SJV Facilities Report

St. John Vianney Catholic Church

Prince Frederick, MD 20678

Facilities Committee

Recommendations for Parish Buildings and Land

29 July 2008

Introduction

The Facilities Committee was tasked in March 2008 by Fr. Peter Daly, Pastor, to take charge of all projects and improvements in our parish. To assess the needs of the parish, the committee met with representatives from 20 parish organizations. Each organization was requested to brief the committee on its operations and give recommendations for facility improvements. The committee reviewed these recommendations for feasibility, affordability and alternate solutions. This report identifies the areas that require additional study, and recommendations for relatively minor improvements which will greatly support the operation of numerous parish organizations. The committee highly recommends developing a comprehensive plan for facility improvements and land use to be the foundation for all future building improvement programs and land development.

Facilities Committee

The following individuals served on the Facilities Committee and development of this report:

Joe Allman

Barbara Fallin

Flo Ford

Jack McFadden

Sam Schiattareggia

Bill Stanton

George Sullivan

Parish Organizations

Between March 18 and May 13, 2008, the Facilities Committee met with representatives from the following parish organizations and support contractors:

Work Camp

Youth Activities

CCD

First Communion, Confirmation

Land

Servers of Arimathea (Bereavement)

Family Life Center

Food Service

Safe Nights

Pre-School

Pastor

Drama Ministry

Girl Scouts

Boy Scouts

Cub Scouts

Choirs

Maintenance

Ladies Club

Patuxent Architects

Wallmark Service Co.

Report Summary

The committee recommends the following:

1. Develop a comprehensive plan for building renovations, expansions and new construction, and land use, sale, and acquisition.

2. Acquire professional architectural and site development services to examine the issues associated with utility building location and design, ECHO property use, rectory renovation, and use and/or sale of non adjacent land parcels.

3. Proceed with the detailed architectural design for the Parish Center expansion and renovation as outlined in this report.

4. Implement internal building improvements identified in this report for the Church, and Family Life Center.

Recommended Facility Improvements

The committee found that all parish buildings need improvements. Many improvements can be implemented immediately at relatively low cost, some require major renovations and additions to existing buildings, and other areas require further study.

Church

The committee recommends the following improvements to the Church:

1. Renovate Confessional for “private” confessions

2. Install sound system speakers in Nursery and left side of church

3. Repair insulation and ceiling in tower room

4. Insulate altar server room ceiling

5. Install shelves in basement closets (Columbus, K of C, Nursery, and Kitchen)

6. Move the Safe Nights storage from the basement kitchen closet to the Nursery mechanical room

7. Allocate the basement kitchen closet for Ladies Club storage

8. Connect lawn sprinkler system to unused water meter. Currently the parish pays sewer rates on the lawn water, and a service charge of $26 per month for the unused meter.

9. Enhance exterior stair and sidewalk lighting near Chapel

Family Life Center

The committee recommends the following improvements to the Family Life Center:

1. Elevate stage light bar wenches. The current location presents a serious safety hazard.

2. Install marker boards in Sullivan and Teen Rooms for CCD classes

3. Install chair rail in Sullivan and Teen Rooms

4. Install Acoustic Panels in the gym ceiling

5. Install dimmable lighting in the gym

6. Install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

7. Install an additional Kitchen Oven

8. Build a storage enclosure near the kitchen for trash cans and gas grill.

9. Build storage alcove under loft stairs for piano. Construction must maintain fire code rating for stairs.

Parish Center

The Parish Center requires the most improvements now. The main drivers for Parish Center renovations are: CCD classroom size, Vianney Room appearance, kitchen functionality, and pre-school space. The current floor plan of the Parish Center is shown in Figure 1.

Appendix A contains the demographic information for the CCD Program and Calvert County Public Schools which was used as the basis for the committee recommendations.

The committee recommends the remolding and expansion of the Parish Center to include:

1. Remodel the Vianney Room for a more upscale appearance. This would include new windows, doors, ceiling, floor, lighting, and wall finishes. Installation of room dividers is not recommended because the available space in the Family Life Center and Church basement that can be used for Sunday CCD classes. Expansion of the Vianney Room is not recommended at this time, but should be a consideration as part of the remolding design.

