relocated. We anticipate that its final location will be a little further east. Beyond that, they will be digging trenches for the new electrical conduit and doing some “selective demolition” – removing some roof overhangs and things like that. Heavy equipment should appear in mid-August. Quentin Lowe, our site superintendent, is working in the trailer daily, and the gate will be locked at night.
There is a document online that we will update with the current schedule. Right now, it is sparse, but that will change as work begins. You can find the document at http://foothillsuu.org/construction. If you know anyone that would like to receive our monthly newsletter the link for that is http://foothillsuu.org/buildingnews.
Good relations with our neighbors are important, and this will be a long project. We shared the links above with our immediate neighbors by distributing door hangers. In the process, we heard some comments that folks might be driving faster than the posted speed and not stopping fully at the sign at the corner of Yorktown Drive and Yorktown Ave. There are pedestrians and children, so please drive slowly and carefully!
As work continues, we will post progress and pictures on the bulletin board in the church lobby. We will also offer regular opportunities for talking to our construction team and touring the site as soon as activity picks up.
It has taken so much support from volunteers, donors, and cheerleaders to bring us to this point. We are excited to watch the building materialize and look forward to our first service in our new space.
We would like to recruit one or two folks to join our Finishes and Design team! If you are interested, contact Buildingexpansion@foothillsuu.org. Tell us about your experience and why you’d like to join the team.
In partnership and with excitement,
The Building Expansion Team
Chris Bettlach, Jerry Hanley, Peg MacMorris, and Margaret Cottam
You may recall that we have two preconstruction activities: moving the gas line and moving the electric transformer. The gas line work will be completed the week of June 14th. The new location of the electric transformer has been staked out, but the City has requested a different location. Once we relocate, we should get scheduling information from the City of Fort Collins.
We have been asked why we need to move a gas line since the addition will be all-electric. The answer is that the RE building will continue to use gas furnaces until we can complete the RE remodel phase of our master plan. The gas line serving the RE building currently passes through the excavation area and must be rerouted before construction begins.
We have also made progress on obtaining our building permit. The architects have been receiving and responding to comments from the building department review. Once that is complete, other City departments need to weigh in.
We have completed the recording process, have received comments from the building department, and expect approval from other city departments by June 15th. We received approval from Poudre Fire Authority this week! Pinkard Construction company will begin erecting the fence on June 15. As a reminder, the lower (west) parking lot will be used as a staging area during construction. The entire parking lot will be unavailable. The parking lot and construction site will be fenced for security and safety.
If you attended the June 5 congregational meeting (or read the meeting packet), you saw that our estimates in the areas of AV, City fees, and construction costs are over the amount originally budgeted. The AV and construction overages are largely a result of changing needs and increased material costs due to the pandemic. Pinkard Construction is monitoring suppliers and attempting to purchase materials in advance of anticipated price increases.
Once construction starts, we’ll provide opportunities to visit the site and talk to the managers. The BET is looking forward to seeing work begin and the realization of the vision of our new sanctuary.
In partnership and with excitement,
The Building Expansion Team
Chris Bettlach, Jerry Hanley, Peg MacMorris, and Margaret Cottam