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Beth Jacob Synagogue
PO Box 1133
Montpelier, VT 05601-1133
802-229-9429
Building Renovation Project FAQs
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Q. What's wrong the current synagogue building?
A. The most significant problem is that the foundation has cracked and shifted in several places. The foundation wall between the old and new sections of the building has been especially weakened and the right side of the foundation has bowed from ground pressure. Water runs off the hill behind the building and continues through the basement out to the street. Due to the foundation problems, the walls and floors of the building are no longer level or plumb. Steel support posts in the basement are starting to deteriorate as a result of moisture. The attic beams need significant repair; the furnace has failed and needs replacing; and the chimney needs masonry work and a new liner. The electrical system is antiquated, with some knob and tube wiring.
Q. Can we use the current building at all?
A. The engineers have told us that the sanctuary should not be used when there is more than 8 inches of snow on the roof or when there are winds over 20 miles per hour. Although the main furnace is not functioning, we installed a gas heater in the back room. As a result, we can use the whole building in good weather and the back room in all weather.
Q. What are we doing about it?
A. We plan to reconstruct the building in two phases on the existing footprint. The first phase will be replacement of the sanctuary at the front of the building. From the outside the building will look very much the way it looks today. Inside we will create a sanctuary with a vaulted ceiling and perhaps a decorative hexagonal window. The ark and bima will be moved to the east wall under skylights. There will be a new, full height foundation under the sanctuary.
Q. What is the second phase?
A. When we have raised enough money we will repair or reconstruct the back portion of the building which is used as a gathering space, religious school, and expansion space for large services. We hope to re-arrange this space, moving the kitchen and bathroom against the back wall to improving the circulation within the room and sightlines toward the bima when it is used as overflow space.
Q. Why are we limited to building on the same footprint as the current building?
A. The lot on Harrison Avenue is very small and the current zoning laws require set-backs from all sides of the lot that would leave only a very small buildable area in the center of the lot. Since the building is grandfathered in to the zoning codes, we have latitude to make significant renovations as long as we stay within the current footprint and keep the overall mass of the building essentially the same size. On March 1, 2010, the City of Montpelier gave us permission to follow the approach of rebuilding the front portion of the building within the existing footprint.
Q. If the lot is so small, why not look for another piece of land on which we can build a new building?
A. Many people in the congregation have an emotional attachment to the current building and location. With all its faults, this building has been a synagogue for the Beth Jacob community for nearly one hundred years. Moreover, if we build in a new location, we could be delayed by issues raised by neighbors who are not accustomed to living next to a synagogue and by the need to construct a significant parking lot in a new location. Our experience with the purchase (and later sale) of land off Elm Street ten years ago is an example of this. Furthermore, the cost estimates provided to the board in 2007 indicated that buying land and building fresh would cost considerably more than the option of renovating the current building. We believe the relative cost of renovating remains lower than the cost of buying land and building elsewhere.
Q. What is the construction schedule?
A. We hope to put Phase 1 of the project out to bid in the Spring of 2010 and start construction sometime in May. The synagogue will be under construction and unuseable during the summer of 2010.
Q. How much will the renovations cost?
A. The total plan we are pursuing is estimated to cost more than $600,000. The first phase is estimated to cost $368,000. We will not know the actual costs until the contruction plans are completed and the job is put out to bid.
Q. How will we pay for the project?
A. As of March 2010 we have pledges and funds totaling $340,000. These come from the $87,000 in funds we had saved prior to the start of fundraising, and the remainder has been received in pledges.
Q. How do I contribute?
A. You may send a contribution to Beth Jacob Synagogue, P.O. Box 1133, Montpelier, VT 05601 or contribute on the web with the "donate" button on the building project page. Be sure to indicate that it is for the building campaign. We will include the names of all donors on a plaque in the renovated building, unless you ask to have your gift be anonymous. There are also opportunities to name parts of the building in honor or memory of a person or an idea.
Q. How do I get more information?
A. Contact Eve Jacobs-Carnahan at (802) 223-4016 or Andy Robinson at (802) 479-9558.
March 2, 2010
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