History of the Duplexes

by Colene Schlaepfer

Roger Barr described to me the day in 1966 when Alex Pesonen, speaking from the sanctuary, excitedly pointed out that a “for sale” sign had just gone up next door. “I think we should buy it!” Mr. Pesonen had a great deal to do with getting the money and making it happen. The first duplex was bought in June of 1966 — six years after the original 5 acres were bought. The second one was bought as soon as it came on the market. The price for each was $27,500. The primary reasons: to have control of the property and prevent someone from building something undesirable. The last payment on the two buildings was in 1981.

The original duplex property included land behind the duplexes which we now use for gathering space next to our patio and for some of the religious education play space.

The duplex units are 56 years old — built during the war years when building materials were hard to get and sometimes of lesser quality. Some of these things have had to be replaced. An extensive renovation was done in 1975 — much of it by members. Indeed as I went through the file it was clear that many members had contributed time and energy to keep up these residences. Delmar Janson and many others have worked on them through the years. The roofs where replaced 15 or 20 years ago. Rental income has provided funds used for the church budget. The value of the property of course has increased. It is now zoned for 20 units.

How was it to live in one of the duplexes? I talked with Bobby Stewart who lived in one during the 90’s. She said, “I enjoyed living next door to the church. After church events my friends came  over.” Our head custodian Elaine Cooper lives there now.

You can see the history of income and expense on the accompanying graph. We are facing some major expense in 2010. The roofs on all 4 units need to be replaced and the exteriors need to be painted. There is extensive dry rot to be repaired or replaced. Because of the economy the rents have had to be lowered to get them re-rented. Our business administrator spends 5 to 6 hours a week managing the property . There are plans to pay someone else to do it next year. The custodian time per year amounts to about $2,000.

The Housing Forum held last year explored the options for the property going forward. (See Summary of Housing Forum, Oct 4, 2009) Our three experts concluded that building rental units would not be a profitable use for the church at this time. The most viable use, they concluded, was market rate ownership housing, or condos. This would be feasible financially if the project were done with pre-sold units designed to buyer preference. Some units could be planned for seniors or co-housing. This kind of sale would also release us from property management which is not part of our mission as a church. If designed considering compatibility with our campus, the original purpose of buying the property in 1966, preventing something undesirable on the property, could be honored.

The history of the duplexes includes difficult times for our leaders. Mary and Rich Howard told me they “distinctly remember periods in each of their presidencies when the duplexes were vacant and big repairs had to be made”. The rental income has in the past helped sustain our budget.

What can we imagine for the useful, profitable future for this property, now and as we plan for the next 50 years of our lovely campus? In order to plan for what to do next on this special property we need to first complete the assessment of our campus as a whole. When that is complete we can move forward with confidence on an overall plan. Certainly we owe our predecessors a hearty “thank you” for their foresight in acquiring this valuable piece of property adjacent to our campus.