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Questions Regarding Construction
When will construction begin?
Construction will commence on Monday May 18, 2009.
How long will Phase 4 construction take to complete?
Construction will take approximately 3.5 months to complete assuming no
delays due to inclement weather, additional time required for change
orders or other unavoidable circumstances. The current plan calls for
construction on the south wall to begin on May 18. June 1 the south
wall will be ready for painting. June 22 the north wall will be ready
for painting. July 20 the west face will be ready for painting. August
3 the east face will be ready for painting and the project is completed
by August 28.
What is being done as part of Phase 4 construction?
All the insulation and windows on the north, east, south and west sides
of the original church structure (the sanctuary) will be replaced with
new energy-efficient materials. The steeple and portico windows are not
being replaced as there is no need. The interior trim of the new
windows will be painted and plastering and painting in the sanctuary
will be completed as necessary.
Why is the work being done?
Infrared scans of the church walls and windows showed tremendous heat
loss during the winter. In addition, the old insulation in the walls
has settled considerably and is no longer providing insulating capacity
over a large section of the walls. This situation has caused our
heating costs to escalate. It has reached a point where this work has
become necessary.
How will construction affect church services in the sanctuary?
Sunday worship will be moved next door to the Munson library during the
construction period. We will meet on the main floor of the library in
the large meeting space each Sunday beginning May 24 and continuing
through August 30, 2009. We plan on reconvening worship in the church
sanctuary on September 6, 2009. A detailed schedule of the services is
provided below. The reason we have to move services to the library is
because construction activities will be too disruptive to allow
services to be held in the sanctuary. Scaffolding must be erected for
the window installations and dust will be generated, among other things.
What will happen to the organ, pianos and other items in the sanctuary during construction?
The organ will be shrouded in protective plastic sheeting for the
duration of the construction and unavailable for use. Due to the
sensitivity of this instrument all preparation of the organ for long
term storage as well as shrouding will be done by Czelusniak et Dugal.
This work will be done in the first week of construction. The grand
piano will be shrouded also in plastic for protection from dust and
incidental damage. The upright piano will be moved to the Youth Room
where it will be stored temporarily. It will be available to Marilyn
and the choir for practice. All hymnals and Bibles will be removed for
use in the library. Seat cushions, blinds and other items will be
removed from the sanctuary and stored for the duration of construction.
Who is the contractor for the project?
Cody Construction of Belchertown will be performing the work.
Questions Regarding Worship Services
When and where will worship services be held?
Worship will be held at 10 am as usual every Sunday at the Munson
Library beginning May 24, 2009 and continuing through August 30, 2009.
See detailed schedule below. Entry into the library is through the
front (west) door. Enter the west door of the library (door facing
South East Street) and go straight ahead through the next set of doors
into the large meeting room. That is where worship will be held. The
door into the meeting room on the south side of the library will also
be open. Handicap access is through the west door. Handicap parking is
available in front of the library.
Where should we park?
Parking will still be available at the church. You can park there and
walk over to the library or you can park on South East Street by the
common. Note: there will be a large 40-foot long storage container in
the gravel portion of the parking lot on the south side. This will be
used for storing all materials and supplies needed for construction.
These parking spaces will not be available for use. In addition, there
will be a large dumpster on site for construction debris.
How will people know where to go, especially guests?
In anticipation of the impending move, signs will be placed on the
north, south and front doors and along the entrance drive to the church
parking lot directing people to go next door to the library. Greeters
will also be stationed in the parking lot to help direct people to the
library. There will also be greeters at the front walkway and both
doors of the library. The advertisement that is usually placed in the
local newspaper will be changed to reflect the change in worship venue.
We may also have an article in the paper discussing the restoration
project and the impending change to regular worship service.
What will be the format for worship service?
The Deacons have been working closely with Caroline to develop a plan
for worship during construction. Except for a few changes in the dates
for Children’s Sunday, one Communion service and one Fifth Sunday (see
below), worship service will remain relatively unchanged. However,
beginning Sunday July 5, 2009, we will still have regular service but
we will switch to a generic “summer bulletin” format that can be reused
each Sunday throughout the summer.
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How will Sunday service proceed?
We have secured two keys to the library that will grant us access. Each
Sunday, Tony will open the library and set up the chairs for service.
