Chelan Property Discernment
One of the priorities of this year’s Board is to engage in a discernment process about the long-term, future of the Chelan property. Please take a moment to read the background information and options being considered.
Fall Town Hall with the Board: Please plan to join us on Sunday, November 3, following worship,as we begin a congregational discernment process regarding the future of the property.
Background on the Property
This following description comes from the 2016 Chelan Task Force (members Roger Sherman, chair, Jim Bigelow, Emmie Schlobohm, Wyatt Schroeder, Ken Watts).
The property is an apx. one acre strip accessed via Chelan St. and is located directly behind the eastern most end of the fellowship (behind the grove). The property was purchased in 2008 when the previous owners of the property gave BUUF the first-right-of-refusal when they decided to sell. BUUF purchased it via a personal loan from a BUUF member and a bank mortgage. Ultimately, about half the loan and mortgage were paid off by BUUF members’ & friends’ donations, and about half was paid off by a bequest from the estate of long-time member Jo Douglas in 2011.
The property has two houses on it which the congregation currently rents to public tenants. There is also a large barn/shed building and a pasture on the property where horses and a goat currently graze. The properties share a well for domestic water and irrigation. The south house is quite small (about 800 Sq. ft.). Upgrades to the south property include painting about 70% of the rooms, a new toilet, shower, and lots of door casing and baseboard repairs. It has a shop that is quite spacious and includes a separate office/storage space. The north house is a manufactured home nicely installed on a permanent foundation with a large crawl space underneath. It is approximately 1600 sq. feet with two bathrooms and three bedrooms. The property suffers from some very poor remodeling. A 2015 early summer remodel fixed some of the worst issues at the time.
After having to evict a tenant in 2015, the board became concerned about the Fellowship’s role as landlord and formed a task force to explore possible options for use of the property in hopes of finding a use more compatible with BUUF’s mission. In the meantime, the board also authorized contracting with a property management company to deal with rent collection and maintenance which had previously been done by BUUF volunteers.
Current Situation as of 2024
The congregation currently rents this property at below-market rates to two families, one of which still uses the grounds to corral their horses. We consider this use of the property consistent with a social justice intent to help mitigate the high cost of housing in the area.
In May of 2024, the Board was informed that there were a number of repair issues on the manufactured home that needed attention and the Board authorized spending $5000 to make the most urgent repairs and those that were safety issues. Bob Smith was authorized to act as general contractor for these repairs, and most of the work was done with volunteer labor.
After a “walk-through” and a thorough assessment of maintenance needs going forward, it was estimated that future repairs could cost at minimum $15,000 to $30,000, depending on whether we were able to use volunteer labor.
At that time we began to consider, once again, how we might use this resource and whether it makes sense to continue on the current path. In the meantime, BUUF staff has taken on the job of property management since we did not renew the contract with the property management company, citing their negligence in keeping BUUF informed of maintenance needs.
The Board has begun this discernment process by investigating all the possible options for the property that have been suggested in past years. They’ve put together information pages with explanations and offering pros and cons for each option. At the Town Hall, members will have an opportunity to rotate through rooms and explore each option sharing feedback and questions which the Board will collect, review and answer.
Options for Consideration
Each option is linked to a more detailed info sheet.
Please click the blue links for each option below for more information about that option.
- OPTION 1 – Stay the Course: keep doing what we’re doing
- Chelan Option #1
- OPTION 2 – Develop the land for future BUUF use without residential tenants
- Chelan Option #2
- OPTION 3 – Sell the property and use funds to further our mission and vision
- Chelan Option #3
- OPTION 4 – Hybrid Option to subdivide the Chelan Lot into two parcels, selling one lot and keeping the other for potential future use
- Chelan Option #4
- OPTION 5 – Develop the property for affordable housing in partnership with other community organizations
- Chelan Option #5
We hope to offer a final decision for congregational vote at our Annual Meeting in May 2025. Your board and staff look forward to your input.