Buildings & Grounds
The grounds of both the church and parish house received some much needed attention in October. Jason Rogers, who mows the lawn and rakes the leaves, trimmed back overgrown shrubs and bushes. He also removed the dead junipers in front of the parish house.
The church heating system has gotten an upgrade similar to the one done to the parish house this summer. New circulating pumps, a Fitch Fuel Catalyst unit, and cleaning will ensure that system is ready for those cold days this winter.
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A keen observer will have observed some changes in the grounds around our church. Several dead or near dead trees were removed
in August. These trees included two large oaks on our river bank.
Additionally, the hemlock and lilac that were adjacent to the porch
for the atrium entrance were removed. This fall a temporary access
ramp to the church will be installed where these trees were. This
new ramp is needed so that the old concrete ramp can be removed to allow engineers to inspect the building sill (large support beam). Due to the configuration of the undercroft, it is not possible to inspect the sill from the inside so we need to do it from the outside.
In April, Paul Kando of Midcoast Green Collaborative conducted
energy audits of both the parish house and the church building.
He provided us with detailed recommendations of ways we can
improve the energy efficiency of both buiIdings. The B&G committee
will be asking for your help in implementing some of these fixes this fall.
The Parish House heating system had a major overhaul this summer.
An electric hot water was installed to allow shutting down the boiler during the warm months. Two new, energy efficient, circulating pumps
were installed along with a new combustion chamber and a Fitch Fuel Catalyst filter unit. The improvements will not only save on our fuel bill, but will help make the Parish House a more comfortable place in winter.
The B&G committee welcomes all interested parishioners as members. lf you would like to join our committee, please send an email to Bill Judd (whj3@tidewater.net) or phone him at 563-3854.
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St. Andrew’s marked Earth Day 2009 by having energy audits performed on the church
and the parish house. Full details await the written report from Paul Kando of Midcoast
Green Collaborative, but an air pressure test conducted on both buildings revealed the
equivalent of a 4 square foot (2’ x 2’) hole at the parish house and over 5 square feet for the church.
The report will include recommendations for things we can do to improve the energy efficiency of both structures and reduce our energy bill which is currently over $15,000/year.
At its March meeting the Vestry approved the recommendation of the Buildings and Grounds committee to proceed with the next phase in preserving and maintaining our church. This phase will accomplish the following:
• A site/topographic survey—this will give the “lay of the land” which becomes the basis for any changes in drainage, landscaping, driveway, access ramps, etc.
• A drainage analysis—where the water come from; what drains exist; whether they are operable, etc.
• Sill inspection at east and west ends of the church. On the west end the sill is covered by the ramp; on the east part of the sill is covered by soil/mulch. A contractor will need to provide access to the sills for inspection by a structural engineer.
• The outcome of the various inspections and surveys will provide recommendations and plans for correcting the problems uncovered/discovered. With these plans and recommendations it will be possible to get estimates and proposals from contractors.
The architectural preservation firm of Barba and Wheelock will oversee and coordinate the engineers, architects
and contractors during this phase.
A big thank you to all who helped with the parish cleanup on Saturday, April 4, especially Brenda Hamilton who coordinated and planned the day.