2. Add a table and chair storage room to the Vianney Room similar to that proposed in the Patuxent Architects’ plan. Also part of this addition would be two exterior accessible toilet rooms.

3. Remodel the kitchen and pantry for expanded cooking space and countertops. Build closets in pantry for dedicated storage for Hospitality and Bereavement groups.

4. Remodel the store room to include a shower for ladies restroom, washer, dryer and closet storage for Scout programs and other parish organizations.

5. Remodel parish office space for relocation of Pastor’s office, coffee mess and copy machine.

6. Remodel Ars and Eculy Rooms for better acoustic isolation between rooms. Install a moveable partition in the Ars room to divide the space into two 500 square foot classrooms for CCD. Upgrade the partition in the Eculy Room for better acoustic isolation.

7. Construct a building addition of approximately 2,900 square feet to provide two 500 square foot classrooms and an expanded Pre-School space with office, storage, and in-room toilet and sinks. Install a moveable partition in the Pre-School room to divide the space into two classrooms for CCD use.

8. Install a display case in rotunda lobby for displaying youth and Scout organizations awards.

9. If additional CCD classrooms are required after the recommended expansion of the Parish Center, the CCD program will need to add an additional class time on Sunday morning.

The recommended conceptual floor plan for the remolded/expanded Parish Center is shown in Figure 2. This recommended plan provides larger classrooms for CCD, upscale Vianney Room without the wear and tare of using it for CCD, and utilization of currently unused space in the Family Life Center and/or Church basement for Sunday CCD. Also, it provides for future expansion of the Vianney Room and three options for additional Parish Center expansion if the need arises.

Rectory

In order to make recommendations for Rectory improvements the structural condition of the current building must first be established.

1. The committee recommends contracting with an architect to assess the structural integrity of the current Rectory building and to develop options for remodeling the current building or constructing a new building.

2. The committee recommends deferring all Rectory remodeling and renovations, and improvements to Vianney Lane along the Cemetery until the architectural evaluation and study is completed.

3. The committee recognizes the need for the following rectory renovations: new windows and siding, garage, screened porch, central air conditioning, accommodations for elderly priest, etc., but highly recommends developing a comprehensive plan first.

Utility Building

The committee recommends construction of new building space for: storage and workshop space for parish maintenance equipment (600 sq. ft.), storage space for the Scout programs (125 sq. ft.), storage space for FLC equipment (400 sq. ft.), and theater set construction space to be shared with maintenance workshop.

The committee does not recommend a location or building form factor at this time because site engineering services are needed to determine the feasibility of locations and future development of land behind the Family Life Center.

Parish Land

At the present time, the parish owns approximately 105.5 acres of land. Determining the exact locations and sizes of the numerous parcels is challenging because the state and county tax maps do not show complete parcel boundaries because they are not updated until a survey is done; and, the parish has used three different land planning companies over the past 10 years, which has resulted in multiple land maps for various purposes. Figure 3 shows the locations of the current parish property, along with the county zoning districts, and significant neighboring properties.

The three parcels that need to be considered at this time are designated: SJV1 - the 18 acres under consideration for sale to the American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT), SJV2 - the 16.8 acres bordering Arthur King Road, and SJV3 - the 14.1 acres being considered for development by Victory Housing.

Parcel SJV1

This parcel has recently been surveyed with the intention of subdivision and sale to ACLT.

For Parcel SJV1, the committee makes the following recommendation:

1. If there are any Transferrable Development Rights (TDRs) associated with this property, the parish should maintain ownership of them. This would allow these TDRs to be combined with parcel SJV2, thus making it more valuable.

Parcel SJV2

This parcel consists of 16.8 acres with approximately 400 feet along Arthur King Road. Since the property is fully within the Rural and Community District zoning, its permitted uses are generally limited to farms, houses, churches, cemeteries, and golf courses. Apartments and assisted living facilities are not permitted. The topology of this parcel will support subdivision for residential development.

