CREATING A LONG RANGE CAMPUS PLAN

In October 2025, the Facilities Planning Task Force was created by the Board to address the fact that our current facilities present a significant barrier to growth, preventing full community gatherings and opportunities for deeper engagement. After extensive study, the Task Force proposed a set of guiding principles, strategies, estimated timelines and costs to start a facilities planning project; the proposal was accepted by the Board in early 2026 and CJMW Architecture was hired to facilitate the process. Through detailed study of buildings and grounds, extensive conversations with staff, lay leaders and congregation members, and workshops to hone concepts and priorities, CJMW will deliver their proposed Long Range Campus Plan by the end of 2026.

During this process, it will be important to remember that any enhancements to our buildings and grounds are not ends to themselves. They are a means to an end. And that is always to further our mission:

Together, we cultivate curious minds, compassionate hearts, and courageous actions in service of a more just and loving world.

GATHERING INFORMATION

The team of architects from CJMW have been busy reaching out to our congregation to solicit opinions and ideas. They’ve asked what we like about our current building and what needs improving or adding. There has been a series of meetings with both leadership and the general congregation and they’ve conducted a survey that was returned by nearly one hundred of you. We hope you have already become involved, but there will be even more opportunities to participate.

First, they have a lot of information and data to sift through and digest. The next meetings will take place beginning in September at which they will present a variety of options. Then, based on our reaction and responses, they will develop a long range plan that reflects what they heard. That final proposal will be presented in November for our consideration

See the list of upcoming events below and mark your calendars now so you won’t miss them!

 

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

On July 12th and 13th, the architecture team from CJMW conducted the first of three workshops. These were structured interactions that included both the architects providing information collected from the survey and interviews as well as discussion with the congregation on each of four topics.  Click HERE to read an overview.


UPCOMING EVENTS

🔸 Workshop #2, Concept Exploration
September 13th, 12:30 following our Homecoming Potluck
This is the second of three workshops with the CJMW architectural team to help them develop concepts for the expansion and enhancements of UUFWS’s campus. CJMW will host a “town hall” session to present a couple of program options for the building expansion based on comments from the surveys and previous workshop.  These will be diagrams depicting where programs will fit in the existing building and where the building will expand with spaces sized according to needs.  The Architects will first present the options and then ask the congregation for feedback. The workshop is expected to last about 90 minutes. You can also join on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/95894906699.

🔸 Workshop #3, Shared Direction
October 18th
This is the last of three workshops with the CJMW architectural team to help them develop concepts for the expansion and enhancements of UUFWS’s campus. They will be presenting a scheme based on the comments and responses from the September workshop. Format TBD.

🔸 Final Presentation
November 8th
The CJMW architectural team will be presenting the report and long range plan for UUFWS. The presentation will be on the culmination of the last six months of studying the building, grounds, and needs of the Fellowship and drawing from everyone’s contribution to a vision for UUFWS’s facilities expansion.

IMPORTANT LINKS

🔸 Charge To Facilities Planning Task Force, September 2025

🔸 Facilities Planning Project Proposal, January 2026

🔸 CJMW Architecture – Proposed Campus Planning Process, April 2026

🔸 Blueprint of Existing Building

QUESTIONS …

🔸 HOW DOES THE CONGREGATION GET INVOLVED?

    • Watch for our surveys.
    • Stay informed – read the Building Our Future newsletters, published on Wednesdays every two to three weeks
    • Attend each of the three architect-led workshops this summer and fall, and the plan presentation in November.
    • Send your comments and questions to facilitiesplanning@uufws.org

🔸 DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST?

Yes and no. Our contract with CJMW Architecture for development of the long-range campus plan is $35,000. The plan will include rough estimates of construction cost so we can prioritize specific expansion elements. At the same time, a UU stewardship consultant will be meeting with a cross section of our membership to estimate our capacity for raising funds for capital projects. With that information, we can make decisions about what we are ready to build.  If we decide to move forward in early 2027, the next phase will involve creation of actual construction plans and detailed estimates of building costs. The cost for that contract will be determined by the scope of work identified in the long-range campus plan process.

We have more than enough funds on hand for developing the comprehensive, long-term plan – donations that were specifically designated for this purpose by members who have held onto the dream of expanding to better meet our mission.

By next spring, we expect to mount a Capital Campaign to raise funds for updating our current building, site work and new construction of the first phase.

VIDEOS

✨ Meet the Architects: CJMW Architecture – 5/31/26

✨ In Conversation: Our Foundation & Future: Sharon Winters, Donna Hatchett & Angie Vincoli – 5/10/26

✨ Interview with long-time member Tom Fowler on our facilities – 2/20/26