Chances definitely didn't look good early in September that an 80-year-old chapel could be saved from the wrecking ball by moving it across the street next to the Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church on Fourth Avenue South.
That's changed now, and both a church member and city officials said they're optimistic a deal can be worked out as of the Courier's Sept. 27 press deadline.
The chapel has to be moved because CamWest Development is building a multifamily project on the site, but the congregation faced a financial challenge because moving a building isn't cheap.
The church took out a loan for $425,000 to go toward the $500,000 moving project, said congregation member Sue Werner. "In order to pay that back, we needed to rent the building out to the public."
And that led to plans to add a basement to the chapel and use it for, among other purposes, a preschool and daycare, she said. However, church members didn't realize that adding a basement would change land-use code requirements, Werner added. "We were amateurs."
Basement was trigger
In fact, adding a basement that would be used by the public triggered requirements for street and sidewalk improvements, a seismic upgrade and the installation of a sprinkler system for the entire building. It was a laundry list of improvements the church simply couldn't afford, she said.
Adding to the church's woes was a breakdown in communications between church members and different staff members in the city's planning department. "I think what happened was one department in the planning department didn't communicate with other departments," Werner said.
Planning director Eric Shields conceded that his staff didn't communicate as well as they could have. But he said at least part of the problem was that different members of the church were talking to different people in the planning department, and not everyone was on the same page. "We didn't have a clear idea of what was going to happen," he added.
The result was that the project turned into a moving target. The number of parking spaces required differed, depending on which planning department staff member was talking, Werner said of one example.
One thing was clear, though. Adding a basement to the church changed everything, according to Shields. However, the initial code requirements have also changed, he conceded.
The need to make street and sidewalk improvements has been dropped, for example. "They qualified for a waiver," Shields explained. And sprinklers only have to be installed in the basement now, he said.
"But that (basement) will need to be separated by a firewall." That could be done by adding fireproofing to the ceiling and by adding fireproof metal doors, Shields said.
The question of a seismic upgrade is still unresolved. "They wanted us to tear out the walls and put in plywood," Werner said of initial requirements. That's a step the church can't afford, and it would ruin the look of "a beautiful, graceful little building," she said.
Shields said a structural engineer was going to do a detailed analysis of the chapel to determine what steps would be necessary to make it safe in an earthquake. "Some level of improvement is needed," he said, "but because it's a wood-frame structure, it might be inexpensive."
Trying for historic status
Another factor that could change the picture is the historical status of the chapel. The building isn't listed as a landmark in city and county lists, Shields said.
But Werner said the church is trying to get King County to grant historic status to the chapel, a designation that could help in efforts to move and remodel the building.
"There's a little bit more flexibility in the code for historical structures," Shields said. "If we can get some indication it's historical, then we would be very open to applying any flexibility we can."
Shields said he wasn't sure whether there was a perfect solution to the problems the church members faced. However, he said the main message he wants to relay to staff members is that not everyone with a project proposal knows the ropes. He says it's up to staff to take proactive measures to make sure those involvedare informed.
City manager David Ramsay had a different take on the situation. "I think it was a combination of some miscommunication and a project that was evolving over time," he said. "Their project changed, and the requirements changed."
Ramsay understands that church members probably didn't know what they were getting into when they tried to get permits for the project.
City needs to inform those new to process
"For example, an expert architect or developer would know that putting in a basement with children in it, they would know certain things would be triggered," he said. The city needs to do a better job of recognizing the need to better inform non-professional project proponents, Ramsay added.
There are still some details to work out, and the planning department was holding discussions with church members almost daily, Shields said. "I'm very optimistic at this point that it will be moved."
Ramsay agreed. "It's something we'd like to see work out," is how he put it. He also pointed out that CamWest Development has given the church some breathing room.
Werner is grateful. "They've been wonderful," she said of the developer. "They've extending the demolition deadline umpteen times. They're being extremely patient."
She's also cautiously optimistic the project will happen now. "We might be able to save the building," Werner said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed."
Staff reporter Russ Zabel can be reached at rzabel@nwlink.com or (206) 461-1309.[[In-content Ad]]
