A Site Analysis and Next Steps UPDATE

Preparing for Church Conference on Tues., Oct. 21 at 6 pm

Thanks for the many ways you’ve engaged with the presentations and feedback sessions offered during September. We counted 120 who attended one or more of those sessions, and our Site Analysis Oversight Team has heard and is responding to questions and ideas that have emerged.

We’ve prepared this update as we look ahead to the Special Called All Church Conference scheduled for Tuesday, October 21 at 6:00 p.m. First we explain what will happen that evening, and then (keep reading!) we share about feedback and questions we’ve received so far.

The Church Conference

This gathering will be held in the sanctuary and led by our District Superintendent, Rev. Lilian Gallo Seagren. The Church Conference will be conducted in accordance with the Book of Discipline 2020/2024 paragraphs 246.4 through 8. All members of Collegiate/Wesley may vote. Notice of the Church Conference is being shared through CW Current, our weekly email, as well as by mail.

The purpose of this Special Called All Church Conference is to vote on the recommendation of Collegiate/Wesley’s Church Council and Board of Trustees to approve removal of Wesley Place and the marketing of the Western Properties, and to move forward with a capital campaign and planning toward these Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects:

We are using the language of marketing to describe what you’re being asked to decide right now concerning the Western Properties. To market these properties is to list them for sale and to explore possible proposals for sale or other disposition. We anticipate this will be a somewhat lengthy process—possibly over the next two or three years, or longer. During that time, our footprint, our parking, and our use and leasing of spaces to tenants remain essentially unchanged. 

We are seeking approval to move forward now with the marketing of the Western Properties because doing so will prepare us for next steps if and when we are ready to take them. Our site analysis clarifies the current and future costs of the continued ownership of these properties. We can’t know what possibilities exist and what their economic and programming impact will be until we invite proposals and see what emerges. This step will prepare CW to make the next set of decisions for its present and future.

What we AREN’T deciding at this time

This Church Conference and the items for approval will not include or address the projects described in our information sessions as belonging to Phase 3.

• Construction of an entrance addition at the new south entrance, with stairs and an elevator; 
• Additional internal renovations to connect that entrance at the second floor and basement, and the renovation and consolidation of our office area; 
• Completion of the west parking lot and west retaining wall, including additional parking spaces along the west drive). 

These steps would involve additional discussions, design, and decision-making at a later date.

Similarly, the question of any sale of the Western Properties is not being decided right now.  Last winter we identified, through our Conversation Circles and Leaders’ Summit, a consensus that “being able to house non-profits is a ‘nice to have’ but not a ‘need to have’ item.” When and if a proposal emerges for disposition of the Western Properties, the decision about accepting it will come before a future Church Conference. Decisions at that time will be informed by the nature of the proposal, its impact on the properties we retain, and CW’s needs, finances, and priorities as they have unfolded in the time between.

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An Update Based on Feedback Received. We asked you to get engaged in this process, and you have! We’re grateful for the good and helpful feedback, questions, and constructive ideas so many of you offered at and after the sessions we held during September.. Here’s a summary of the key take-aways, along with some questions and responses.

• Positive reactions. We heard your enthusiasm for numerous aspects of the plan and the circumstances and priorities that generated it, including:
  • Better financial picture
  • Better signage and wayfinding
  • Ease of getting around
  • Downsizing footprint
  • Movement/Accessibility
  • Demolition of Wesley Place
  • New, clearer entrance
  • Covered canopy
  • Parking lot improvements
  • Accessible bathroom in Wesley Hall
  • Multipurpose room
  • Home for CW missions (Clothing That Works and Little Food Pantry)

• What about parking? Some of us remember that Collegiate/Wesley acquired the Western Properties, 25 years ago, primarily to increase available parking for persons attending worship and other events here. The potential sale of the Western Properties raises questions about sufficient parking for our congregation today and into the future.
  • The decisions before us on October 21 have no immediate impact on available parking. The spaces we use today in the area designated to be marketed would remain available until and unless a future decision is made to sell that area.
  • The work of Phase 1 and Phase 2, if completed as presented, would reduce the number of parking spaces available in the main lot south of the building from 76 to 63, mostly due to added greenspace at the Hayward Ave. entrance. During this time, ample overflow parking remains in the area being marketed. If Phase 3 is completed as presented, additional parking is envisioned along the new two-way drive west of the main building which would bring the total to 80-85 spaces, much of which would be closer to the main building than the parking available today.
  • Depending on a potential buyer’s planned use of the property and their parking needs, we may be able to reserve parking spaces on Sundays into the future as part of the terms of a sale of the Western Properties. We’ll know this before approving any such sale.
  • Some have suggested revising the boundaries of the Western Properties we are proposing to market, to preserve more space for parking we would own. We are advised that with potential buyers whose needs and priorities may vary, it is preferable to list the parcel as is, and then to explore alternatives as negotiations unfold. A significant change in the initial outline of the parcel would likely significantly reduce the value of the parcel because the smaller area would limit what could be developed there.

