Important Deadline Nearing

This information was published in the Somers Congregational Church restoration news center on Oct. 17, 2012:

Rev. Dr. Barry Cass

Things are getting completed this week, and next week we will be moving in to the Office Wing.   One of the final tasks to be completed is the sealing of the tile in the downstairs hallway, which was begun on Wednesday, October 17.  Once the sealant is on it is vitally important that no one walk on it for at least 3 days.  That means the Office Wing is OFF LIMITS to everyone from today through Sunday.  Painting and carpentry work continues on the second floor.  The elevator should be operational by the end of next week or the week after.

October 24 marks an important deadline for the project, when the plans are due to be submitted to the Building Inspector.  The Building Committee, architect and construction manager have all been busy getting things in order, making some final decisions about floor plans and so on in order to be ready.  Decisions about colors and other finishes will be finalized in the near future; they do not need to be made before this submission.

While we are waiting for approvals things will look a little slow around the site, but lots has already been done.  Necessary changes to the water main and drainage system have been made.  This will allow us to connect the eaves spouts and other drainage systems to the underground pipes so they can be taken away from the building and discharged safely.  The exact property line will be established between the church and the bank which will then allow us to begin work preparing for the installation of the electrical transformer in the southwest corner of the property.   Power will be brought underground to the transformer from an existing pole in front of the bank.  This will require digging from the pole to the transformer which will take about a day and require the presence of a police officer to insure safety on Main Street.

Our representatives continue to work with the insurance company representatives to reach a settlement of our claim.  This process involves getting everyone clear about what we had, what it would cost to replace what we had and what code enhancements are needed in our new building.  Progress is being made, but as everyone can imagine, there are a lot of details involved.  Everyone will breathe a sigh of relief when the settlement is agreed upon.

Next week we will be moving from the office trailer back into the office wing.  This may mean there will be some interruption of the phone and internet service and it may be hard to get a hold of us at certain points, but we will do our best to keep these to a minimum.  Replacement office furniture is due to arrive early in the week, phone and internet service is scheduled to be switched over and many of the lots of boxes that have stored our supplies and belongings will be unpacked for a final time. 

The Building Committee continues to monitor build@somerscongregational.org, so if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to send them along.  We will get back to you as soon as possible.