Welcome to Expansion News – the source for updates on our building project!
(7/28/26 email)
The Board and Expansion Team wanted to provide you an update on the work that has occurred over the last 2 months. There has been a significant amount of effort behind the scenes! As we reported in May, our efforts have focused on aligning our building design and costs with our anticipated budget and fundraising efforts.
As a quick summary with details below, we are still finalizing the design and budget after our cost cutting efforts, the County has referred our project to the City for a potential annexation requirement, and we will hold informational forums this Fall to present details on the design, timeline, and budget.
Building Design & Cost Estimate
You may remember that in late March, the first Design Development (DD) estimate for the cost of construction was significantly above what our fundraising budget could absorb. Searching for a cheaper alternative for construction, Rodwin solicited a second DD estimate from KCI, a commercial builder who specializes in churches. When we received that estimate in early May, it was even more expensive than Skycastle’s by over $1M. This showed us that Skycastle gave a highly competitive bid for our construction phase.
In parallel to getting a second estimate, the Building Design Team reviewed potential cost cutting and value engineering design changes in anticipation of needing to reduce costs. Then, once the second estimate came in, Rodwin Architecture shifted their focus to updating the design to achieve significant cost savings. Rodwin’s re-design work was provided at no additional cost as part of our fixed fee contract. As part of that process, Skycastle Construction partnered with Rodwin on reviewing every aspect of the building project to reduce costs. They presented a revised DD estimate on July 8 to the expansion project team and the Board. This estimate included gathering 2-3 bids from each subcontractor and creatively developing a new iteration of the design that is more cost effective while still delivering what we need from the project as informed by UUCB visioning and affinity group sessions. We’ll share those updated designs with the congregation this fall in informational forums.
County Review and Annexation Questions
Since early March, Boulder County has been reviewing our “special use submittal,” which is the planning and zoning review. UUCB is located in a small enclave of Boulder County, surrounded on all sides by the City of Boulder. Per the County’s request, we conducted a transportation study which showed minimal impact of our addition to the surrounding area. We also submitted new plans with Rodwin’s cost cutting design changes to more accurately reflect the project. As part of this process, the County sent out our application for public comment in late June with comments due July 30.
Unexpectedly, as part of their review, the County told us they now believe our project may require us to be annexed into the City and they will defer to the City’s decision regarding annexation before potentially allowing us to move forward with our project. Formal feasibility investigations with both the City and the County over the last two years had clearly indicated that expansion would be possible within the County. But this most recent review has surfaced a 60-year-old ordinance regarding UUCB‘s sewer service that the City now claims automatically triggers annexation.
The estimated cost of annexation provided to us previously by the City in our annexation feasibility study in early 2025 (hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to the City, expensive changes to the site, and a delay in the construction timelines) are an undue burden we cannot afford. The Board sent a letter to City and County planning officials and elected leaders stating unequivocally that we do not wish to be annexed at this stage in our project. We have initiated conversations with the City and are seeking legal advice to navigate this latest development. We will notify the congregation of any major developments along these lines, including any public advocacy that might be needed at some point.
Next Steps
We do believe we have a viable, achievable path forward. Other local UU churches who have done recent construction projects tell us that these sort of unexpected curveballs and roadblocks are a normal, though frustrating, part of the process. We’re committed to working through the twists and turns; we’re confident there is a way through.
The Board will be working with the Building Design and Capital Campaign Teams to develop a path forward to finalize the design and finish raising the funds needed for our expansion, fulfilling the major goals our visioning process yielded. We expect to have clear plans in early Fall and will be holding informational forums to review those plans when ready. It will take more time to plan, to work through the question of annexation, and to develop a clearer timeline – we do not anticipate construction to begin before 2027.
As we head into a new stage for the project (shifting to additional fundraising as well as permitting & construction), we expect to see some transitions in the project team, as some people step away after more than 2 years of dedicated service and new folks are recruited. If you’re interested in being a part of this next phase of the project, please reach out! And, as always, feel free to send comments to president@uuchurchofboulder.org.
Yours in faith,
UUCB Board of Trustees (Len Ackland, Tasha Hill, Robin Miller, Rachel Peterson, Joe Polman, Pat Walters, Whitney Wheeless) & Rev. David Schwartz
Also, check out the bulletin board in the Sky Room labeled Expansion News. It’s another way for us to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening.
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