Welcoming All Seasons

The “Welcoming All Seasons” Capital Campaign is funding two important renovations of the Pioneer Memorial Church facility. The first renovation, both in terms of cost and urgency, is to replace the pipes that carry the heated water and the chilled water that heats and cools the sanctuary and classrooms of the church. The second project is the replacement of main parking lot next to the church. Both of these renovations are essential to continue the safe and comfortable use of the church building.

The heating and cooling of the Pioneer sanctuary and center basement rooms depends on a set of pipes that carry heated water or chilled water to the registers. In the center section we have a “two-pipe” system carries one temperature of water at a time so that the building can be heated or cooled but not at the same time. In the wing we have a more modern "four pipe" system where one room can be heated and another cooled at the same time.

The pipes in the center section are original to the 1959 construction of the church. They have served more than twice the industry estimated average system lifespan. Their age and corroded condition became increasing worrisome as small leaks began to appear in recent years. In 2024, during preperation for replacment of the valves and control electronics in each heating unit contactors opened up the insulation around the old pipes and discovered signifant rust and corrosion. And recommend total replacement as attaching new valves to the old pipes could have caused catastrophic failure.

The parking lot
    The parking lot reached its useful life about 4-5 years ago, but patching here and there extended its usefulness. But recent cold winters and hot summers have created broken patches with uneven heaves of the pavement that are falling and trip hazards. The need for repaving is obvious.