HOLY TRINITY ROMANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

SUNLAND PROPERTY: READY TO START BUILDING

 

April 6, 2005

 

Dear parishioners & supporters of Holy Trinity Church,

 

From the last report regarding the Building Project, which we have officially given at the 65th Church Anniversary, followed by the December 2004 issue of the “Viata Crestina”, and ultimately up-dated and presented to the parish General Assembly of February 6, 2005, the building committee wishes to inform the parishioners, supporters of our Building Project, and the magazine readers of the following established schedule:

 

the BUILDING PROJECT - Phase I

(Consists of the below-stated steps):

 

1.      Step I

1.                   

1.1.            Obtain a “building risk insurance policy”;

1.2.            Pull grading permits

1.3.            Install fire hydrant & water meter

1.4.            Site preparation: overall clearing, grubbing, temporary fencing, electric & hygiene facilities

1.5.            Survey (grading stakes, pad bluetops, corners & utilities stakes)

1.6.            Rough grading, over-excavation and recompaction, cut-fill, for all buildings & parking area

1.7.            Dig trenches and install the underground utilities.

1.8.            Install the drain system, catch basins, gutters, curbs

1.9.            Build the retaining walls, backfill and compaction of retaining walls

1.10.        Foundation and slabs for both buildings: Church & Hall

1.11.        Fine (finish) grading

1.12.        Off-site street improvements, front-property trail, lighting & traffic control.

 

2.      Step II

2.1.            Construction of the Church

2.2.            Construction of the Hall

 

3.      Step III

3.1.            Paving the parking areas & driveways

3.2.            Landscaping

 

3rd building complex - Phase II: offices, Sunday School Rooms, Museum, Quarters.

 

 

FOLLOWING MEASURES ARE IN PLACE

 

I.      The Architects and the Structural Engineers have made and re-submitted the plans’ corrections, as requested by the Building & Safety Department of Los Angeles (BSDLA), and PRESENTLY we are waiting for ALL THE ARCHITECTURAL PLANS to be approved.

II.      The “Soil and Geological” Report, as previously stated, was approved by BSDLA.

III.      Commercial kitchen plans are approved by the Health Department

IV.      The Grading Plans were approved by BSDLA.

V.      A Builders Risk Insurance Policy is presently negotiated with the Mutual Insurance Agency

VI.      Application for Fire Hydrant is in process.

VII.      Construction bids were taken from 10 Construction companies:

 

 

 

 

a.      Phase I - Turn-key project

                              (3 Estimates)

 

No.

Name of the Construction Company

Estimated Cost

 

      # 1.

 

Gentosi Builders, Inc. – Santa Ana, CA

Phase I - Steps I, II & III

 

$  7,010,495.00

 

# 2.

 

Wesely Thomas Enterprises, Inc – Westlake Village, CA

Phase I - Steps I, II & III

 

$  6,981,581.00

 

# 3.

 

Gary C. Hopkins Construction, Inc. – Glendale, CA

Phase I - Steps I, II & III

Estimate does not include: site underground utilities, landscaping…

 

$  5,397,387.00

 

 

    B.   Phase I – GRADING, RETAINING WALLS, CONCRETE  

             (10 Estimates: Part or All Items in “Phase I, Step I”)

 

 

No.

Name of the Construction Company

Estimated Cost

 

      # 1.

 

Gentosi Builders, Inc. – Santa Ana, CA

General Conditions%, Site Work, Concrete

(Overhead, insurance & profit % not included)

 

$  2,321,580.00

 

# 2.

 

Wesely Thomas Enterprises, Inc – Westlake Village, CA

General Conditions%, Site Work, Concrete

(Overhead, insurance & profit % not included)

 

$  2,178,723.00

 

# 3.

 

Benlian Brothers Construction, Inc. – Granada Hills, CA

Grading & retaining walls – Phase I – Only: Step I, # 1.4; 1.6; 1.8; 1.9; 1.11

 

$  1,514,709.81

 

# 4.

 

