Building Love Renovation
St. Peter’s in the Woods has finally finished our year's long renovation project that enhanced our worship space and improved access and overall use of our building!
We are open, we are worshiping inside, and we welcome you to join us!
March 2023 Progress Report
We did it!
At long last, we finally broke ground on our Building Love construction project! Thank you to all who came out to celebrate this momentous occasion. Special thanks to District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the Rt. Rev. David C. Jones, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia, retired; Architect Sean Reilly of Kerns Group Architects; and Mike Hamann, Vice President of Wack Construction for braving the chilly March weather.
The executive committee of the Building Committee has been quietly busy behind the scenes since we last met to pick out finishes. As a bird’s eye view:
Completed elements:
- Special Permit Amendment was approved at the public hearing September 28th.
- Conservation Deed of Easement was approved and recorded.
- Conservation Agreement was signed and submitted by SPW.
- Stormwater Maintenance Agreement was executed
- Minor Site Plan was approved.
Current elements:
- Our consulting building permit expediter is pulling the previously approved building permit.
- The County is expediting the land transfer, as even the agreement extension is ready to expire. County agreed to another extension of time to execute the land transfer and payment.
- We are working on paperwork and inspections that are required prior to issuance of the minor site plan permit.
Since our last update in July, we have continued to work behind the scenes with the design and contracting teams.
Major milestones and status:
- Special Permit Amendment (SPA). Approved at Sept. 28 th public hearing of the Zoning Appeals Board / allows sale of a portion of our land to County for the neighboring fire station ($90,000)
- Minor Site Plan in process of final submission, after approval of SPA noted above
- Bonding – in process with Fairfax County, Diocesan Missionary Society, and St Peters in the
Wood
While there have been many bumps in the road along the way, we have been greatly assisted by the architect and attorneys. We do not know the exact date of the overall permit approvals, but we are optimistic that it will occur in late October or early November. Contractually, the work will begin within 30 days of approval of the Building Permit, the Minor Site Plan, and the Owner posted Bonds. While the Building Permit has been approved, the last two approvals needed are noted in the bullets above. In the meantime, the committee has worked with the architect to select more finishes for surfaces (floors, walls, ceilings, etc.). We have also approved the first payment to the general contractor for materials purchased to preempt cost increases.
Click here to watch the full report.
Since our last update in April, we have continued to work hard behind the scenes with the design team. In consultation with the Vestry and their subsequent approval, we have executed a contract with The Thomas J. Wack Company (our general contractor), that also provided pre-construction services.
Prior to leaving on her sabbatical, Rev. Susan along with Rev. G and members of the committee reviewed numerous materials for various surfaces (floors, walls, ceilings, etc.) that were presented to us by the architect. Some colors and most materials were selected so that subcontractors to Wack could begin placing orders. We are trying to avoid delays in delivery and even delays in manufacturing of items we need due to the current national economic and logistical conditions.
In addition to the design team, we also have a legal team to advise us on the many and varied matters that are part of the zoning and planning process. Another team works on issues related to the land itself. It includes a civil engineering firm and a geotechnical firm. The civil firm processes the site plan and prepares plats for the legal team to record along with required documents. Our geotechnical consultant provides the county with information based on inspections of the condition of the soil prior to construction and will also make site visits for various reasons during construction.
Read the full report here.
Greetings from the Building Committee! We have been working behind the scenes with the design team and our construction planning contractor (Wack General Contractor), in consultation with the Vestry. Things are really beginning to gel and parishioners should start to see things happen at the church in late summer/ early fall. Listed below is the expected timeline:
• Subcontractors’ bids due to Wack Tuesday, April 26th
• Wack’s bid is expected on or before Monday May 2nd
• The Building Committee expects to see Wack’s bid May 2-6.
The currently County approved permits for Building Love are as follows:
• Building
• Plumbing
• Mechanical
• Electrical
• Fire Marshal
Outstanding items:
• Minor Site Plan
• Zoning
• Site Review
We have been told to anticipate the possibility of having all of the permits approved as soon as mid-June. If St. Peters can come to terms with Wack in a timely fashion, and its subs are available, we may be able to move the start date up to July, from the most recent project schedule’s August 1st start date.
Thank you for your patience as this all gets worked out. We will keep you posted.
As reported at the Annual Meeting, your Building Committee has been busy working with our architects, civil engineers and the county to keep things moving with our project:
- Walter L. Phillips, Inc. (WLP), our civil engineer, submitted our minor site plan to Fairfax County for review and it was accepted by the county on January 13, 2022.
- The formal review by the county is now underway. Timing for this review is expected to take up to 6 months, with our plan likely approved in July 2022.
- Kerns Group Architects (KGA) had a very positive meeting with the County ahead of submitting our building permit. We expect to file our building permit application to the County and General Contractor Bidding Documents by the end of February. The County review and contractor bidding process will take about 4 months.
- The bottom line? We expect to begin construction in August! The contractors estimate 8 months of actual construction work.
- Status of the Land Sale: The contract is being signed for the boundary line adjustment with Fairfax County for expansion of the adjacent fire house. Our net proceeds should be $90,000 to St Peter’s and $10,000 to the Diocesan Missionary Society, the owner of our property.
Some 37 of you have completed your 3-year pledge to our campaign. Thank you!!
The Building Committee continues to proactively coordinate and monitor the progress of plans and address development issues as they arise. It is an exciting time in the life of our parish!
