By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
YACHATS – The Yachats city council may finally have found an engineering report and estimate to repair its shuttered Little Log Church Museum that it likes.
A Newport engineering company that regularly works with the city presented a 32-page report to the council Wednesday, outlining what it found needed work – and what did not – and gave a repair estimate much lower than two previous reports.
Although Tim Gross of Civil West Engineering said there were some figures that needed to be adjusted, his initial estimate to fix issues with the church and museum buildings was $289,378 – dramatically less than the $500,000 to $600,000 previously estimated for repairs.
Most councilors – Anthony Muirhead was absent – were enthusiastic about the report and the apparent simpler and less expensive repairs Gross suggested.
Several times in his presentation, Gross said he was “quite surprised” at the good condition of portions of the church and most of the museum.
“You could rebuild this building in a pretty straightforward way,” he said.
While he briefly referenced two earlier studies, Gross did not detail – and no one asked – what differentiated his inspection and report. But after crawling under the church, Gross said he discovered a foundation of concrete blocks and beams that would need little work.
A report early this year by a Yachats mechanical engineer and Eugene construction company, said the church would need a new, modern concrete foundation.
Gross said the concrete blocks and beams under the library, which is a separate structure connected to the newer museum, “were actually in pretty good condition.” He said inspection and measurements of the church floor showed no sagging or issues.
The report was a relief to councilors.
“I think we need to move ahead with this,” said councilor Mary Ellen O’Shaughnessey. “It’s time we get it going.”
What to do – if anything – with the city-owned structures has bedeviled commissions and current and previous councils for at least four years as the city realized how fast the church was deteriorating.
The debate has been whether to undertake costly repairs – there has been money budgeted since 2019 – or figure out other ways through fundraising or grants to rescue the old, but not historic structure.
The council finally agreed with engineer Larry Thornton of Yachats and McClain Construction last fall to mothball the church and close it to the public for safety reasons.
Gross said Wednesday that he considers the building safe.
There were no decisions made Wednesday, only the presentation by Gross and some questions by councilors.
Gross said he will fine-tune his cost estimates and city manager Heide Lambert said the project will be put into the city’s new Capital Improvement Project process to present with other projects at one of its two November meetings.
That process is being led by Holly Hamilton, a former Yachats and Waldport city planner and project manager from Colorado, who is now working as a contractor for the city.
After reminding the council that the church controversy was dropped in her lap her first week on the job last February, Lambert said the recently-approved project process should soon get things moving.
“Bear with me,” Lambert told the council. “We’re working to get this process down for all our projects.”
Findings and suggestions
Some findings from the Civil West report:
- The church, museum and a restroom added later are three separate and differently constructed buildings on two city lots;
- The church foundation – concrete blocks and beams – are in good shape under the floor, but would need to be replaced with a similar foundation around the exterior walls when they are rebuilt.
- The museum has a traditional stem wall concrete foundation and is in good condition;
- The cedar shakes on the church and museum roofs are in good shape, but the museum’s shakes need cleaning and treatment;
- If repairs are made, the contractor should take down the bell tower, rebuild it and then anchor it to roof trusses. It’s now just attached to the outside of the roof;
- The biggest issue with the church is its east wall, which is completely rotten and in danger of allowing water into the interior. “It’s the worst part of the church building,” Gross said.
Some suggestions from Gross and the Civil West report:
- Replace one church wall at a time, including the windows and interior sheetrock;
- The museum just needs new siding;
- Consider using an engineered concrete simulated log siding made of lightweight reinforced concrete rather than wood because it will need little to no maintenance;
- The final engineer’s report can be used to seek bids from contractors. Gross suggested the council approve a report by February so it can go to bid during the winter and get on a contractor’s summer schedule.
To read the full Civil West engineering report go here
Hallelujah! What is obvious to most citizens is now being shown to the city leaders. The hyperbolic rhetoric surrounding the little log church’s imminent collapse, is … incorrect. Many buildings and homes at the waters edge need periodic maintenance and assistance, if you continually ignore this fact, then more work is required. Thank goodness for engineer Tim Gross and his well done and presented report.
I would be absolutely thrilled if the Little Log Church is repaired and used again. After all, what’s Yachats without the Little Log Church? At least that’s the way I look at it. Of course I felt the same way about Beulah’s Seaview Inn, and look what happened to it. When my brothers and I were growing up in Yachats, we attended Sunday School at the Little Log Church. It has always meant a lot to me.