You wouldn’t believe the questions pastors get asked. Some of them are questions about God, some are questions about people (how is Mrs. So and So?) and some of them fall into the category of “what’s going on around here”. I wanted to create some kind of vehicle where the answers to those questions could be addressed to a larger audience. I hope you enjoy these occasional updates.
Here is an update on a project we started some time ago:
The Manse (that’s the pastor’s house for those who don’t know):
You might remember that The Trustees felt the old manse had too many issues to try and refurbish it. They recommended starting over again by tearing down the old manse and building a new one on the same site. In May, the congregation agreed with the Trustees and voted to pursue their plan.
Since that time we’ve been working with the architect to bring the house into line with the historic neighborhood and get the square footage down to a reasonable size. We have also had the lot surveyed (this was more challenging than you might imagine) and we met with the Historical Society. Though they were less than keen on our plans to tear down the house, they were very helpful in suggesting design details that will help keep the house looking historical, specifically in this area.
We also invited the neighbors to the church for coffee so that they could see what we have planned. That meeting allowed Mary Ann and I to meet our neighbors and even though the attendance was sparse, the comments were favorable. That meeting also led us to explore a design alternative that may help save one of the large trees on the lot. The next step is to get the plans before the Board of Adjustment and, as of this writing, the package is being prepared for submission to the town.
Though I have never personally been through the process of building a house, I am finding out that it is just like every other building project: more complicated and more time consuming than you ever thought! That’s fine. Even though Mary Ann and I deeply desire to be ‘back in the neighborhood,’ we also want to be sure that the best decisions for the church are made. Being patient, listening to comments and working through the issues takes time and effort but in the end it will be worth it when we create a house that the church and community can be proud of.
By the way, there is good news on the Germantown house front. The house was sold and closed about two weeks ago! Though we experienced a loss, at least the house is sold!
As always, thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Both mean a lot to me!
Blessings,
Don
