HOLY FAMILY PARISH at St. Thomas Line, Paradise, Newfoundland & Labrador, Newfoundland A1L 1W3 CA - Expanding our physical facilities - look here for our dreams and schemes

Holy Family Parish

May 30, 2008

Contents

1. Background 1

2. Process 2

3. Needs Identification 3

4. Needs Analysis 3

5. Options 6

6. Analysis of Options 8

7. Recommendations 8

   1. Long Term

   2. Short Term

8. Summary and Conclusion 10

Appendices 11

A Terms of Reference of the Facilities Planning Group

B Timeline/Milestones

C Categorized List of Issues

D Detailed cost estimate

1. Background

In recent years, the Town of Paradise has grown dramatically. Between 2001 and 2006 the population increased by 31%, which is quite significant compared with the provincial population growth of -1.5%¹. During that same period, the number of registered families within the Holy Family Parish increased by 25%². This population growth is expected to continue to increase in the coming years, given that the Town of Paradise has a median age of 35.1 years compared with the Newfoundland and Labrador median age of 42.7 years. In other words, Paradise has a younger population than the province, overall. Holy Family Church was designed and built more than twenty-five years ago at a time when both the Town of Paradise and the Parish were much smaller and were experiencing growth at a slower pace.

As well, new programs have been established within the Church, such as the Born of the Spirit program, and there has been an expressed desire among parishioners to build a greater sense of community within the parish.

Parish space for conducting various programs is very limited. It consists of the children’s liturgy rooms and the Church’s main area. There are additional space needs for the various programs, such as, the Born of the Spirit program and parish social events to bring parishioners together in fellowship outside the Liturgy. Additional congregational space for the Liturgical celebrations does not appear to be the main priority at present, but any plans for increasing Parish space must include provision for expansion in that area in the future.

In November 2007, the Parish’s Finance Committee established a Facilities Planning Group to study and make recommendations regarding the short term and long term facility requirements for the Parish. Members include:

Chris Walsh (Chair)

Blair Leonard (Secretary)

Donna Ball

Vince Burton

Don Finch

Paul Forsey

The Planning Group’s Terms of Reference are:

1. Conduct a needs analysis in consultation with the appropriate parishioners. Adequate documentation of this process, feedback and reporting are to be done on an ongoing basis and included in the submitted report.

2. Prepare a short term and long term plan with a view to the future requirements recommending the required facilities – including the type of facilities, costs, and schedules. Short term priorities would be detailed while the longer term priorities would be order of magnitude estimates.

3. Prepare and submit a report to the Finance Committee with the plan, recommendations and the needs analysis.

4. Communicate the plan and recommendations to the parishioners.

5. Implement and oversee the construction phase of the plan with the preparation of request for proposals, evaluation of proposals, and monitoring of the construction process on behalf of the Parish, insuring proper engineering, contracting and construction methods are followed to meet building requirements within schedule and cost targets.

2. Process

The Working Group held its first meeting, a planning meeting, on November 1, 2007, where it was determined to use a process which was dynamic, evolving and iterative at all stages, that is, the needs and options were to be formulated through consultation, incorporating the information and ideas as they came forward through meetings and presentations. The major steps in the process were:

• Establish a schedule of weekly meetings of the Working Group. Minutes were prepared for every meeting and are available in a separate volume.

• Produce a “Terms of Reference” and have it approved by the Finance Committee (See Appendix A)

• Establish a schedule and timeline for the process (See Appendix B)

• Assemble and review sketches of the Church and surrounding property

• Establish the facility needs and concerns of the Parish by meeting with all stakeholders – Parish Committee Chairs (1 meeting), Parish Priest, Parishioners (2 Meetings), Finance Committee

• Prepare, analyze and present spreadsheets showing the area requirements for the various expressed needs

• Prepare, analyze and present layout sketches for various extension options

• Select and present preferred layouts

• Prepare and present cost estimate

• Prepare final report and recommendations

3. Needs Identification

From the various meetings with the parishioners and committee members, a comprehensive list of facility-related issues was generated. This is included in Appendix C, with each issue categorized as either short-term or long-term, in nature. The major issues arising from this were:

• Additional areas required for various meetings

• An area for parish functions with proper kitchen and washrooms facilities

• A larger, more architecturally-pleasing and functional entrance area

• A larger and more central Baptismal area

• A larger choir area

• Additional parishioner seating for liturgy

• Desirability of multi-purpose space to optimize use of space and minimize cost.

4. Needs Analysis

Analysis was undertaken to establish the functional Church areas required to meet the Parish needs that were identified through the consultation. It was determined that the existing Church comprised an area of approximately 5200 sq. ft, while the required area to support all planned programs was approximately 11,000 sq. ft. These areas are shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively.

