Dear Christ Church,
Even as this pandemic has affected our regular routine, the Vestry has continued to advance the process to shift Frederica Road. Shifting the road has consistently been the first priority within the congregation, as a long-term strategic investment for Christ Church in terms of safety and accessibility. It is also the first step in our Master Plan and Capital Campaign programs.
As you know, the road project has already faced delays. Two years ago, Glynn County was awarded Federal Land Access Program money to fund the majority of the project. There have been a number of hurdles in the time since, many of them associated with the process of receiving federal funds. That process has not gotten any easier or quicker. In March 2020, we learned that the road project would extend into 2024. The budget for the project was rapidly increasing along with Christ Church's financial commitment, increasing from $450,000 to $800,000 so far. Christ Church is responsible for any increase in budget on the road project. Aware of the extended schedule and ballooning budget, Glynn County staff asked us if we had considered funding the project without federal dollars.
Working with our Program Manager, the Vestry quickly realized that our timetable could be shortened by two years without the Federal process. Shortening that timetable not only eliminates costly delays on the road project, but also significantly lowers cost increases associated with delaying other aspects of the Capital Campaign. Christ Church's total Phase One cost as a result of the road project delays has become equivalent whether the County accepted the FLAP funds or not. Forgoing the FLAP funds makes it more likely that our total costs will be lower when all projects are completed. Said another way, we are contributing more for the road project, so we can save money on later projects, not to mention realizing safety improvements much sooner. These time and cost savings led the Vestry to recommend to the Glynn County Commissioners yesterday that we would be willing to provide the main funding source for the road project, an estimated $1.2 million, after contributions from Ft. Frederica and Glynn County.
The project scope remains the same, only the funding changes. Glynn County will still manage and oversee the project, although they will have more direct control for the schedule and the work without the added GA-DOT and Federal oversight. The project still entails detailed environmental and cultural survey work, and we are still committed to minimizing the impact on trees and land.
The Vestry and Capital Campaign committee have looked at the overall budget for the Campaign and our overall budget is not dramatically affected. This is the result of a combination of factors, including some cost lowering and a realization that we did not need to carry such a large number for the cost to borrow money. The final total of the project/campaign costs should be within our original expectations and we will work toward that reality. The shifting of Frederica Road remains the single most important part of our plans and we look forward to realizing the increased safety and accessibility as early as next year. After more than ten years of effort to address ongoing safety issues associated with the road and parking, the Vestry is pleased that we are much closer to realizing our hopes.
Please don't hesitate to be in touch with either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours in Christ,