For Parcel SJV2, the committee makes the following recommendation:

1. Consider this property along with any TDRs from SJV1 as an investment that could be sold if the need/opportunity arises. One option would be to sell this property to buy the Suburban Propane property on Main St. adjacent to the church.

Parcel SJV3

This parcel consists of 14.1 acres zoned Prince Frederick Town Center/Old Town Transition, but with no road access currently available. Permitted uses are assisted living, nursing home, church, group home, or school. Apartments are a permitted use with conditions. A new cemetery is not permitted.

The zoning and topology of this parcel has very good potential to support development by Victory Housing if road access, water and sewer were made available.

Access to this property is not available on the south side because of topology and land already in use by the Calvert County Government. Access on the west side would have to be obtained from Eleanor S. Dowell the current owner of parcel 779. Access on the north/east side would have to be obtained from Kenneth Lee Smith the owner of parcel 335. Parcel 335 (24 acres) is currently listed for sale for $3,000,000.

For Parcel SJV3, the committee makes the following recommendation:

1. The parish needs to immediately contact the owners of county parcels 779 and 335 to assess the future plans for these parcels, and the County Planning and Zoning to see if there has been any development interest in these parcels. The parish needs to reach agreement with at least one of these adjacent property owners for access to parcel SJV3, or the development of these parcels could preclude the parish from ever being able to use parcel SJV3.

Project ECHO Property

This parcel consists of 0.735 acres zoned Prince Frederick Town Center/Old Town. Permitted uses are assisted living, nursing home, church, group home, duplex, triplex, fourplex and townhouses. An existing cemetery expansion is permitted. Apartments are not permitted.

The committee recommends the following for the Project ECHO property:

1. The committee recommends buying the Project ECHO property.

2. The committee recommends demolition of the main house as soon as possible after settlement. Demolition of the two small houses could be deferred until all options for their use are fully explored.

3. The committee recommends relocating the garage to behind the pavilion for Pre-School and field equipment storage.

4. The future development of the property needs more study. Options include church parking expansion, cemetery expansion, and retired priest housing. The available land and current zoning does not meet minimum requirements for development by Victory Housing.

Suburban Propane Property

This property is comprised of two parcels totaling 1.04 acres zoned Prince Frederick Town Center/Old Town. Permitted uses are assisted living, nursing home, church, group home, duplex, triplex, fourplex and townhouses. An existing cemetery expansion is permitted. Apartments are not permitted.

The committee recommends that the parish plan to purchase the Suburban Propane property when it becomes available. The accumulation of the financial recourses necessary to buy this property needs to start now.

Comprehensive Facilities and Land Master Plan

The committee highly recommends development of a Comprehensive Facilities and Land Master Plan. As stated above, the committee is only making initial recommendations for the Rectory, Utility Building, Project ECHO property, and parcels SJV2 and SJV3 because not enough information is available at this time to make complete long range recommendations.

While the Comprehensive Facilities and Land Master Plan is being developed, the committee recommends proceeding with the Parish Center remolding and expansion, and the above recommendations for the interior improvements of the Church and Family Life Center.

Priorities

The committee recommends the following priorities for facilities improvements:

1. Development of Comprehensive Facilities and Land Master Plan

2. Initiate discussions with parcel SJV3 adjacent land owners to negotiate road and utility access.

3. Maintain ownership of any TDRs available from parcel SJV1

4. Acquire architectural and site engineering services for Project ECHO property, Rectory and Utility Building

5. Parish Center remolding and expansion

6. Purchase the Project ECHO property

7. Install acoustic panels and dimmable lighting in the FLC gym.

8. Implement the interior improvements for the Church and Family Life Center.

9. Rectory renovations

10. Project ECHO property development

11. Purchase the Suburban Propane property

APPENDIX A

CCD Program

For the 2007/08 school year, the CCD Program provided religious education to 536 students in grades kindergarten through high school. Classes met on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings for grades K through 5, and Wednesday evenings for grades 6 through high school. The sizes and recommended student capacities for the available classrooms are shown in Table 1. The program objective is to have a maximum of 20 students in a classroom for grades K through 5 and a maximum of 30 students for grades 6 through 8. High school students meet as a group in the FLC Theater and break out into small discussion groups throughout the FLC including the gym. The recommendations for students per classroom size are derived from generally accepted architectural guidelines of 30 square feet per elementary student. Since the 30 square feet per student includes teacher resource space, project and storage areas, this guideline can be reduced to 20 to 25 square feet per CCD student depending on grade level and furniture requirements.

