My Letter to the Editor in The Chronicle today re. Coventry Project

Editor:

I am writing to help clarify some of the misunderstandings that Robert Druge made in his letter on April 27 regarding the St. Paul’s Collegiate Church proposed project in Coventry.

As reported in the Chronicle on April 23, the proposal is for a total of 800 seats in the wor­ship chapel, not 180 seats. I was misquoted in the April 22 article and the Chronicle made the correction in the April 23 article.

The property is almost 60 acres and right on Route 195. The vast majority of the land will be preserved as a park open to the public.

The total project includes three intercon­nected buildings that would be constructed in phases as the church grows. Phase one is an approximately 10,000-square-foot multi­purpose building that would include space for children’s ministry and Sunday school as well as a multipurpose “gymnatorium,” which would serve as our worship chapel during this phase.

Phase two of construction is a 5,600-square­foot building with fellowship space, meeting rooms, and offices.

Phase three is a completed 15,000-square­foot worship chapel with 800 seats. The total of the three phases is approximately 31,000 square feet The only paved parking areas are the number of spots required by the town zoning regula­tions. All additional overflow parking will be covered with either gravel or grass pavers. The parking areas are being designed to hide them from the road, following the natural contours of the property.

In terms of erosion control and storm water runoff, we are following best management practices in all cases and incorporating low ­impact development where possible.

We are also proposing walking nature trails as well as youth athletic fields on the property. These facilities would be open to the public for community use.

As people of faith, we take seriously the call to be good stewards and caretakers of the earth. We also take seriously the call to serve not just the needs of our congregation, but of our broader community.

We live in serious times and these seri­ous times call for a renewed commitment to community, relationships and stewardship. As school budgets are cut and families are forced to make tough financial decisions, these are not days for being concerned only about self but rather an opportunity to embrace a greater vision of community.

While churches alone are not the answer to the challenges we face, we are an important part of the community.

Only by creatively working together in part­nership as a community will our community continue to thrive.

That is why I am so thankful for the broader Coventry community, their commitment to responsible development and partnership, as well as their foundational commitment to the common values that bind us together as a community.

Rev. Benjamin D. Dubow
Lead Pastor
St. Paul’s Collegiate Church