The Space Committee was formed as a result of a motion made by Mitch Fried at the 1997 annual meeting.
The following volunteered to serve on this committee:
Don Wexler and Diana McLeod joined later
Top of File
Space Committee Research On-going
The committee then entered a research phase. We explored the possibility of renting space at Vermont College, National Life, and the Capitol Plaza. We consulted a real estate agent and found two pieces of undeveloped land available in Montpelier. We also explored other leads on existing buildings learned of by word of mouth. In addition we placed an advertisement in the newspaper soliciting information about land and buildings. We toured the Masonic Temple and spoke with its board. We also researched putting an addition onto the present building. That was the reason for the professional engineering evaluation of the building, which revealed up the current problems.
Most recently we visited Temple Sinai in South Burlington to see how they use space. They built their current building when their congregation was 110 families. They are now expanding the building to accommodate their 200 families. We are nearing the end of the research phase and hope to report our findings to the Board shortly. Eve Jacobs-Carnahan
Space Committee Up-Date
The Space Committee has been very busy over the last several months. In our early meetings we identified numerous areas in which we seem to lack sufficient space in the Harrison Ave building: Sunday religious school classroom space, Purim Party, Hanukah Party, Passover Seder, and High Holiday Services, parking, kitchen facilities.
Can we meet our needs for additional space by adding on to the present building? The measures taken this winter to stabilize the building will probably allow us to use it for 3 - 5 years before another full assessment is needed. The recent work included additional supports under the floors, installation of another column in sanctuary to support second floor, removal of a heavy chimney in the attic, and creation of additional support structure in attic. One can still see that the sanctuary walls are not vertical, the ceiling is slanted and there are gaps between the ceiling and walls. Because of this, the walls should be checked annually for any further movement out of plumb. The end result is that the building cannot be added on to unless it is substantially reconstructed.
If reconstruction were attempted then new issues would arise. Additions to the building would need to meet fire safety codes and Americans for Disabilities Act standards for access. By adding up (another floor) we might gain classrooms but would not address other space needs. In order to add on to the side of the building we would need variances for set-backs and would need to find additional land within 300 feet of the building for parking. Adding on sideways would wipe out our currently grand-fathered exception to the parking requirements. We would be required to have one parking space for each three seats in the sanctuary. This is not feasible.
So the committee has looked for other possible solutions. We estimate that our needs now and in the foreseeable future would be met with a building containing four classrooms of 400 sq ft each, a kitchen of 200 sq ft, an office of 180 sq ft, a library of 400 sq ft, and a combined sanctuary/social hall of 2400 sq ft. This scenario would have a movable wall dividing the sanctuary from the social hall so that the sanctuary would normally be small and only made full size for High Holidays. Adding in halls, bathrooms, boiler room, etc. gives us 6350 sq ft. We visited Temple Sinai in South Burlington to see how it uses space now. That congregation built its present building when it had 135 member families. We currently have about 160 member families at Beth Jacob, having doubled in size since ten years ago. Temple Sinai's present building is about 6000 square feet, confirming our own size estimates. (They are actually adding on now that they have over 250 member families.)
Members of the committee have visited the Masonic Temple twice and gathered extensive information about it. We had the assistance of local architect Tom Bachman in estimating some renovation costs for the Temple. We also had Advanced Abatement Technologies of Essex Jct look at the building for asbestos issues. We learned there is asbestos in the boiler room that needs to be removed at a cost of $9500. The ceiling and floor tiles most likely contain asbestos but would need to be tested for asbestos to confirm. Full testing of the building would cost $3500; spot testing would be $25/sample. If asbestos were found then renovations would have to include the cost of dealing with those tiles. Our major concerns about the Temple are its size--it is 10,760 sq ft. That means added heating, cleaning, and maintenance costs for space we wouldn't need. (The building uses 8000 gallons of oil a year now, but the heat is turned down low most of the time when it's not in use.) Although some office space on the second floor could be rented out we would have administrative burdens and costs as a landlord. The cost of adding walls for classrooms, painting interior, adding windows, and installing new carpet and flooring start at around $60,000. Additional costs of making spaces wheelchair accessible have not been explored. Since the Masonic Temple is not formally listed for sale, the asking price is a bit vague--somewhere between $500,000 and $800,000.