• What about greenspace?  If the proposals we shared in September are fully implemented, part of the greenspace south of our main building would be used for a drop-off lane and sidewalks that lead to the new south entrance. 
  
  • Most of this change would not occur until and unless Phase 3 is accomplished.
  • Some new greenspace would be created west of our main building in Phase 1 with the removal of Wesley Place.
  • While the loss of some current greenspace would reduce outdoor recreation space, many activities could be adapted to fit the space that remains available. We’re told that our current outdoor space is used in connection with our children and youth programming maybe a dozen times a year, plus during Vacation Bible School.

• What will happen to our non-profit tenants in the Annex? A decision to market the Western Properties raises this question because a potential buyer might raze the existing buildings and current tenants would have to relocate.
  • Collegiate/Wesley bought the Western Properties in 2000 to acquire parking and to control what would be built on that property to our west. This acquisition was not made to enable us to house non-profit tenants. The plan to offer the Annex building as a home for nonprofits emerged from circumstance and has served us and the community well for these 25 years.
  • As mentioned above, at our Leaders’ Summit last winter, a consensus emerged as to a number of points that included “being able to host non-profits is a ‘nice to have’ but not a ‘need to have’ item.” This conclusion was based on dozens of conversations and a day of intense consideration among a broad range of our CW leaders.
  • It is possible the Annex building and these tenant spaces would remain in place even with a sale of the Western Properties. A buyer might not have a plan for that portion of the space, or might wish to continue those relationships. 
  • We do not take lightly the impact our decision-making about our properties is having and will have on these tenants. We intend to maintain existing leases and relationships as long as they serve our mutual purposes and we will be straightforward in helping tenants understand what we can and cannot do together. 

• What will happen to Clothing That Works and the Little Food Pantry? These groups are the two mission ministries of Collegiate/Wesley that utilize dedicated space in the Annex. As such, they are not “tenants” as discussed above. 
  • As we have explained throughout, any plan to sell the Annex would include ensuring space for these missions. 
  • We do not have a definite plan for specific locations where these groups would be located if their use of space in the Annex ends. As explained above, we anticipate a period of years before these decisions would be necessary. Needs and capacity change over time, so these decisions are not yet ripe.
  • Any new location for these ministries will likely look and operate differently. The space currently used by Clothing That Works (like many spaces in the Annex) is not handicapped accessible. Relocation will provide the opportunity to address these issues, for the sake of both its patrons and its volunteers.
• Are there Eagle Scout projects affected by these plans? Two Eagle Scout projects have been completed and installed in areas where changes or potential disposition are proposed. The first is a Little Free Library located next to Wesley Place, which can be relocated if that building is removed as proposed. The other is an accessibility ramp installed last fall by Caden Olsen on the west side of the Annex, which is likely unable to be repurposed. The ramp continues in service and will be useful so long as the Annex remains. In both cases, the projects served important purposes for the church and community, as well as yielding leadership skills and experience for the scouts involved. We are proud to have been part of these young people’s work toward the Eagle Scout rank.

• Why THESE projects? 
  • Our consultants, BBS Architects / Engineers, performed an in-depth review of our properties, their condition and use, and our priorities and values, in an effort to answer the question of their best use and any opportunities for disposition or other changes. In addition to identifying routine and ongoing maintenance needs, they identified a number of improvements that would help our properties to better serve us.
  • The recommendations shared this fall are the ones that most closely match the values and priorities we articulated through our input process, and the ones that BBS and our leaders believe have the biggest potential to strengthen our ministries. 
  • The removal of Wesley Place and the creation of a two-way drive onto Lincoln Way will make it easier for people to find us from the west. A more obvious and inviting entrance off of Hayward, with clear signage, will help people know they’ve arrived where they meant to be. The proposed south door (in Phase 2) and entrance addition, with direct access to stairs and an elevator to all floors (in Phase 3), will make entering the building easier and improve circulation, enhancing people’s comfort and independence.. “People want to be able to find their own way,” as Matt Cole, BBS’ lead architect, told us. Having experienced the tension of not knowing, or having to ask, and maybe not finding what they were looking for, people don’t always return. 
  • Also in Matt’s words, “You speak the language of welcome, and inclusion, and accessibility. Your building isn’t speaking the same language you are.” 
  • There are projects included in the proposal that simply have to happen—most notably our main (south) parking lot. The 2024 recoating improved the surface temporarily, but multiple potholes suggest underlying ground structures need to be addressed. 
  • There are other improvements that we will likely want to prioritize when possible, possibly while and certainly after implementing these proposals. One example is to make the chancel area at the front of the sanctuary accessible. The chancel steps are difficult for many, and the choir and organ area are inaccessible to persons with mobility limitations. Undertaking this project will entail a larger consideration of the design and use of space at the front of our worship area which seemed beyond the scope of this project.  
  • With BBS’ help, our leaders have sought to maximize the impact and timing of current and future funding and obligations through responsible decisions about priorities and possibilities for the good of Collegiate/Wesley.