Dates

Action or Activities

1997

Concerted push for acquisition of lower lot and construction of new meetinghouse

1999-2000

Meeting considers major renovations to meetinghouse, and an ad hoc committee reports estimated costs of $200,000 (with no additional space) to $500,000 with the construction of a second floor over the first day school rooms.

3/18/2001

Property Committee recommends that meeting should put renovation plans on hold because the meeting has been approached by United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), which is contemplating major changes to its property. With the approval of the meeting, a committee is appointed by the Clerk to learn about UCP’s plans and whether UCP might be willing to exchange the present meetinghouse for the lower lot.

2002?

Meeting approves the exchange with UCPA of the present meetinghouse for most of the lower lot, but UCP later withdraws its offer.

6/1/2003

Meeting approves extending offer to purchase the lower lot for $475,000, and a contract is later signed, with final settlement contingent upon subdivision approval to be obtained by UCP.

9/11/2004, 9/29/2004

Two “dialogue sessions” are held at the meetinghouse to allow Friends to share their opinions and feelings about building issues.

10/17?/2004

Ad hoc committee is formed to address concerns of meeting relating to the renovation of the existing building or the construction of a new meetinghouse.

Jan. 2005

The ad hoc committee (Jeff Perkins, Laura Melly, Hollister Knowlton, Signe Wilkinson) reports to the meeting with a list of “touchstone” concerns and values, and the formation of three new committees is proposed: a “glue” committee to coordinate the process, a “client” committee to identify the professional resources that may be needed, and a finance committee to look at feasibility and fundraising. A fourth group for the interim maintenance of the new property is also discussed.

3/20/2005

Meeting approves the holding of a one-day workshop with an outside facilitator to look at the goals of the meeting and try to translate them into space and an end product to allow the meeting to evaluate how well the present building fits our needs.

4/24/2005

The meeting visits the lower lot.

5/14/2005

Retreat facilitated by Nancy Muth to consider the needs of the meeting in a new or renovated meetinghouse.

6/?/2005

Meeting agrees to move forward towards the construction of a new meetinghouse on the lower lot.

10/16/2005

Client committee presents a chart with timeline for creating a new meetinghouse, with a goal of creating a final plan that would allow an architect to be engaged in about one year.

11/20/2005

Meeting approves fund of $3,000 for miscellaneous needs of the client committee.

?

Meeting has opportunity to meet with Hiram Butler, a member of Live Oak Meeting in Houston, and agent for James Turrell, the artist who created the skyspace in that meetinghouse.

1/27/2006

Meeting has opportunity to meet with James Turrell.

6/17/2006

Eleven people from Chestnut Hill Meeting (Dona & George Garrettson, Bob & Linda Rosenwein, Donna & Ed Seiz, Trude Fuchs, Laura Melly, Lyle Jenks and Phil Jones) travel to Greenwich, CT, to see two Turrell works: the Baker Barn, and Greenwich Academy Upper School.

7/7-8/2006

Twelve people from CHFM travel to Arizona at James Turrell's invitation to visit Roden Crater, his large unfinished work.