Unitarian Congregation of Norfolk

1% Makes a difference

Protect the museum, protect the church? Click pictures.	2003: Isabel surged 8.5 feet. Click to Floods.	2020: How high, how often?
13 Options  Additions invited	For Suggestions invited.	Against Suggestions invited.
1.  Do Nothing:  Pray To Stay	Tradition.  Convenience.  Service to Norfolk. Uncertain flood-prediction:  One foot tidal rise/50 years.  City to protect Chrysler Museum?	Possible rising cost of insurance, and later loss of insurance with eventual loss of ~ $800, 000, the church's property value.
2.  Remodel:  Pay To Stay I. Build A School and Stay. Click. II. Seawall & Stay. Click here.	Tradition.  Location. Uncertain flood-prediction. I. Enlarge Our School. Click. II. Seawall and Stay. Click here.	Property value may vanish.  Will a bank give a mortgage?  Will the city allow expansion?
3.  Remodel By Sharing	Ecumenical.  Synagogue.  Church.  Mosque.  University.  Medical School. Service to community.	Politically difficult.  We would not have the full benefit of more space.
4.  Remodel By Renting	Generate revenue for work of the church	Church would become commercial property part of the time.  Liability would require further insurance?
5.  Remodel, Rent For      Revenue, Move	Generate revenue for work of the church	This option might produce revenue while incurring the costs of management and liability.
6.  Sell        Move	Preserve capital for work of the church nearby.  High ground may be available.	Loss of association with Norfolk.
7.  Sell        Join Newport News +        Williamsburg	Simplicity.	Isolation from Norfolk.  Cost of travel.  Isolation from Newport News and Williamsburg.
8.  Share Ministers      Temporarily After       2012.	Save Salaries To Repair, Remodel, Relocate, Build Endowment	Loss of Leadership Loss of Membership Unspent Endowment Is Irrelevant In The Presence of Flooding
9.  Spend the endowment.	This is a crisis.  We must use what resources we have, even if further debt mus be incurred.	Violation of trust of promise to donors that money will not be spent until endowment reaches $250,000--our Congregational promise will have as much credence as a Congressional promise...
10.  Withhold UUA dues         ($13,045) until crisis        is over	Both our ministers are lawyers.  We have far more relevant legal and administrative talent than UUA Boston, and we are out of money:  We cannot afford even indirect, routine administrative donations to UUA at this time unless the Congregation votes for this choice.  Administration at a distance does not--and cannot--address the flooding we face.  Boston is not flooding yet; we are.	UUA is priceless.
11. Withhold Thomas       Jefferson District       dues ($4, 893) until        crisis is over.	Membership in UUA and TJD is a luxury we cannot afford in the face of this crisis.  When we have more money, then we can afford to pay distant administrators.  This money should be spent to help this church and the people of Norfolk.	TJD is priceless.
12.  Borrow to buy a nearby        building.	We need space; the building code may restrict our freedom to remodel the church.	The bank may not offer the mortgage.

Options: Additions invited	Reasons For: Suggestions invited.	Reasons Against: Suggestions invited.
13.  Seed A New Church Nearby	Avoid crowding of UCN.	Uncertain cost, logistics, and location.  UCN's finances may not support such expansion.
Suggestions invited	Suggestions invited	Suggestions invited

Virginia Hurricane History