Greetings from your Building Committee!
Despite the COVID environment which we have all been experiencing, significant progress has been made over the past few months on our new church! And, the good news is that we are still on track to begin construction in the late Spring timeframe of next year.
Much work has been completed by Maser Engineering, the firm we are working with to develop the site design for the property, including locating the building on the property, parking and traffic layout, storm water management systems, outdoor lighting, Memorial Garden, etc. On June 24, the Bethlehem Township Zoning Board approved a few requested variances to the zoning regulations, most notably our desired height for the sanctuary and tower/steeple. And, on August 27, Maser Engineering presented site designs to the Bethlehem Township Planning Commission and our project was designated to proceed to “Administrative Review”, approving further dialog to address the comments provided by their Township Engineer. We anticipate submitting the next phase of plan development to the Township in November of this year.
In the meantime, great progress has been made by our architects, Mann Hughes to detail the actual building design. Subcommittees of the building committee and members of the Grace Church staff have been participating in design meetings with Mann Hughes regarding various spaces in the building; including worship, youth and children, atrium and café, multipurpose room, and steeple. Discussion on audio visual requirements and designs also took place. So, the details are starting to evolve and it’s exciting!
An updated project cost estimate will be provided in late September by Serfass Construction based on the latest design and construction drawings from Mann Hughes and Maser. At that time, we will have a much better understanding of project cost compared to available funds and will proceed accordingly. Actual renditions and drawings will be available for the congregation to review in early October!
So, in summary, much work has transpired and there is more work to do. It’s incredibly exciting to see some of the design details that give the new church a distinct character and start to make it feel “real”! Please submit any questions or comments to buildingcommittee@gracecb.org . We look forward to sharing more details soon.
Blessings,
Steve Follett, Gary Etter – Co-Chairs
Building Committee – Mike Butz, Brad Chamberlain, Keith Krenz, John Lewis, Brant Lingle, Nora Reilly, Jim Rowland, Peter Young