Other leads have involved discussions with the owner of Barber and Lanier Funeral Home (who wants to lease but not sell), Norwich University (which owns the Vermont College Gym--but does not want to sell it), and the Capitol Plaza (which does not have any usable space).
In response to our advertisement and inquiries in the newspaper we learned of two churches willing to share space. The churches present scheduling problems, especially for Sunday school. The ad also brought us information on two lots for sale. We then contacted a real estate agent and learned of two large buildings and five undeveloped lots for sale in Montpelier. One of the buildings is impractical to renovate (and has since been sold), and the other is the old League of Cities and Towns building which has some disadvantages for parking and child safety due to its location near the river. Some of the undeveloped lots are too far from downtown, some are in the business district and lack parking or privacy. We have seriously looked at two lots.
The lot that looks the most promising is on Elm Street behind the Volvo repair shop. This is within walking distance of downtown, located closer to town than the Montpelier pool, and has sidewalks leading to it. It is priced at $59,500 for 5.9 acres. It is partly wooded, with a small stream (for Taschlich service) and adjoins Hubbard Park. It is within walking distance of downtown. We are working on obtaining site development costs on it now. The other promising lot is on Town Hill Road where the new pump station is. It is 17 acres, asking price of $180,000. It has an old run-down house that could possibly be sold off. It is an open meadow. The walk to it from downtown is a bit steep, though not exceptionally far. The possibility of finding another buyer with whom to subdivide it has been considered.
Religious institution building costs are estimated at $80-90 sq ft, so a simple new building of approx. 6000 sq ft (without a lot of frills) would cost about $500,000, before adding on cost of land and site development costs. We are in the process of figuring out financing costs and translating this into potential impact on dues. We will have more information and figures for everyone at the annual meeting. In the meantime if you have comments or questions feel free to contact members of the committee: Eve Jacobs-Carnahan,, Jerry Diamond, Mark Billian, Mitch Fried, Sherri Kasten, Diana McLeod, Don Wexler, Janet Starr, and Doug Cohn.
The Following was distributed at the 1998 Annual meeting
Ways in which our current building has insufficient space for our needs:
Other functions which sometimes fit within space and sometimes do not:
[Examples of ways to use these spaces in combination: for High Holidays all three spaces would be combined into one large sanctuary; for Purim Party or Passover seder spaces (2) and (3) could be combined; for large Bar/Bat Mitzvah the sanctuary could be made slightly larger by combining spaces (1) and (2), leaving space (3) for reception]
Kitchen 200 sq ft
Office 180 sq ft
Library 400 sq ft
One classroom 400 sq ft
Bathrooms 100 sq ft
Net to gross ratio (circulation, boiler room, wall thickness, corridors, etc. at 25%)
adds 920 sq ft
Total square footage: 4600 sq ft
*We would ideally like to have four classrooms, but we have scaled the project down to cut costs. We propose designing the building so that three additional classrooms can be added later.
Rough Ballpark Estimates of Costs
Land and Construction Hard Costs
Building construction $90/sq ft $414,000
construction contingency (7%) $38,500
Land on Elm Street $ 59,000
Site development $ 60,000 to $140,000
driveway, utility and water
lines, and 25 parking spaces
Furnishings, equipment $ 8,500
Subtotal Land and Construction Costs: $ 580,000 to 660,000
Soft Costs
Architectural fee $ 44,500
Civil Engineering fee $ 4,500
Testing (concrete, compaction) $ 3,500
Vt. Labor and Industry $ 2,500
Environmental assessment $ 800
City Building permit and fees $ 6,000
Construction period insurance $ 1,500
Construction period interest $ 7,500
Permanent loan origination fee .75% $ 3,000
Lenderıs Counselıs fee $ 800
Soft cost contingency $ 2,500
Subtotal Soft Costs $ 77,100
Total ballpark estimated cost $657,100 to 737,100
These estimates are very rough at this point. Much more accurate costs on the construction will be available after the building is designed and put out to contractors in a competitive bid. The interest and loan costs will become more accurate as we determine how much of the project needs financing and how much can be paid for by grants or donations.
