Next Step Committee

The Chapel of the Cross

March 6, 2005

Attending: Committee members Paul Carew, Reid Conrad, Terry Eason, Linda Rimer, Barbara Schutz, Ted Vaden, Robert Wright. Ex officio, John McGee, Matt Poe of Hartman Cox.

The meeting convened at 6 p.m. The committee reviewed comments from the Annual Meeting and from the March 5 follow-up meeting with the parish. The committee was pleased with the turnout for the Annual Meeting and for the follow-up meeting. Attendance at the follow-up was about 35. There were 43 questions asked at the meeting, of which one person asked 13 questions, two people each asked five, two people each asked three and seven asked one or two. A total of 12 people asked questions. The committee has received separate statements and/or questions submitted by Ken Robinson, Bert Liverance, Larry Logan, Valerie Bateman, Peg Rees and Bill Yeager.

Linda prepared a summary of the March 5 meeting. That will be posted on the website.

Among concerns were parking and creating space for a day care center. Reed observed that not much of the reaction focused on renovation v. new construction, i.e., that people seemed to focus on the new construction plan. There also seems to be an understanding that it would be a two-stage process, with time to take a breath and reassess between stages. Martha said potential donors are saying that if they are being asked to make large contributions, they should be shown a substantial project.

We addressed the continuing concerns about parking. Matt said approximately 10 of the 30 current spaces would be lost. Much of the problem, it was noted, is not on Sundays but during the week, when the parking lot is congested with parents dropping off pre-schoolers and when volunteers can’t find spaces in the evening. There was discussion of the suggestion that the fellowship hall be cantilevered over the parking area, to preserve parking space. The committee agreed that would not be a solution, because it would not allow excavation of below-ground space, and because it would impede circulation from worship space to parish hall. The comment agreed that design should be driven by program needs and not by parking. The committee then agreed unanimously to the following motion:

Given inadequate parking and access at present and some parishioners’ concerns about the loss of some spaces in the proposed architectural design, the Next Step Committee recommends that a new Parking Committee be established to investigate alternative parking, traffic and access for the proposed new design.

The Rector also has suggested such a committee. Paul Carew agreed to be a member. He suggested that it be a small committee, complete its work “PDQ” and the senior warden would be the appropriate person to chair it.

The committee then discussed the question of whether to provide space for an all-day day-care center. Matt and Terry observed that regulatory requirements would require about twice as much space per child as the current half-day preschool format. The committee decided that it was not its responsibility to make the decision re all-day vs. half-day and that the space would be designed flexibly enough that, should the parish decide to provide day care in the future, the space could be converted. That would not likely happen until a second stage in any case.

Questions were raised by parishioners about access to the kitchen, garbage, and storage. Matt will consider those issues as part of the continuing design. Also the question of daylighting in the below-ground level of the Fellowship Hall.

Barbara relayed a message from Gretchen Jordan that the committee was doing “a great job” with her thanks.

Ted noted upcoming meetings of the NSC with parish groups. Ted, Reid and Barbara will meet March 7 with the Youth Council. Ted and Martha will meet March 22 with the Men’s Breakfast. Meetings also are being planned with the clergy and staff, campus ministry, parents interested in day care. The committee also agreed to hold another follow-up parish-wide meeting in the dining room on Monday, April 3. The committee will convene for a short meeting at 6 p.m., to be followed by the parish meeting at 7.

Next meeting of the Next Step Committee is Monday, March 27, at 6 p.m.