When Tony is unavailable the Trustees will take over this
responsibility. Meetings have been held with the Deacons, Marilyn, the
Music Committee and Caroline to agree on how the chairs and other
furnishings will be set up to make the library a welcoming space for
worship. The Deacons will be responsible for preparing the space for
worship. The hymnals and bibles will be transported to the library each
Sunday for service and returned to the church at the end of service for
safekeeping. Helpers will be needed to store the chairs at the end of
service. General cleaning and sweeping of the space will be done at the
end of each service. The Trustees will help with this responsibility.
Please be aware that there is no air conditioning available in the
Munson library. So please dress comfortably for the weather. We may use
fans to cool the space before service but will turn them off during
worship service.
What about coffee hour?
Coffee hour will still be held in the Kenseth room throughout the
summer. The kitchen will be fully operational. After service, folks can
wend their way over to the church and enter through the north door or
south door.
Will there be music and will the choir sing?
Yes to both. There is a piano on the stage in the meeting room at the
library. This will be available to us. The piano is tuned once per
month and it will be available for practice to Marilyn or guest
pianists. The choir will continue to sing until their regularly
scheduled summer break sometime in June. The choir will still be able
to use the music room in the church for storing music, robes, etc. The
Youth Room will also be available to the choir for practice. The
upright piano from the sanctuary will be stored there and available for
use. If for any reason, the contractor needs to usurp the music room
for storage or other construction related activities, music, choir
robes, music stands and the bells can be stored temporarily and locked
in the one of the classrooms in the new addition. A key will be made
available to Marilyn and/or the music committee.
Will Sunday school be held during construction?
Yes. The education wing of the church will be unaffected by
construction so Sunday school can be conducted as usual. We have been
working with the Board of Christian Education on a plan to chaperone
the children from the library to the Church for Sunday school. A
contact person and cell phone number of someone located in the library
during the service will be established each Sunday in case of an
emergency or in case a teacher needs to reach a parent for any reason
during the service.
Will nursery coverage be provided during construction and during the summer?
Yes. The nursery area will be unaffected by construction. Again, a
contact person and cell phone number of someone located in the library
during the service will be established each Sunday in case of an
emergency. The nursery care caregiver will be provided with a cell
phone if they do not already have one. There will be at least two
adults present in the church while the nursery is in use during service.
What about providing special services such as weddings, baptisms, memorials?
Since we have known about the construction for some time and
recognizing that the sanctuary will not be available, the schedule has
been cleared of most special events for the summer. However, a baptism
will occur on August 23 in the library space during worship. As far as
memorials are concerned, these will be considered respectfully as they
arise, and Caroline has made provision with other local churches to use
their sanctuary space if that is necessary.
Questions Concerning Church Operations
Will the kitchen be available for use during construction?
The kitchen will be available during construction to anyone wishing to cook or store goods in the refrigerator.
What about the spring supper?
The spring supper will be held as scheduled on June 12, 2009 in the Kenseth Room.
Will the offices be open?
Yes. Caroline’s office and the front office will be open and accessible
during the construction period. Workers only need about 2 to 3 feet of
clear space when those windows are scheduled for replacement. It will
take approximately a half a day to one full day to remove and replace
each window so the disruption will be minimal. Overall, the classrooms,
kitchen, and offices will be available for use.
Will there be any interruption of services such as electricity, water, propane, phone or internet?
At this time there are no planned interruptions to any of these
services. However, if a temporary shutdown of any service is needed to
make a connection, for example, we will be notified well in advance so
that suitable preparations can be made. Outages, if any, will be of
short duration.
Will there be access restrictions to the church?
During construction primary access to the church will be through the
south and north doors. Access through the front door will also be
available but the contractor prefers that this door not be used for
public access when the work on the west face is underway. At that time
there will be scaffolding bridging the entrance and it would be
preferred that folks not use that entrance then. However, emergency
egress will be available through all doors at all times. Appropriate
signage will be provided to direct folks as needed.
Will parking be restricted?
The parking lot will still be available for parking during
construction. However, be aware that there will be a dumpster and
40-foot long storage trailer in the parking lot along with other
construction-related vehicles. Adjust where you park accordingly.
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