In order to keep the required new areas to a minimum, it is proposed to designate areas such as Meeting Room #1, Parish Community Area and New Liturgy Seating as multi-use, allowing any of these uses in the same area.

It is also suggested that existing spaces now used as meeting rooms, chapel and vestment areas could be renovated and equipped with pews or chairs to allow additional seating in the nave area. This would also utilize the existing laminated beam construction and better incorporate the new seating area into the existing pew area. The construction of the new liturgy seating area could be a less expensive type construction which would serve as an overflow seating area while doubling as a parish community area and also a meeting room.

Table 3 shows the required new areas which equate to approximately 3600 sq. ft. The estimated area of the new required spaces was based on either 10 or 12 square feet per person depending on the use. Utility areas and work areas such as the “Altar Server Room” were estimated based on expanding the existing areas.

The most pressing needs as summarized in Table 3 were seen as:

• Meeting Room for “Born of the Spirit Program”: 1500 sq. ft.

• Parish Community Area: 1500 sq. ft.

• New Additional Liturgy Seating: 1500 sq. ft.

It is proposed to create one 1500 sq. ft. area that could serve the above three functions

• Children’s Liturgy Room: 500 sq. ft.

• Expanded Sacristy Area: 140 sq. ft.

• Expanded Alter Server Room: 120 sq. ft.

• Gathering space at Main Entrance: 300 sq. ft.

• Entrance Office: 100 sq. ft.

• Coat Closet: 50 sq. ft.

• Kitchen for Community Events: 140 sq. ft.

• Additional Washrooms: 240 sq. ft.

• Utility Room for New Extension: 50 sq. ft.

• Day Chapel for Small Groups: 200 sq. ft.

• Janitors Closet: 60 sq. ft.

• Storage Area: 200 sq. ft.

The reworking of existing areas such as meeting rooms, and the switching around of the altar location, combined with a 3600 sq. ft. extension will satisfy the Parish long term needs for the foreseeable future.

Short terms needs such as improved lighting, reworked choir area, more functional baptismal area etc. could be satisfied by separate projects geared towards these specific issues. In all cases, short term needs projects should consider long term plans such that effort and investment are not wasted.

These needs and the area requirements are shown in Table 2 as a total of approximately 11,200 square feet. The current area is 5200 sq. feet for a total new addition requirement of 6,000 sq. ft. With the concept of multiuse the new addition requirements are reduced to 3600 sq. ft. as shown in Table 3.

5. Options

• Major side extensions were not possible due to land and plot arrangement. (Small sketch of plot layout,)

Various layouts were generated as conceptual designs for presentation.

• Multiuse were the only ones given full consideration.

• Both Front (St. Thomas line side) and Rear (school side) were considered.

Four major options were considered – two with rear extensions and two with front extensions, using a multi-purpose concept. Essentially, the required additional area was either added to the rear or to the front of the Church, and in some cases a front wing extension as well. The type of construction was considered to be a lower profile commercial-like design as opposed to an extension using the high profile laminated arch design used in the current nave. The layout shown in each sketch is conceptual and very preliminary, prepared only to demonstrate how the additional required areas can be provided and how the multiuse concept could be applied. The actual layout can be changed and most likely will be changed as an architectural design is finalized.

Concept design of the particular area will require input from the various groups, such as the Parish Priest, Parish Council, Finance Committee, Liturgy Committee, the choir, Catholic Women’s League, Children’s Liturgy, Hospitality, etc. With further input from these groups it will be up to the selected architect to incorporate the requirements into the final layout so that it is acceptable to all and meets any Archdiocesan requirements, and provincial and municipal building code requirements.

All options kept intact the existing washroom facilities, electrical room and side entrance.

Option 1A

A 3600 square foot rear extension (school side of the Church) which utilizes the multi-use concept.

No side wing extensions were considered with this option. The altar area would be moved to the front of the Church toward St. Thomas Line. Moving the altar to the front, reversing the seating from the current positioning and using a folding door concept allows the new 1500 square foot social/meeting area to become an extension of the Church seating area for special liturgy celebrations with large attendance, such as Christmas, sacramental celebrations, etc. This area will accommodate approximately another 125 parishioners. This option also includes the renovation of the existing liturgy rooms, and old chapel area to provide additional Church seating for another 80 parishioners.

As well, this design provides a new larger gathering area in the rear of the Church including closet space, additional meeting area, office area, kitchen, washroom facilities, and new areas for the Sacristy and altar servers.

