Sunnyhill New Home

About 50 percent of the root ball was
decayed by Ganoderma

The historic Sunnyhill red oak tree has been removed. The tree was infected with an incurable fungus, Ganoderma, that caused the roots to rot and branches in the crown to die. It is the same fungus that killed the Anne Frank chestnut tree in Amsterdam. Weakened by sewage, the Anne Frank tree fell over five years after being infected despite heroic attempts to save it with fertilizer and by building an iron frame around the trunk. Our red oak tree was adversely affected by our parking lot, which covered a large portion of its root structure and made the tree susceptible to the infection. We discovered after the stump was excavated that the decay caused by the fungus involved about 50 percent of the root ball. We also found that the tree was growing on top of a large outcropping of shale which caused the roots to be wide and shallow.

A two-ton section of the
oak tree we hope to save

When the crown was removed, approximately 7 tons of logs were saved. These logs will be sawed into boards and made available to artisans within Sunnyhill for woodworking projects. Smaller logs will be turned into bowls. We have also saved a 4,200 pound section of the trunk 70 inches in diameter and 30 inches thick cut just above the ground. We will try to preserve this section for future milling into an artisan piece that can be installed in the church. For now it is sitting in the parking lot.

Seven tons of logs for the sawyer

While the removal of the red oak tree was not directly related to building our new home, taking it down now allowed us to save money by having it done in conjunction with other excavation going on at the same time.

In addition to excavating the red oak and maple tree stumps, this week and next, our excavator, Jeff Helbig Construction (JHC), will be backfilling around the foundation, digging trenches for rain gutter leaders, and installing tanks in the storm water containment unit. JHC will also excavate the trench and install the pipe that will connect the storm water retention unit with our existing storm sewer that runs to Sunnyhill Drive. The intersection of new and existing storm sewer pipes is expected to be in the hill just below the driveway to the garage. The route of the existing pipe is marked by pink flags.

The foundation is ready for back-fill

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, RDC, TEDCO and the Sunnyhill construction team held its regularly scheduled meeting. TEDCO reported that we are about two weeks behind schedule. The schedule was adversely affected by the changes in the HVAC plan and the subsequent delay in ordering the duct-work that goes under the sanctuary floor. The duct was to be installed and the concrete floor poured by Dec. 1 when the steel framework for the sanctuary roof was to arrive. In the new schedule, the steel framework will go up and the floor will be poured afterward. With proper planning and help from Mother Nature, we may be able to make up the lost time and get back on schedule for late June completion.

Looks like sculpture, but it's tank parts
 for the storm water retention unit

The basement floor will be replaced
with a four-inch thick concrete slab

At the same meeting the construction team approved the demolition of the existing basement floor, which will be replaced with a new four-inch thick concrete slab. The floor was supposed to be patched, but it is too thin and too badly damaged to be saved. The team is also working with RDC on the design of the new front door to the church, which the congregation will have the opportunity to review and comment on. We have also begun looking at roofing shingle samples, interior and exterior trim colors, wood colors for the doors and sanctuary ceiling, and the size and position of the glass in the interior doors to ensure that everything works together aesthetically and can be ordered and delivered within a time frame that doesn't affect our schedule.