The dream of making Union Church open to the residents moved a bit closer to reality on July 6, as the Orion Township Board of Trustees approved a plan for interior demolition.
Becky Goodman, Union Church Governing Board Chair, presented a demolition plan, meant to be the first phase of the project, with 12 items. Among them are removing paneling, suspended ceiling, and pews to be covered and protected.
Also to be removed is the baptismal font/tub, air handler and exhaust fan, carpeting, fiberboard, radiator fins and heating. The plan also calls for removing all of the raised platform stage and testing all electrical and terminating to box for demolition.
Goodman said most of the work could be done by volunteers, some with construction experience, and that the second phase of the plan would be renovation.
‘I think this is a great step,? said supervisor Jerry Dywasuk.
Goodman said the committee had gone inside the church, located in the Village of Lake Orion but owned by the township, to assess what needed to be done. A renovation plan would be detailed after the demolition work was done.
‘All we’re asking to do right now is take out materials…we’ll need a dumpster,? she said.
Clerk Jill Bastian asked what kind of permits the governing board would need.
‘The board is asking the township, as owner, to be responsible for permits,? Goodman said.
Harry Stephen, also a member of the governing board, said electrical and boiler permits would be needed.
‘We have funds budgeted for that,? said Bastian. ‘Hopefully when those costs come in, they’ll be taken out of those allocated funds.?
‘I’m interested to see how this turns out…I encourage you to continue,? said trustee Richard Tomczak.
Stephen said the governing board’s intent was to keep moving forward.
‘In an organized fashion,? he added.