Gary C. Hopkins Construction, Inc. – Glendale, CA

Rough & Finish Grading ONLY (Phase I - Step I, 1.6)

 

$     805,720.00

 

# 5.

 

Sharma Engineering Contractors – Westlake Village, CA

Rough & finish grading, Phase I – Step I, # 1.4; 1.6 & 1.9 backfill only; 1:11

 

$     639,800.00

 

# 6.

 

Gerig Construction, Inc.- Thousand Oaks, CA

Rough & finish grading, Phase I – Step I # 1.6 & 1:11

 

$     485,200.00

 

# 7.

 

Michael Adams Trucking & Excavation – Los Angeles, CA

Clearing, Grading - Phase I, Step I # 1.4; 1.6; & 1.11

 

$     350,000.00

 

# 8.

 

Rubin Asheghie Construction – Glendale, CA

Clearing, Grading - Phase I, Step I # 1.4; 1.6; 1:9 Trench Work Only & 1.11

 

$     238,000.00

 

# 9.

 

Kayson Construction Co. Joe Sonei – Canoga Park, CA

Clearing, Grading …(estimate unclear)

 

$     225,000.00

 

# 10.

 

PRG, Inc - General Engineering Contractors

Rough Grading Only - Phase I, Step I # 1.6

Church will make the site preparation (clearing, grubbing)

 

$     159,675.00

 

 

A Grading Company has been hired

                                                                       

 

Desiring not to rush with construction decisions, for almost 3 months (January-March 2005), the Executive Board of the Building Committee held various meetings with General Constructor Companies, Independent Constructors and Sub-Constructors (including Constructors from the Romanian-American Companies), thus securing 3 “Turn-Key Project” Construction Bids, and some 10+ Construction Bids, for Phase I, Step I, Items 1.1 through 1.12 from General Constructors and Sub-constructors  (as stated above).

 

With such work in place, at the specially convoked meeting of Tuesday, April 5 2005, the Executive Board of the Building Committee (Dorian Serban, John Simoni, Mario Theodorou, Constantin Jercan & Fr. Constantin Alecse) took the following decisions:

 

a)      Enter into a Contract with PRG, Inc - General Engineering Contractors – For Rough Grading, Phase I, Step I # 1.6. Church will make the site preparation (clearing, grubbing), for the Estimated amount of $ 159,675.00, besides all the Estimate’s exclusions.

b)      Apply for the “Grading Permit” at once.

c)      Draw, review and sign the “Grading Contract” (work & payment schedule) by April 15, 2005.

d)      Grading Constructor made the commitment to start grading within 2-3 weeks from the time the Contract is signed.

e)      Submit an application for Fire Hydrant, Water & Electric Meters at once.

f)        Hire a brash clearing sub-contractor, to start clearing the property before the beginning of May 2005.

g)      Make arrangements with the Surveyor (Civil Engineer/Soil Engineer) to:

·         Set the boundary monuments & spot elevations.

·         Implement the horizontal control plan by using the staking plan for all improvements to the property line.

·         Implement the construction staking and setting of horizontal and vertical controls, ready for grading.

h)      The Parish Priest and the Building Committee, is grateful  (on behalf of the whole parish) to Mr. John Simoni – a California Licensed, Insured and Bonded General Constructor - who volunteered to take-up the responsibility of Project Manager/Superintendent, for the “grading period of time”, with the possibility of extending this “courtesy duty”, according to various phase’s constructor needs, and other Romanian-American General Constructors’ involvement.

 

Immediately after Orthodox Easter (May 1, 2005), when the “actual physical building-work/grading will start”, the parish office will detail to the parishioners, supporters and the whole Romanian-American Community, the work-in-progress schedule & the appeal of the “Ways & Means Committee”, entrusted with the Fundraising activities for the Building Program.

 

Respectfully submitted,

On behalf of the Building Committee & the Parish,

Fr. Constantin Alecse                                                                              Constantin Jercan

                  Parish Priest                                                                                           Building Committee Chairman

 

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