[Note: if the following answers fail to answer YOUR questions, send your questions to: cmpfsitedev@coopermountainpres.org]
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why not sell the property and relocate (buy or build) elsewhere?
ANSWER: This question has been repeatedly asked during the past 3-5 years. We examined this question seriously before and after the falloff of property values that occurred in 2008. After review of a number of available property locations within about a 2 mile radius of our existing site, we concluded that our site was "optimum" for the purpose of church placement within our community. That is, other choices had additional costs associated with development due to specific property attributes. With the decline in property values however, the value is much less than it was at the peak of the housing market bubble that occurred towards the end of 2007. If we sell this property, it is likely that we would only be able to buy a less desirable property (less land). Considering the current real estate climate, if we did sell, we still would not have enough to completely fund the construction of an appropriately sized structure needed for our ministry.
2. How do we intend to fund our portion of construction?
ANSWER: It will be a combination of the following contributions:
a) congregational stewardship capital campaign
b) synod loan program
c) partnering with YMCA Capital Campaign process
d) sale of unused property
e) sale of egress to 3rd party adjacent property owners
The amount of money that each component listed above will generate has not been determined at this time. Commonly used constraints for long term debt (item b above) suggest that it not exceed 3 times the annual church budget. For example, if our church budget was $200K at the time the loan was granted, the loan should not exceed $600K.
3. How is the YMCA funding their construction?
ANSWER: During the spring of 2011, a marketing survey of "angel investors" will determine how much capital can be raised for this development. Assuming that the answers received are positive, the majority of the required capital will be based on donated funds. A modest long term debt obligation will likely fund what the capital campaign does not cover.
May, 2011 update: because of the economy, a decision was made to delay the marketing survey for the purpose of fundraising until mid-2012.
4. Are there wetlands and what are we doing about it?
ANSWER: During the 2009-2010 period a number of different biologists were asked about this aspect of the property. During the most recent evaluation, it was estimated that a very small portion of the property would be declared wetlands. The amount of land requiring this designation is not yet official and won't be until our submitted plan is approved by the Oregon Department of State Lands. Based on the preliminary study however, we believe that wetlands mitigation is our best course of action. This means we will be asking for the wetlands portion to be placed elsewhere within Washington County and will be paying a modest but reasonable fee for this to occur.
5. Have we considered partnering with THPRD?
ANSWER: Yes. We approached THPRD during the 2007-2008 period prior to establishing our relationship with the YMCA organization. However, based on a series of meetings and correspondence, both parties determined that this was not the best course of action. Thus, at this time, there are no plans for partnering with the THPRD organization to co-develop our property.
6. Will the YMCA compete with THPRD?
ANSWER: If the YMCA facility is design and constructed in a way that meets the needs of the surrounding community, THPRD staff have communicated to us that they are not likely to build a "competing facility". However THPRD had previously targeted this area of their district (SW Quadrant) in the past for a new aquatic center. It is unlikely given the current economic and socioeconomic conditions that a new THPRD facility will be funded through a real estate tax bond measure within the next 6-8 years. Thus, assuming the YMCA facility will be built first, the THPRD facility will likely never be built.
7. Have decisions been made about building layout and usage?
ANSWER: Not at this time. Conversations and group processes will take place during the months of March-May of 2011 to clarify how our ministry will look and be best served by a new building. The congregation will be asked some directed questions during this process that will help clarify and guide the decision making of the site team.
May, 2011 update: several congregational meetings were held during the months of March and April and over 50 people participated in these events. Based on this and additional work by the YMCA, a process has been started to begin to answer this question in more graphical ways. Both YMCA and CMPF have hired Ankrom Moisan Architects to create a blended space plan that will attempt to graphically describe how the two organizations will co-exist and share critical space in the building. We expect to be able to share the product of this work towards the end of summer, 2011.
8. Why partner with the YMCA?
ANSWER: The partnership exists because of the desire to create a community center development that reaches outside of the normal boundary of a community church. We want our property to be a center of the community of Aloha (which currently doesn't have such a space). It also exists because of the closely aligning missions of the two organizations.
For additional information, see the blog post from February 2, 2011 which has a video recording of YMCA President and CEO Bob Hall's presentation to CMPF on January 29, 2011.
9. Why partner at all?
ANSWER: We believe that partnering with additional non-profit organizations will enable us to realize our dream of building a community center that will be more effective in reaching more people than if we did this on our own. A partnership concept for property development has been our stated vision for the past 5 years.
