Pennell Center – Pros/Benefits

 

The Resource Center

Resource center on line and sent to you (doesn’t have to be in Yarmouth)

Amazing library, amazing resource

Resource center draw

 

Staff

Quality staff

Like that staff is all together in same building

Available staff and resources

Staff number one at getting information from

Do a great job there

 

 

Location

Central location for large number central and southern Maine churches
Central to the majority of churches

Central location

Central to population

Proximity to Portland for staff/guests coming and going

Close to population center

Closer than the other two properties

Closer to airport

Close to I-95

Convenient to Interstate 95 and airport

Accessable from I-95

Easily assessable large majority of the population

Good location near Portland

Location

Important same location

Office can be anywhere

Office space close to larger pop

Office space handy to us

Services like banking and restaurants are near by

 

 

Space

Seems to be functional space, well maintained

Functional office space

Enough space for conference

Rent some of the space

 

 

Other Comments

Of the three properties the one that had no “pros” was the Pennell center.

People don’t need to go to the office to get what is needed

Not a lot of emotional benefit to the space

Value is in the staff and not in the building

Building paid for

Conference owns it

Owned and no rental charges

Good shape, not needing many repairs

Go in with question and getting them answered

Internet is up and available

Extraordinary glue that holds everything together,

Service really needs to be supported.

More administrative than meeting

Conference ministers have office in home

 

 

Pennell Center – Con/Liabilities

Resource Center

Resource center under used, as people in churches, and some clergy seem unaware of its existence

Resource center more space

The resource center is critical and it would be good to have a bigger space

Resource center need larger space for workshops

Not enough room for resource center

Resource center needs more room

 

Location

Location bad

Not centrally located

Not central geographical

Not geographically centered

Location is not central to the whole state

Not accessible to much of the state

Long way for some of state

Not necessarily handy for whole conference

Too far from Aroostook

We would like it closer, though we recognize the issue of population density

It is not in a desirable location, right next to the rail road tracks.

It is not the easiest place to get to. It would be better if it was located closer to the central part of the state. It is a crime that the conference office is so far away from 2/3’s of the state. It perpetuates the “two Maines.”

Doesn’t make sense to have it by itself

Difficult to find first time

 

Space

Space wise it is cramped

Office space at maximum

Office itself is a concern

Need more space

Not enough space

Staff –How is it meeting your needs?

Concern for office staff

Concern for working conditions

Concern for getting out of center

Crowded inside

The rooms are really tiny and they can be pretty hot and claustrophobic.

Limited facilities

Not most effective use of space

Needed office space

Feels thread bare

Small meeting room

No good meeting space

 

Space Cont’

No room for growth

Out grown the space

Storage concern-

Not kind of office for being on line

Need to make more green.

Not designed for what we need today

Redundant office space with West Gardner Farmhouse

Crowed in the conference room

Crowded – everything is too tight

We probably have used Pennel Center beyond it’s use

 

 

Building / Structure

Lack of opportunity to expand

Can not add to building

Not large enough for meeting

Privacy unknown

Perhaps too small

Not much parking

Parking is a problem

Parking

is a problem

No parking

Limited parking

Little parking

Lack of parking

Parking negative

Parking is poor

Lack of parking near by

Signage is poor

 

 

Maintenance

Maintenance needs-roof, siding, repair deck

Maintenance concerns

Needs some repairs

Maintenance issues outside

Building is an eye sore

Little handicap accessibility

No identification with the name

 

 

 

 

Other Comments/Questions

-The Pennell Center is used less and less by the general conference membership and mostly by the staff: Mark Schussler, Cathy Croudis, the Resource Center, etc

-The conference ministers do not need a whole building because they are on the road much of the time. Why not have rented space?

-We need professional help and guidance right now to make our decision. Real estate right now is flat so don’t sell anything right now.

-Are we discussing this issue now so that we will sell property to make up the budget’s projected shortfall? Before we do anything we need to look at the big picture and see what is in the conference’s best interest in the long run. We need to be good stewards. If we sell to balance the budget we will be in the same place in another ten years or so. We need to be wise investors of any monies that we get from selling property.

20 years ago there was a proposal to sell Pennell Center and Rockcraft

-It is an ugly building. We want to put our best foot forward as a conference and the Pennell Center does not do that for us. Why not consider putting the offices at one of the other two sites? It would be better to have the main office in Gardiner rather than Sebego Lake, which is too far south.

-There was great concern for the operational costs of the Pennell Center. With the cost of oil heating the place must be expensive, especially if there are two furnaces.

Upkeep and expenses

More costly

 

 

 

Pennell Center – Stewardship

 

Best Stewardship

We would imagine the land is quite valuable, if it were to be sold.  However, we suspect it would be more expensive to try to find another suitable property in the area.  It would seem that staying where we are is prudent, though we are not certain if there are other issues we need to know about.

Can Pennell Center be moved to Pilgrim Lodge

Is there a better central location for the office that is near the population center?

Is this the best use of the funds

 

Use

The building is well used

Is owning better than renting?

Staff has been making it work are they efficient with the space they have in serving the churches

A church might share some space to rent.

 

Maintenance

Maintenance of building –concern put money in and not get it back

Need to put some money into the maintenance of the building on a yearly basis

Check places outside of the Portland area
Compare cost of office space outside Portland with the maintenance of property

 

Other

Sell and use the money for maintenance at other locations

Sell the property and use capital to rent for a period of time
Find something further up in the state
Level the farm house at Pilgrim Lodge and use volunteer labor to build a state of the arts conference center

Can’t see that further north would benefit

Find some place that will not impact the staff

Concern for staff if office is moved

 

 

 

Pennell Center – Options

 

Sell/Move

Different location of office

Selling Pennell Center and centralize office at the farm house

Hate to see it move

Move everything to Pilgrim Lodge

Move the Pennell Center to Pownal

Move offices to Rockcraft

Move office to more central area

Do we want to sell it?

