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Reminder About the Master Plan Report
by Tom Goodman
August 24, 2010
This is a last-minute reminder to attend the Hillcrest Master Plan report. Join us in the auditorium at 6:00 pm this Wednesday, August 25. A Wednesday night supper can be purchased in the gym from 5:00-6:00 p.m., but only for those who have turned in
a reservation (call 345-3771).
Our "First Impressions Team" has been working with our architect, Ben Heimsath, to bring recommendations on long-range improvements to the property. You'll receive this report this Wednesday.
Here's the schedule we'll follow to adopt the Master Plan:
Master Plan Report. On Wednesday, August 25, 6:00 p.m., Ben Heimsath will bring a multimedia presentation to the congregation in the auditorium.
Report Distribution. On Thursday, August 26, a brochure will be mailed to all members and active prospects with images and explanations of the Master Plan. Also, a "3D Walkthrough" will be available online to help our congregation understand
the Master Plan proposals.
Question-and-Answer with Pastor Tom. On Wednesday, September 1, 6:30 p.m., Pastor Tom will be available to answer questions during our regular midweek service, in A-161 in the adult wing.
Master Plan Vote. On Wednesday, September 8, 6:00 p.m., we'll hold a special called business meeting in the auditorium to decide on the adoption of the Master Plan.
The proposed Master Plan addresses five issues. Below, these are not listed in order of when we'll tackle them. Once the plan is approved, we'll decide what project to tackle first. There are five considerations in the plan:
First: Maximum Use of the Auditorium. As you will see in the Master Plan, there's a way to seat 800 people within the exterior walls of our current auditorium. We don't need seating for 800 yet, so we aren't proposing changes to
the auditorium yet. But all other decisions on the Master Plan assume our congregation has the desire and ability, by God's grace, to see 800 in a Sunday morning worship service. So you'll see that the Master Plan suggests a way to
maximize the use of the auditorium.
Second: Wise Decisions on Parking and Landscaping. If we plan to seat 800 in the auditorium, we need to anticipate where to park the 375 cars that such an attendance will bring with them. Also, since our campus landscaping is the
first thing that people see, we need to address it as we deal with parking.
Third: More Appealing Entrances and Easier Way-Finding. We are so blessed for the facility that we enjoy. But 40 years of expansion have resulted in a confusing maze of hallways and building connections. And, since almost all
of our parking is far from our auditorium, attendees have to work their way through the bends and turns of our hallways to get to our worship service. Think about it: Our most attractive entrance (under the steeple) is the least
used! We want to keep that entrance, of course, but we want to make the most heavily used entrances more attractive, too! And once you enter one of those more attractive entrances, we want your walk to the auditorium to be a straighter
shot than it is now. The Master Plan offers a way to do this.
Fourth: Better Security for the Children's Wing. As you know, the children's hallway gets the heaviest traffic. It's a shortcut from our largest parking lot, and it's the best route to the gym and the 3-story Education building
after the worship service. The problem is, the only people in a children and preschool hallway should be parents and their kids. The Master Plan has a solution to route foot traffic around the children's wing.
Fifth: Additional Education Space. We are blessed with wonderful education space, and we have no need for more at the present time. But if our congregation has the desire and ability, by God's grace, to see 800 in a Sunday morning
worship service, where will 800 meet for small-group ministry? We'll run out of space for our Hillcrest Kids ministry sooner than any other ministry, and the Master Plan addresses this.
Come out and be a part of this important process!
--Tom |