Sources of funds
List of other places and alternatives we explored
Motions to Implement Space Committee Recommendations
$75 to $125 recommended range for 1998-1999
$100 to $200 recommended range for 1999-2000
$150 to $250 recommended range for 2000-2001
$200 to $300 recommended range for 2001-2002
$250 to $350 recommended range for 2002-2003 and years following
Members should decide how much they can give within the recommended amounts. People should not be discouraged from joining or continuing membership in the synagogue if these assessments are beyond what they can afford. Instead, an appropriate assessment should be discussed with the membership chair or treasurer.
2. The Board of Trustees is authorized to purchase, and finance the purchase of, land or an existing building, within walking distance of downtown Montpelier suitable for the eventual construction of, or use as, a synagogue.
3. The Board of Trustees is authorized to negotiate appropriate financing for the construction of a synagogue.
BALLOT
Members should decide how much they can give within the recommended amounts. People should not be discouraged from joining or continuing membership in the synagogue if these assessments are beyond what they can afford. Instead, an appropriate assessment should be discussed with the membership chair or treasurer.
YES____________
NO ____________
QUESTION AND ANSWER SHEET
To provide the Beth Jacob community with a building fund which can be used for on-going maintenance and repairs of our current building, as well as for the purchase of land and construction of a larger building.
Is there a proposal to construct a larger building?
The Space Committee has made a proposal to purchase land on Elm Street in Montpelier. The land is within walking distance of downtown and borders Hubbard Park. The Committee has proposed constructing a 4600 square-foot building. The rough estimated cost for land, site development (driveway, parking, etc.), building, professional fees, permits, and cost overrun contingency is $657,000 to $737,000.
Has a decision already been made on constructing a larger building?
No. In order to obtain a mortgage to purchase land or to construct a building we would need to have a specific vote of the congregation at a special meeting or annual meeting. However, there was a lot of support voiced at the annual meeting for obtaining an option now to purchase the Elm Street land some time in the future. This would allow us to preserve this land as a choice while exploring the funding issues more fully. The specific issues of purchasing the land, borrowing money, and starting construction will be voted on in future annual or special meetings of the congregation.
How did we pay for the structural repairs to the synagogue during this past fiscal year?
We paid for them out of our regular operating fund. Those repairs cost about $6500. If we were to need to paint the building, replace appliances or make other repairs we would be have to use our current operating fund. The ending balance in our operating fund this year is about $13,000. A common rule of thumb is that non-profit organizations should have a reserve of about 6 monthsı operating expenses. Due to the repairs to the synagogue last year we are actually about $7000 short of that goal.
Doesnıt the synagogue already have a building fund?
No it does not.
Would this assessment be in addition to regular dues?
Yes. That means a member would pay regular dues plus this new assessment for the building fund each year.
Would this assessment continue to increase after the fifth year?
Not necessarily; it could stay level, it could go down, or it could go up. In fact future votes of the congregation at annual or special meetings could change the assessment one direction or another even before these 5 years are completed.
Are there any other sources of funds for the building fund?
Yes. The Space Committee suggests that there be a fund raising drive for larger contributions within the Beth Jacob community and in the larger Jewish community in Vermont. The Board has obtained a list of private foundations and charitable institutions that give to Jewish groups. The Board plans to request grants from these institutions. In addition, the Space Committee has suggested asking visitors on the High Holidays to give donations specifically earmarked for the building fund. And, for the funding of the building project itself, the Space Committee suggests seeking commitments of loans (including below-market-interest rate loans as charitable gifts) from members of the Beth Jacob community.
How do our dues and assessments compare to other synagogues?
