Once again, our Wild and Scenic Film Festival was a huge success! Many, many, thanks to Linda Spery and her crew for all the work and organization. A great weekend at OCUUC! It was especially wonderful to see so many new faces and expand our circle. I have a feeling we will be hearing more about many of the issues raised.
We are all anxious to know when construction of our new sanctuary will begin. It is already later than any of us imagined. The only honest answer is: I don’t know. But I do believe it is getting closer. Our building drawings are finally in Plan Check, and the due date for them to come back is October 10. We expect there will be some changes required as almost always happens in plan check. Our architect will need to make the changes and resubmit the revised plans. We can’t expect to get a firm bid until we have approved plans, and bidding also takes time. The timing of these steps will affect when we may actually break ground.
In the meantime, we are preparing. We already emptied the building (and temporarily refilled it!). Our architect gave us an expected schedule when we started. Using what steps we have completed to date, we can hope to start construction in early December. Our challenge as a congregation is that we can no longer rely on the quote we received in 2020 to still be accurate. Inflation happens. The original schedule allowed just one week between the time the bid was completed and construction starts. Yikes!
So while we wait—and hope—for approvals and revised plans to move along, it’s natural for our minds to drift toward what’s next. After all, this isn’t just a building project; it’s the beginning of a space shaped by our values and needs. Whether it’s a sanctuary, a gathering place, or a brand-new home, the desire to create something lasting is at the heart of it all.
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We are a democracy, and it is not fast! The Board, the Finance Council, and the Sanctuary Construction Committee are all working on a way we can be prepared. We are working on an action plan. I expect there may be a Town Hall meeting in November to provide a lot more information about our options and expected costs. We will provide more information as quickly as possible and definitely allow time for input from the congregation. If the cost goes above the approved amount of $1.8 million, we may have to have a congregation meeting. Stay tuned and pay attention!
It is a wonderful, challenging time. I am so glad to be a part of it, even if I do think about it in the middle of the night. A new sanctuary will be glorious. We will get there together!
Nancy Loughrey
president@ocuuc.org
Nancy Loughrey was Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's Board President.