The Facilities Committee recommends a classroom size goal of 20 square feet per student in grades K through 2, and 25 square feet per student in grades 3 through 8. The recommendation for grade 2 is based on using age appropriate furniture. Currently, grade 2 uses adult furniture.

CCD Classroom Sizes, Capacities & Usage
	Square Feet	Student Capacity	Sunday	Monday	Wednesday
Parish Center
Ars A	327	16 Grades K-2
Ars B	327	16 Grades K-2
Ars C	327	16 Grades K-2
Eculy A	320	16 Grades K-2
Eculy B	320	16 Grades K-2
VR 1	377	16 Grades 3-5
VR 2	377	16 Grades 3-5
VR 3	377	16 Grades 3-5
VR 4	377	16 Grades 3-5
VR 5	386	16 Grades 3-5
VR 6	386	16 Grades 3-5

FLC
Teen	540	22 Grades 6-8
Sullivan	575	23 Grades 6-8
Theater & Gym

Total Classrooms			12	6	6 + Gym

Table 1

CCD Classroom Assignments
Grade	Sunday	Monday	Wednesday
K	Ars A	Ars A
1	Ars B	Ars B/C
1	Ars C
2	Eculy A	Eculy A/B
2	Eculy B
3	VR 1	VR 1/3
3	VR 2
4	VR 3	VR 2/4
4	VR 4
5	VR 5	VR 5
5	VR 6
6			Eculy A/B
6			Ars B/C
7			VR 1/3
7			VR 2/4
8			FLC Teen
8			FLC Sullivan
HS			Theater & Gym

Table 2

Sunday CCD

On Sundays, the CCD Program uses 11 classrooms in the Parish Center for grades K through 5, and the Family Life Center Teen Room for the Developmentally Delayed Program. Grade K has one class in Ars A and the other grades have two classes each as shown in Table 2. Figure 5 shows the number of students in each grade for the past five years. The average number of students per classroom has increased each year for the past five years, with an overall growth for the period of 59.4%. The comfortable number of students in the 11 classrooms is about 16 students. This capacity was exceeded by all classes beginning in the 2006/07 school year and is expected to continue. The Sunday CCD Program has the greatest need for larger classroom space, and could eventually need additional classrooms if the number of students per classroom is to be kept less than 20.

Monday CCD

On Mondays, the CCD Program uses 6 classrooms in the Parish Center for Grades K through 5. Eculy A & B, VR 1 & 3, VR 2 & 4 are combined to provide larger space for the number of students in the class. Figure 6 shows the number of students in each class for the past five years. The average number of students per class is steadily increasing in spite of the registration dip for the 2006/07 school year, with an overall growth for the period of 66.1%.

Wednesday CCD

On Wednesdays, the CCD Program uses 4 classrooms in the Parish Center, and the Teen and Sullivan Rooms in the Family Life Center for two classes each in grades 6 through 8. The theater and gym in the Family Life Center are used for the high school students. Gym use is limited because of poor acoustics. Figure 7 shows the number of students in each class for the past five years. For grades 6 through 8, the average number of students per classroom has increased each year for the past five years, with an overall growth for the period of 165.4%

Calvert County Public Schools

The CCPS student population in grades K through 8 for the schools in the central part of the county for the past five years is shown in Figure 8. During this time period, the number of students in grades K through 6 has decreased 5.0% and the number of students in grades 6 through 8 has decreased 5.7%.