Even with the proposed assessment our fees will be roughly half that of synagogues in the Burlington area. For example, at Temple Sinai dues are $625 for individuals and $1075 for family. In addition, all members are asked to pay $2100 toward a building fund (which can be paid in $150 installments each year for 14 years). Putting together sample dues and building funds in this proposal for Beth Jacob (choosing two sample years) and comparing them to Temple Sinai looks like this:
Beth Jacob proposal Beth Jacob proposal Temple Sinai
year 1 year 5
$140 indiv. dues $140 indiv. dues $625 indiv. dues
$75 building fund $250 building fund $150 building fund
$215 total indiv. member $390 total indiv. member $775 total indiv. member
$260 family dues $260 family dues $1075 family dues
$125 building fund $350 building fund $ 150 building fund
$385 total family member $610 total family member $1225 total family member
Who can I call for more information about the proposal and future plans?
Space committee--Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (Chair), Jerry Diamond, Sherri Kasten, Janet Starr, Mitch Fried, Doug Cohn, Don Wexler, or Diana McLeod.
* * * * * * *
VISIT THE PROPOSED SITE FOR A LARGER SYNAGOGUE.
MEET AT BETH JACOB SUNDAY, JULY 19, 9 A.M.
Wear long pants and shoes appropriate for walking through grass or brush
Meeting for information and discussion of proposal: Sunday, May 2, 1999, 4:30 p.m. at the synagogue
THIS MEETING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A CONGREGATIONAL VOTE WITH BALLOTS SUBMITTED BY MAIL
The Proposal That the Beth Jacob Synagogue (1) exercise the option to purchase the land on Elm St., Montpelier, for $43,000 (the balance after crediting the option payment toward the purchase price), and (2) borrow money and pledge property, owned by the synagogue, as security for loans for the financing of the purchase of the land.
Discussion
Why Now This modest proposal to purchase the land for a future synagogue building is being advanced now in order to provide the Beth Jacob community with flexibility for the future. The option which we secured from the landowners expires in July 1999. By purchasing the land now we are not committing ourselves to any particular timetable for construction of a new building. Rather, we are simply ensuring that when the community is ready to undertake the more ambitious step of construction, we will have the site on which to place a building. Given the lack of other suitable land or buildings within walking distance of downtown Montpelier, we should be wary of letting such a desirable site slip out of our grasp. Although it is possible that the option could be extended, we do not know what the sellers would charge for such extension or whether they would give us the same final purchase price.
By purchasing the land now, we can start the process of seeking grants to fund the planning, site development, and construction of a future building. Such grants are most likely unobtainable without the BJ communityıs taking the first small step of purchasing the land.
Impact on Dues There will be no impact on dues by purchasing the land because we have a Building Fund. That fund will be used to pay any loans that might be incurred in the financing of the purchase of the land. The building fund assessments generated roughly $8400 this year. Next yearıs recommended range for Building Fund assessments is $100 to $200. Since the Building Fund is already in place, there is no need to increase dues to pay for the purchase of land. Using conservative projections, we can expect the Building Fund to grow by $8000 to $10,000 next year, and similar amounts in subsequent years. The fund currently has $6700.
We will not have to use all the Building Fund for loan payments. Interest rates are currently low. According to a commercial loan officer at a local bank, we can expect a loan at approximately 9% with a term of 20 years. If we use $5000 of the building fund and raise $6000 in donations, we would have to finance $32,000. The yearly loan payments on that amount would be approximately $3500. This would allow the Building Fund to continue to function both as a reserve for repairs to the current building and for future building needs.
Pledges of Donations To lessen the long-term financial impact on the synagogue, pledges of donations to the purchase of the land will be welcome. By raising money through contributions, we will have a smaller loan. This will enable us to lessen interest payments and to use less of the Building Fund, thus maintaining its stability and allowing it to grow for our future needs. If you wish to make a pledge please contact Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (223-4016) or Jerry Diamond (223-3700).
Historical Review This proposal is the result of a year-long process to assess and address the space needs of the congregation. A summary of this process and the options considered by the committee was published in the BJ Bulletin in April 1998. Anyone needing a copy of that report or the building cost projections distributed at the 1998 Annual Meeting can contact Eve at 223-4016 or carnahan@together.net.
