From the Property Report, presented at the 2008 Annual Dinner

2007 was an "eventful" year for your Property Committee, as many capital improvement projects were added to the usual maintenance, repair and replacement agenda. We began the year with plans to renovate the parish hall and rectory kitchens; install air conditioners in the lounge, child care room and choir room; repair and recondition the exterior church doors and adjacent masonry, waterproof the rectory basement, and enhance fire prevention in both the church and the parish hall.

Most will have noticed that the parish hall kitchen has been substantially updated. The three principal requirements for the kitchen renovation were: 1) workable configurations for staging parish events, including  plenty of usable counter space and easy handling of trash and recycling; 2) a brighter more pleasant space in which to work; and 3) ease of cleaning and maintenance. The most notable changes include totally upgraded electrical service, new cabinets and countertops, a large stainless steel stove and hood, attractive energy-efficient ceiling and under-cabinet lighting, reconfigured doorway and pass-through opening at the entrance, a windowed back door, two stainless steel sinks with disposals, and new flooring. The oak floors in the dining room and parish hall have also been completely refinished and the paint in these areas touched up.

The long-awaited rectory kitchen has also been completed and Judy reports that she's having fun moving into and using her new "toy." Throughout the summer and fall, Judy worked closely with architect, Doug McClure, and contractor Louis Boyle, to fine-tune plans and critique results as things were taking shape. The project began with demolition and removal of all old cabinets, flooring, walls, ceiling, electrical work and plumbing. A new sub-floor was installed first, complete with radiant heating, along with rough-in electrical and plumbing connections. An air conditioning unit similar to that used in the McCormick lounge was added to provide cooling in the summer months. Custom cabinets, including an island and a working desk area, were then built on site and installed. These cabinets are built without many of the objectionable chemicals and other materials used in typical kitchen installations. Silverstone surfaces and new stainless sinks and fixtures completed the counter areas. The beautiful new floor is oak and all appliances, including refrigerator, double wall ovens, dishwasher and cooktop, have been replaced with energy-efficient models. There is also a laundry alcove with new washer and dryer. Lighting includes new pendants, high-hat and under-counter fixtures. All overhead lighting will be of the energy-saving compact fluorescent variety, including new dimmable bulbs. The old brick fireplace at the kitchen's west end has been sandblasted and a gas-burning fireplace will be installed in the opening shortly. Finally, new windows have been provided to replace old, leaky and hard-to-operate ones. The overall result is a totally new and modern space that is still in keeping with the traditional nature of the rectory. Judy tells me she's anxious to show it off!

Ultra-quiet and efficient air conditioning units were installed in the lounge, choir room and child care room. Two of these include heat exchangers that can provide economical heating on days when the temperature does not drop below freezing.

The church doors were repaired and refinished in the early summer. Pat Nolan managed this project, working closely with master masons and woodworkers. Much of this work involved the repair and replacement of crumbling masonry around the doors and the fabrication of various pieces of surrounding trim that had rotted and was no longer sound. The two heavy sets of doors on the north east corner of the church were reinstalled and refinished after masonry and framing repairs were complete. The sacristy door was also refinished and is now essentially weather tight and considerably easier to open and close.

The rectory basement, while less stylish than the new kitchen, has also been transformed under the watchful eye of Ed Berry. A new waterproofing system will ensure that moisture and mildew will be minimized in the future. New fluorescent fixtures provide much needed lighting throughout. Old walls are covered with a white plastic membrane that will prevent the accumulation of plaster and mortar dust that previously covered everything in the basement.

Fire prevention work was started this year with the enclosure of the boiler under the parish hall. This boiler has been in close proximity to storage for the thrift sale. Changes include new sheet rock walls, a fire alarm and a sprinkler. This has corrected what was obviously a dangerous situation. Similar upgrades will be made to the boiler area under the church. In addition, the electrical contractor is working to evaluate and, if necessary, replace wiring and lighting in the church. Upgrades will include the use of compact fluorescent bulbs where aesthetics permit.

In addition to capital projects, several important maintenance items needed attention this year. These included the repair of flaking and deteriorating paint on the rectory exterior, repair of the parish hall roof, dealing with a serious plumbing back up in the parish hall basement, and many other minor repairs. The most significant "surprise" during the year was the failure of the system that heats the lounge, office and choir room wing. Piping carrying hot water for the system was originally installed in 1967 under the concrete slab floor. Over the years, these pipes have deteriorated and are now beginning to spring leaks. Unfortunately, there is no way to locate and repair the leaks, short of excavating the floor in the entire wing. Even if a leak could be found and repaired, we could expect others very shortly. Thus the decision was made to shut down the existing system permanently and to install five compact propane heaters in its place. This solution is the most economical available to us and has the added benefit of creating five separate zones, so we can avoid heating the whole space when only part of it needs to be warm. In addition, we are replacing oil heat with propane in the entire wing of the building, which means reduced pollution.

I want to thank the members of the Property Committee who did so much this year to help manage our many projects, especially Doug McClure, Ed Berry and Pat Nolan. Thanks also goes to a terrific group of contractors, including Louis Boyle, Steven Ivkosic, Chris DeCeccis, and Shane Adams whose efforts have often gone "beyond the call."

I sincerely hope you are taking pride in the improvements you are beginning to see and looking forward to those we'll be making in the next two years. Look for all new bathrooms and additional parking in '08!!!

- Submitted by Andy Merryman, Chair of the Property Committee