Ben Boisvert - Chairperson
As we look forward to the day we can all enjoy the regular use of our building for worship, mission, and fellowship activities, the Building and Grounds Committee has continued its progress on both major improvements and routine maintenance.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a unique impact on the contracting community. After a mandatory shutdown of all non-essential operations in March 2020, coupled with increased interest from homeowners and business alike, many contractors find themselves with an unprecedented backlog of work. We were fortunate to have our major projects under contract prior to the pandemic, but it has required significant persistence to manage completion of work under contract and to obtain estimates for remaining items.
Replacement of concrete walks and stairs surrounding the Chapel and connecting to Sandi’s Garden has been completed. In addition to the safety and aesthetics improvements this work has entailed, a significant portion of the “paved” area near Sandi’s Garden has been reconfigured to provide additional landscaped area, which will result in a decrease to our storm water runoff impacts. We have been impressed with the quality of workmanship and will also be switching to less corrosive calcium chloride for deicing of walks this winter to increase the longevity of the new work. The only concrete item remaining is removal and replacement of the deteriorated sidewalk sections along Moffett Street.
The majority of the new trim and gutter installation has been completed and additional down-spouts have been installed and connected. The remaining work centers around the more detailed trim work, including the curved sections outside the main narthex entrance and the ornamental trim surrounding the narthex side doors, as well as some additional work from Fellowship Hall to the Chapel.
The Committee has received quotes for replacement of the flat rubber roofs above the Friendship Room, narthex, and lectern side of the sanctuary. These roofs have experienced leaking in the past and have been costly to repair. Options for traditional rubber roof replacement, as well as a seamless silicone option are being investigated, but repair to the damaged underlayment will be a main factor in determining the final solution.