Timing vis-a-vis Rabbi Issue This proposal must be considered in light of the fact that the Beth Jacob community is also contemplating a proposal for a part-time rabbi. This land-purchase proposal has been scaled-back to give the congregation flexibility on the rabbi issue. It is not a proposal to commence construction of a building; it is only a proposal to purchase the land so that the community will be ready to act when and if it decides a larger building is needed.
Each member of the synagogue is entitled to vote. For family memberships, that means each adult (18 yrs or older) regularly living in the house may vote. Separate members of families should indicate votes in different color ink.
Shall the Beth Jacob Synagogue (1) exercise the option to purchase the land on Elm St., Montpelier, for $43,000 (the balance after crediting the option payment toward the purchase price), and (2) borrow money and pledge property, owned by the synagogue, as security for loans for the financing of the purchase of the land.
Yes _______
No _______
Please return this ballot by Friday, May 28, 1999, by mailing it to Beth Jacob Synagogue, P.O. Box 1133, Montpelier, VT 05601.
A summary of the background to this proposal which was printed in the April Beth Jacob Bulletin is included on the back of this ballot.
On Dec. 14, 24 members of the Congregation met to share their concerns about how the process for acquiring the land on Elm Street is proceeding. The article in the Sunday, Dec. 1 2, Times-Argus raised concern among several participants that the building was a foregone conclusion. Many people were surprised to learn that the Board is moving ahead with spending money to develop a Site Plan.
The group expressed concern about how can we move forward together as a community where the concerns of the minority are valued and addressed. The work on finding a spiritual leader offers some lessons and a possible model. As Jews, we must carry a commitment to protecting the interests of the minority in all of our activities. The recommendations below reflect those of the participants.
Is a new building a foregone conclusion? We request that the Board commit to the following regarding how we proceed on the land/building:
·
Revitalize and expand the current Space/Land Committee·
Ask this committee to define a process that includes:Republish, in an easy to comprehend format, all previous work to date on assessing space needs, engineering studies of the current space and search process for land. Publish a summary of all actions of the congregation and the Board regarding activities to date, relating to space needs, the current building, potential new building, and purchase of land
- Publish a summary of what has been raised to date for the building, what has already been spent, and what additional funds have been authorized
- Define a process, that would be reviewed by members of the Congregation, on how the Congregation will go about making decisions related to new space. That process should include: a needs assessment and identification of several alternatives for meeting these needs with complete costs and timelines for implementing each alternative.
Publish Board agenda in the monthly Bulletin so that interested members of the Congregation can attend when matters related to the space/land are going to be discussed
Publish all future actions regarding land and space in the Bulletin in the month following that in which they were taken
The space issues really cannot be adequately considered in isolation from the other key issues relating to the BJ community For example, raising/spending money for one thing, can have a profound effect on other aspects of how we operate. Because of that, all critical actions, particularly those that involve money, need to part of an integrated approach to looking ahead. We request:
·
Create a pro active and participatory process for looking at our future as a congregation (this should include a timeline for getting this work done)- Assess the demographics of the current membership in regards to age, number of children and household income
Develop an estimate of future membership growth
- Evaluate the needs in all key areas of the current and anticipated operation including: physical plant; spiritual leader; Hebrew school; and adult education
- Prioritize those needs and evaluate the impact that action in any single area will have on the others.
Propose a plan that considers all of the above
as well as offering a strategy that builds on the BJ congregation as a single community that is strong and diverse, yet simultaneously fragile
·
Commit to not moving forward on any building plans until this process is complete-Ellen Fein
"The board reaffirms it has not taken a position on building a new building, and
no position will be taken until there's a vote by the entire membership."
Passed unanimous
On January 18, 2000, The Montpelier Planning Commission granted a two-year zoning permit after a site plan review. The vote was 4-2.
Thus far (January, 2000) we have spent a total of $4800 related to land purchase. All of this money has come from the Building Fund. None has come from the General Fund. None could have been used for maintenance of current building or to support other programs.
In the spring of 2002 the congregation voted overwhelmingly to sell the land on Elm Street and in the summer of 2002 the sale of the land to a neighbor for $47,000 was finalized. The proceeds of the sale were put in the building fund.