Submitted by Yvonne Sabraw on behalf of the Grounds Committee
We would like member feedback on the following proposal, and if there are no major concerns we will organize a day for the project at the end of April/early May. Please provide feedback to the Grounds Committee at shcgrounds@shaw.ca as soon as possible. The deadline for input is Saturday April 24th.
Proposal to widen the shed space
The shed is used more often by members than the garage is, and for years the shed has been unsafe to access because of the clutter. Attempts have been made to organize the tools, some of them heavy and sharp, but there simply isn’t enough floor space for them all.
We propose to move the chain link partition separating the shed and the garage back toward the garage space by one ceiling beam, which would add 20 inches more depth to the shed.
This would decrease the garage space, however, so we need input from those who use the garage:
Social Committee storage: shelves on the north wall would be cut by 5 inches to accommodate the new partition position. There would still be more than adequate shelving space for storage bins, chairs and tables.
Office/Finance Committee: three filing cabinets and the bankers boxes on top of them would be moved forward (toward the garage door) but would otherwise not be affected. Of note - the files labelled “financial,” appear to date back to 2006, and at least one of the cabinets is presently not locked. Is a cull and shredding required?
Buildings Committee: the garage is used primarily as storage for items for our units and the common space.
Wood/baseboards stored on the rafters can stay where they are, but with an extra support to be built for the wood.
The extra stove and fridge, would stay where they are.
Gates stored in the rafters: to be left in rafters but moved toward the garage space.
Handyman space: the work table with vice could be moved toward the garage door side without affecting its utility
The heavy wooden storage unit on the south wall does not need to be moved
The white shelves on the southwest corner against the partition will be moved in but still be against the partition.
Other: access to electrical sockets would be maintained by making a small hole in the partition if they end up on the shed side because of the partition, or the outlets can be moved toward the garage side.
Lighting: we propose extending the present fixtures or adding one more to illuminate the back of the shed.
As we were assessing the feasibility of this change, we were struck by the mess the garage is in. Many things appear to have been put there and forgotten and are collecting layers of dust. There are inaccessible corners, and bins which one would assume should be on shelves that are on the ground.
Overall, it was our impression that the garage can still fulfill its function as a storage and workspace even if it loses 20 inches of depth. And because our proposal involves moving things this might be an opportunity for a much-needed spring cleaning and reorganization of the space. Items to be disposed of could be put aside to then be put in the big rented dumpster when it is brought on-site in the spring.
We suggest the following steps:
1. Get feedback from membership April 16-24th.
2. Buildings and Social Committees to cull/organize their stored items if they wish, April 16-30.
3. One-day work project the weekend of April 30 or May 7 to move items in the garage away from the partition and to move the partition. We welcome member volunteers to help out with the heavy lifting that day and will put out the call once we know if/when the project will move forward.
Covid precautions wise: we will keep the area well ventilated and provide new, medical-grade masks to anyone working in the shed; minimize the number of people in the space at any one time; and maintain physical distance except for brief periods when the work requires proximity to lift and move items.