Future CCD Student Projections

The best basis for projecting future growth in the CCD program is the demographic projections developed by the Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS). The CCPS School Facilities Master Plan FY2010 provides historical student data for the past five years and projects student enrollment until the year 2017. Some significant statements from this plan about future Calvert County growth which will impact the CCD program are:

Calvert County is projected to experience moderate student growth over the next planning cycle. The need for additional classroom space during this next cycle is not as great as previous cycles.

The county population has leveled at this time, but the economic and commercial base continues to grow.

Having been one of the fastest growing counties over the past 15 years, Calvert County’s growth has now slowed due to the slow growth initiatives imposed by the County Commissioners and the current economic conditions. Recent information, provided by the Maryland Office of Planning, projects the population of the county to grow to 101,750 residents by the year 2020. Local planners estimate the current county population to be just over 87,000.

With the construction of Barstow Elementary there are a number of developments and subdivisions in the planning stage which, depending on the present economic climate, may come on line over the next five years.

Student growth has begun to decline. The addition of Barstow Elementary School to our inventory will allow us to deal with the impact of the past decade. With the opening of Barstow Elementary we forecast a new growth pattern for the center of the County which until now has been restricted due to elementary school overcrowding. Current economic factors may hinder the growth rate. Growth patterns appear to be consistent with areas that were forecast to grow.

Seven years ago the school system experienced a three to four percent growth rate, or approximately 500 new pupils per year. Over the past four planning periods the growth rate has been 1.0% or less.

In addition to the implementation of measures to reduce the total county build out, the county’s new zoning ordinance enacted in May of 2006 placed various restrictions on the development of new subdivisions. Currently there are but a few pre-platted existing lots remaining as a source of new housing starts in the next few years. There are three significant subdivisions in the planning stages which will impact the 2nd District (central) of the county within the next five years. The current level of housing starts may increase if and when these new subdivisions commence.

Birth rate data reported from the Maryland Center for Health Statistics for 2006 demonstrates a slight increase in the number of births in the county. The number of births in the county is anticipated to be constant or to show some increase over the next several years.

The combined enrollment for the non-public schools represents 5% of the total school enrollment in Calvert County. The public schools enroll the remaining 95%, which has been a consistent pattern over the last ten years.

Since the student growth projections are anticipated to be higher in the central part of the county as compared to the overall county growth rate, data for the public schools that serve a majority of St. John Vianney parishioners is used in this report. The projected student data for the central county elementary schools is shown in Figure 9. This data shows an increase in students of 12.9% from the 2007/8 through 2012/3 school years. The projected student data for the central county middle schools is shown in Figure 10. This shows a decrease in students of 0.2% from the 2007/8 through 2012/3 school years.

The challenge for predicting future CCD program enrollment is the vast difference in student population growth rates for the past five years between the CCD program and the public schools. The public school student population has decreased slightly, but the CCD program student enrollment has increased significantly over this period. This is illustrated in Figure 11. These student population growth rates are summarized in Table 3.

Student Population Growth Rates
	2003-2007	2007-2012	2012-2017
Mid County K-5	-5.0%	12.9%	13.1%
Mid County 6-8	-5.7%	-0.2%	12.8%
CCD K-5	61.4%
CCD 6-8	165.4%

Table 3

CCD Facilities Recommendations

The Facilities Committee can’t explain why the significant growth in the CCD program over the past five years compared to the public school student enrollment, nor can it expect that same significant growth rate to continue based on the projections for public school enrollment in the central part of the county. The most important factor contributing to the committee’s recommendations is the fact that the current parish facilities used by the CCD program have been inadequate for the number of students for the past two school years. This, combined with the inadequate acoustic isolation between the classrooms in the Parish Center has put an undue burden on the volunteers who teach the CCD classes. The classes are overcrowded and noisy. The Facilities Committee makes the following recommendations:

Provide CCD classrooms of approximately 500 sq. ft. to accommodate 20 students per room.

Increase the quality of the acoustic environment in the classrooms by installing high quality moveable partitions, HVAC room isolation, and above ceiling sound barriers

Installing acoustic panels in the FLC gym to improve the sound quality not only for CCD use, but other parish functions like parties, dances, dinner shows and banquets.