Due to issues with the grade the existing altar area was built up above the main Church area. This grade may still have to be kept and any extension added at this grade. This would require a step up from the existing floor elevation in the Church to the proposed extension. This issue needs further investigation. Also the stained glass windows would be removed from the current altar area and moved to the front of the Church behind the relocated altar.

Option 1B

A 3600 square foot rear extension similar to Option 1A above with the addition of the two side wing extensions on the front of the Church.

These wing extensions could provide small meeting rooms or additional seating/choir areas. The current laminated arches in these wing areas do not extend out beyond the sides of the Church and any extension would have to extend the roof slope.

Option 2A

A 2200 square foot front extension with an additional 300 square foot south wing extension used as a Gathering area.

The altar area remains unchanged from the current arrangement. Even though the extension area added is small the total social/meeting room is 1700 square feet, which would require using both meeting areas simultaneously. This approach will require more co-ordination in order to utilize the multiuse meeting areas and does not provide a stand-alone separate social area.

This small area extension was not given any serious consideration as it was seen as being too small to meet the identified needs and was a front extension.

Option 2B

A 3700 square foot front extension which includes a 300 square foot wing extension on the south side.

The area added provides a 2200 square foot multiuse area. This multiuse area could be divided into two meeting areas using folding doors, which would provide additional seating for another 180 parishioners when used for Liturgy seating. Some renovation of the existing Children’s Liturgy rooms could be undertaken to accommodate additional seating, choir area or maintain a small children’s liturgy room.

6. Analysis of Options

The following were considered when assessing the four main options:

• A rear extension was seen as more desirable as it used the land on the back of the Church which was seen as being more utilitarian. Option 1A, because it did not involve any wing extension, was considered the most economical and easiest to implement and would require only one construction area, i.e. the rear, thereby helping to minimize construction costs.

• The original Church design provided for a front extension of the main Nave to provide additional Church seating using the current laminated arch design. Therefore, the general feeling of the Facilities Planning Working Group was to leave this front area free for future extension of the Nave as the parish population increases even more. As it was desirable to leave the front of the Church for any additional future extension of the Nave, Option 1A with no wing extension was favoured.

• With a rear extension the liturgy area would be on the front of the Church which is what would be seen from the main road.

• As the extension will be of a lower profile construction, a front extension at this time may detract from the Church aesthetics, as viewed from the main road.

7. Recommendations

1. Long Term

The Working Group recommends Rear extension Option 1A to address the identified needs, which leaves the front of the Church available for future expansion to satisfy increased capacity. In the future, as the Parish expands further and the financial situation improves, it is expected that increased Church seating capacity will be required for almost all liturgies. At that time, it is recommended to consider extending the nave of the Church out towards the front. The nave could be extended incrementally to a length to almost double the current seating capacity. No cost estimate was done on this extension at this time as the primary concerns of meeting/social areas and interim increased seating were satisfied with Option 1A.

A cost estimate for Option 1A was compiled using an 'elemental cost summary' method whereby each component of the renovations/extension was costed on an individual basis. Basic outline sketches of the proposed development were used to determine the items to be costed. The estimated amounts for each line item are based on current knowledge of construction costs in the Paradise area. These costs are subject to change once the final design is confirmed and the final layout, interior/exterior finishes, etc. are presented on architectural and engineered drawings. The resultant estimate is approximately $530, 000, the details of which can be seen in Appendix E.

A plus or minus 20 per cent factor should be carried as a result of refinements in the estimate during the actual design process. The normal process is that once a project is sanctioned, the engineering/architectural drawings would be produced and revised pricing would be obtained before construction commences.

It should be emphasized that this design is still a conceptual one. If this or any other design is accepted, before proceeding with construction/renovation, additional input is required from the various Parish stakeholders, including Father and the Liturgy Committee particularly with regards to finalizing Nave layout and requirements. More detailed input is also required from the choir, the Pastoral Council, the Finance Committee, all Parishioners and all Committees, as well as from the Archdiocese personnel.

As this is our Church and place of worship, it is important that any renovations or additions be of high quality. It is important to ensure that our Church is an aesthetically pleasing place of worship for all parishioners where they can feel joy, love, and tranquility and the presence of God and where they can be proud to share this area with family and friends. Therefore, any renovations should also include a facelift to the current areas, such as better lighting, seating, carpeting, and better liturgical decor. An amount of $50,000 should be added to and targeted in the estimate to provide upgrades to the existing Church area. Although not an absolute necessity to moving forward on this project, these enhancements need to be given serious consideration, to be detailed and to be decided as a part of this project as we strive to achieve our Parish vision.