Sell the building and find another space to rent or own

Selling putting somewhere else

Administrative building near farm house at P.L. two stories have rooms and common dinning area

P.L. working group recommended to put all at P.L. place to sleep 30, one building to heat

Knowing the person who gave Pennell Center when selling the property use the money efficiently as possible. There were no restrictions on the donated gift.

Pennell Center should be sold and moved to Pilgrim lodge

Lease another building for more space

 

Build New

Build identity when everything in one place

Invest in a green building

New building at West Gardiner

Build near I-95 in central Maine maybe lot next to Waterville church

Build new facility at Pilgrim Lodge or Rockcraft

Consider building new at PL

 

Sell and find Alternative Space

-- To address the issue of the Resource Center being so far from our churches, would it be possible to have a mobile resource center (RV)? This was suggested as a way to accommodate those who like to browse the actual resources (in person) rather than having to order copies for review. We can also do better self-education among our churches about what services and resources are available.

Portland area to have a greater connection with other denominations

Use a church for the office space and resource center

Meeting space around the state not at the Pennell CenterWhy build if places are available? (churches in UCC are possibility, all over state)

A centrally located church (PL north to Bangor) that had the space available. Would be of benefit to both groups

Consider – moving to a mill building

 

 

Keep for Alternative Use

Rental space – no upkeep costs

Rent Pennell Center and be a landlord

Seminary campus

 

Other

We would like it closer, though we recognize the issue of population density

Explore job style and office needs

Have outside source look at the best use of Pennell Center building from a business prospective

Could we add on meeting space to office space – makes it more multi-user friendly

Concern for present staff if location changes

What are the staff needs and how do they feel, have we asked?

How big is the building?

Is it adequate for our needs?

To stay as is with planned maintenance scheduled

Ask the Pennell Center staff what are their dreams

Office building could be anywhere

This is a donated piece of property

 

 

 

Pennell Center – Questions

 

About Facility

Is this what we want it to be?

How many are using the facilities and what churches are they from?

Is this what we want it to be?

What are the costs for maintenance of the building?

-The discussion on the Pennell Center went in the direction, if something was going to be sold there was no emotional attachment to this building and it should be the first to go.

Parking needs to be more readily available

What is the sq footage cost of the Pennell Center?

Is the Pennell center adequate for the future?

What is the square footage?

Concern for parking and maintenance

What is the square footage of the Pennell Center?

Is it what we want it to be?

 

 

 

About Resource Center

-Only a couple of folks had been to meetings at the Pennell Center, as members of a Conference committee. East Millinocket, Island Falls, Houlton, and Presque Isle have used the Resource Center.

Would like bookmobile for resource center to be more portable

If more money that resource center people have more time

Resource center – needs more space

Why does it cost so much to run Pennell Center?

What is the physical plant operating cost?

Usage includes, Research,,Resource center, Pay for campers, SYC meetings

One problem - with gas prices going up - is how to use resources well. Teleconferencing

Need resource center four times larger

 

 

 

About Cost/Value

What are the facilities worth?

-We’re not sure a better site could be found in that area, given the value (on the powerpoint), and the likely cost of property in that area.

Would it cost $60,000 a year to lease a different space?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Space

How does staff feel about the space?

Be energy efficient stewards of the earth

-All recognized that we have all been touched by the the work that goes on at the Pennell Center. We benefit from its existence, even if we have not been there.

What is the amount of square footage we need for a central office

How does the space affect those that work there?

How many square feet in the Pennell Center?

-Not enough room to store what they have and get it out to churches would be easier, if there was enough room for all the information to be properly stored

-Would it be possible to use a larger Portland area church during the week for the conference offices? That space wouldn’t be used during the week as much.

Need more room and meeting spaces

If make it bigger it would be quickly filled and we would be overflowed

The remodeling of the inside of the building in 2001 was helpful

35 person conference room

More storage space

More restroom facilities

 

 

 

About Location

We would like it closer, though we recognize the issue of population density

-Conference office staff spend small amount of time at center—maybe on road, different since building was used in the earlier years

Would Brunswick or Waterville be cheaper?

Anything coming available at Brunswick Air Base?

There was a feeling that our office should be located in a central location, Augusta or Bangor or possibly in a year round retreat center on one of the other properties.

Would it be better to be closer? Waterville – less cost and closer to more rural areas

Waterville is a depressed area and it might cost us less to go there

Stonehouse in Freeport?

Be near the turnpike – for ease of access

Doesn’t mater where it is located

If moved the office needs to be located near the 95/295 highway

 

 

 

About the Staff

How would a move effect current staff?

The staff should get raises

How does staff feel about the Pennell Center?

How does the ministry staff feel about the space and location?

Need to have a space that staff value

 

 

General Comments

Fund raising efforts?

Understand that the larger population is in southern part of state

What is the geographical center of Maine - Winthrop?

Consider one of the mill buildings in Auburn, Lewiston, and Waterville

Could we build a new building for the central office on the grounds of PL?

Not as far north as might be desirable for the northern counties

Could be placed at Rockcraft

Could be placed at Pilgrim Lodge

Wanted to know is the Penell gift had “strings” attached to its location

Survey other denominations in the state to see what they are doing for office space?

Check with other conferences in New England to see how they are handling office space

How many are using Pennell Center?

Information available in other ways?

One liability is all 3 properties are south of Augusta, but 2/3 of maine is north of Augusta., though 2/3 of population is south of Augusta.

Won’t replace face-to-face meetings.