UUFP Site Selection and Purchase Policy

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF THE POCONOS
PO Box 756 Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Phone: 570-420-0580 Web site: uupoconos.dev

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos: Site Selection and Purchase Policy
September 25, 2012

The objective of this policy is to provide a mechanism that will allow the congregation to respond quickly when:

1. an opportunity becomes available to acquire property, and

2. the property might not stay on the market long enough to allow the usual, more time-consuming process of inspection, discussion, and congregational decision-making to be effective.

Goals and Guidelines for Property and Space Committee and Site Selection
Goal of the Property and Space Committee: to find and purchase property for use as a UUFP home
The Property and Space Committee shall consist of two parts with one chair: a Site Purchase Sub-Committee and a Site Discovery Sub-Committee.
1. The Site Purchase Sub-Committee shall select the site and initiate the property purchase. It shall consist of:
The Chair of the Property and Space Committee
The Vice-Chair of the Property and Space Committee
The President of UUFP
One other Fellowship member, to be appointed by the UUFP Board
Two alternate members (UUFP Board members)
Note: In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair will act in her/his place.
Decisions made by the Site Purchase Sub-Committee must be unanimous.

2. The Site Discovery Sub-Committee shall consist of an unspecified number of UUFP members who will identify potential properties for the Site Purchase Sub-Committee to investigate. Potential sites should be reported to the Property and Space Committee Chair, who will contact the realtor who has been chosen to work with UUFP to find a suitable property.

Guidelines for location of site:

1. Site should be easily accessible from Stroudsburg (within approximately 15 miles to the north and 6 miles in each of the other directions).
2. The site should not be located in a traffic-intense area such as Marshalls Creek or Brodheadsville.
3. The site should be visible from the road on which it is located.
4. If site is not located in Stroudsburg, it should be located on a road that is not more than one turn from a major traffic artery.
5. The guidelines above are for the purchase of either land, or a property with a building.

Site Selection Process:

1. When a potential property site is located, the Chair of the Site-Purchase Subcommittee shall advise all members of the Property and Space Committee via email, describing the property and its location.

2. The Chair of the Site-Purchase Subcommittee shall make a preliminary assessment of the property (zoning, cost, location, etc.) and advise the Property and Space Committee of same.

3. If the property seems initially feasible, the Chair will arrange with the realtor who has been chosen to work with the committee, for a site preview, and will advise the Property and Space Committee of same. The visit should be arranged so that all Site Purchase Sub-Committee members or alternates can attend.

4. Members of the Site Discovery Sub-Committee are not authorized to contact realtors on behalf of the Fellowship.

5. After consulting with Property and Space Committee members, the Site Purchase Sub-Committee will determine, as quickly as possible, whether or not to pursue purchase further.

6. Continuing updates and timely communication of site selection activities to Fellowship members will be provided by the Property and Space Committee.

Site Purchase Process:

1. Without formal consultation with the Fellowship, the Site Purchase Sub-Committee is authorized to act for the Fellowship as follows:

Engage the services of a qualified real estate broker

Engage the services of engineering, zoning, and legal counsel

Spend up to $5,000 on feasibility evaluation of a property

Spend up to $15,000 of earnest money toward the purchase of property

2. The Fellowship will provide the remainder of the purchase cost through self-financed or borrowed monies.

3. Any agreement to purchase must include a 30-day waiting period clause for inspections as needed, and to provide time for the Fellowship to validate or negate the proposed purchase.

Communication and Validation of Committee Actions:

1. The Property and Space Committee will report to all Property and Space Committee members and the Board of Trustees:

a. The location of discovered property as soon as possible after discovery
b. Results of the initial feasibility inquiry as soon as practical
c. Appointments to view property

2. The Site Purchase Sub-Committee will report to the UUFP Board of Trustees its decision to proceed with intent to purchase property.

3. The Board of Trustees and the Site Purchase Sub-Committee will propose the purchase of the property at a special meeting of the Fellowship, for the purpose of seeking binding approval of the Fellowship.

Remorse and Risks:

1. Buyer’s remorse does happen, and this process risks the costs shown above.

2. Essential to the success of the Property and Space Committee are communications that include effectiveness, speed, and good intentions, as well as a willingness to accept that not everyone will be pleased.

3. This process assumes that purchase money is or can be available.