2. Short Term

The Working Group strongly recommends the focus be on the long-term versus piece-meal, incremental solutions, and therefore did not study in any detail short-term solutions. However, it recognizes that while waiting for construction to begin, particularly if the time frame is longer than three years, there are ideas which could be explored to address some of the facilities issues but which do no necessarily address accommodating increased attendance. These are:

1. To create an interim larger meeting area, two suggestions were discussed:

Either

1. Convert the existing day chapel into the sacristy and altar serving areas. Open the existing sacristy area to extend the children’s liturgy area, with a bi-fold/sliding door divider between the two areas, thereby creating a significantly largely meeting area (approximately 650 sq. ft.) on the north side of the Church, albeit a long, thin one, but with multi-purpose capability. Create a gathering area in the existing religious articles sales area (Cost range estimated at $10,000 to $15,000).

Or

2. Remove the wall between the day chapel area and the religious articles sales area for a larger meeting room, particularly for children’s programming. (Cost range estimated at $4,000 to $6,000).

2. To improve the Baptismal and choir / organ area:

Swap the organ with the baptismal font, thereby giving adequate room for performing the Sacrament of Baptism, while allowing the organist to face the congregation and see the priest and choir director at the same time. (Cost range estimated at $1000 for floor and door modifications).

3. Lighting Improvements

Investigate the application of more efficient high power compact fluorescent lights in the existing fixtures an the installation of additional lighting fixtures in the altar and choir area (Cost range estimated at $1000 to $3500)

8. Summary and Conclusion

Holy Family Parish is experiencing unprecedented growth and introducing new programming. Through a consultation process the parishioners have identified their needs for facility improvement and expansion. The Finance Committee’s Facilities Planning Group has analyzed the needs and various alternatives for satisfying those needs and has recommended, from a long-term perspective, a rear expansion of approximately 3600 sq. ft. as shown in the conceptual design layout of Option 1A in Appendix D, with an estimated total cost of $530,000, and an additional estimate of $50,000 for aesthetic and design enhancements in the existing facility, if these are deemed a priority. As well, the Working Group has presented a number of ideas to be explored in more detail as short-term initiatives.

This report is to be used as a basis in the decision by the Parish members to expand and enhance the current facilities. It is a starting point and many items remain to be explored further, not the least of which is the financing of such a project.

Appendix A

Terms of Reference of the Facilities Planning Group

Holy Family Parish

Facilities Planning Group

(Accepted by Finance Committee Dec.12, 2007)

Terms of Reference

Preamble

Parish space for conducting various programs is very limited. It consists of the children liturgy rooms and the Church’s main area. There are additional space needs for the various programs, such as, the Born of the Spirit program, parish social events to bring parishioners together in fellowship outside the Liturgy. Additional congregational space for the Liturgical celebrations does not appear to be the main priority at present, but any plans must include provision for expansion in that area in the future.

To prepare such a plan, a Facilities Planning Group is to be established consisting of Parishioners. This group is to identify the requirements based on proper needs analysis after consultation with the appropriate Parishioners, then prepare and present the plan to the Parishioners. This plan should include recommendations covering short term and long term priorities with a vision to the future. The group will report to the Parish Finance Committee.

Mandate and Responsibilities

6. Do the needs analysis in consultation with the appropriate parishioners. Adequate documentation of this process and feedback and reporting is to be done on an ongoing basis and in the submitted report.

7. Prepare a short term and long term plan with a view to the future requirements recommending the required facilities – including the type of facilities, costs, and schedules. Short term priorities would be detailed while the longer term would be order of magnitude estimates.

8. Prepare and submit a report to the Finance Committee with the plan, recommendations and the needs analysis.

9. Communicate the plan and recommendations to the parishioners.

10. Implement and oversee the construction phase of the plan with the preparation of request for proposals, evaluation of proposals, and monitoring of the construction process on behalf of the Parish, insuring proper engineering, contracting and construction methods are followed to meet building requirements within schedule and cost targets.

11. The target date for submission of the final report is the end of February, 2008.

Appendix B

Holy Family Facilities Planning Group

Revised Milestones/Schedule

Activity Completion Date

1. Finalize Terms of Reference December 12

2. Define Space Requirements December 12

- Input from Finance committee, father, Parish reps.

3. Generate/spec/ draft various alternatives December 19

4. Select alternatives to be costed December 19

5. Presentation to parishioners/committees January 9

6. Have alternatives costed January 16

7. Prioritize and select draft recommended alternatives January 23

8. Presentation to Finance Committee January 30

9. Break for Lent and Easter, decided at Finance Committee

10. Open meeting presentation to Parish/input April 10

11. Prepare draft report for review April 24

12. Update after review and Finalize report May 15

13. Submit report May 30

Original 2007/12/11

Revised May 2008

Appendix C

Appendix D – Detailed Cost Estimate