WE NEED YOUR HELP, AGAIN!
Voice your support for the Wieuca Neighborhood Development. Please follow these instructions to voice your support:

• Call 404-330-6021 on Sunday, October 24 between 4:00 – 7:00 PM.
• Leave a voicemail with your name and reference Agenda Item No. 5.
• In 3 minutes or less, share that you support the change to the Comprehensive Development Plan to allow the Wieuca development to proceed.

Updates:

• The Zoning Review Board of the Atlanta City Council met on October 14th to consider Wieuca’s rezoning application. The board voted unanimously to recommend this project to the City Council, which will hold its next meeting on November 1st. This is a huge hurdle crossed for the Wieuca Development and the church is grateful for the good work led by our development partners.
• Architect Houser Walker is finalizing conceptual design options and will present a recommendation to the SIT subcommittee on October 28. Upon affirmation of their work, a master plan will be developed for presentation to the church early in 2022.
• With the assistance of our project manager, DaVinci, SIT interviewed construction firms earlier this month. Hodges & Hicks General Contractors has been selected as Wieuca’s construction manager. This Atlanta-based firm is highly experienced and very respected in the city. Wieuca looks forward to this partnership.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Many of you ask about helping the project while it is in the rezoning process. Here is an opportunity to help by publicly supporting the Wieuca Neighborhood Development. On Monday, September 27th, the Community Development/Human Services Committee of the Atlanta City Council will convene to consider the application for rezoning submitted by Wieuca and our development partners. Prior to this meeting, there will be an opportunity on Sunday, September 26th to share your support for the application by leaving an audio message. Audio messages will only be accepted on Sunday, September 26, 2021, between 4:00 – 7:00 PM. Calls made before or after this window will not be accepted.
Please follow these instructions to voice your support:
1) Call 404-330-6021 between 4:00 – 7:00 PM on Sunday, September 26th.
2) Calls are limited to a maximum of 3 minutes, but we suggest making a shorter statement which should include the following:

• Identify the case you are referencing, which is Agenda Item No. 5, CPD-21-035.
• Voice support for the Wieuca Zoning as approved by the Neighborhood Planning Unit – B (NPU B) and the North Buckhead Civic Association.
• Share any additional reasons why you support the Wieuca Zoning as you feel led to, remember to limit your call to no longer than 3 minutes.

Finally, please hold these city leaders of the Atlanta City Council in prayer as they discern about Wieuca’s Zoning application and all other matters of business this week. Continue to pray for Wieuca’s development partners, Wieuca’s neighbors and the SIT team. Continue to pray for the Church at Wieuca as we listen to God’s leadership and embrace a new calling to be God’s church in the world.

 

Master Plan/Design Phase:

• Thank you for participating in the Houser Walker Town Hall held in August. If you have not yet completed the survey, you can call the church office to request a survey.

Rezoning Update:

• The Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) of Buckhead met this week and the full board overwhelmingly approved the Zoning Plan. This is wonderful news as Wieuca and our development partners continue to navigate the rezoning process.
• There are still several steps that must be followed as part of the rezoning application period. Below are dates of significant meetings. We ask that you pray specifically on these days for the Church at Wieuca, for our development partners, for our neighbors, and for the entire community. When appropriate, updates will be shared with the church.
• September 27th – Community Development/Human Services Committee of Atlanta City Council Public Hearing
• September 28th - Community Development/Human Services Committee of Atlanta City Council meeting
• October 21st – Zoning Review Board of Atlanta City Council Public Hearing and committee meeting
• November 8th – Zoning Committee of Atlanta City Council committee meeting
• November 15th – Atlanta City Council Meeting

Construction Phase Update:

• Our project management firm, DaVinci, is leading a subcommittee of the SIT team to interview construction firms. A decision about a firm will be made in October.

 

TOWN HALL MEETING - SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2021

• Houser Walker Architecture, the architect and master planner for the Wieuca Neighborhood Development, will host a Town Hall meeting immediately after worship on Sunday, August 29th. This will be an information gathering session for the team from Houser Walker; no presentation about architecture design will be made at this meeting. Please come to listen and to share about your hopes and dreams for the new design of our church campus. If you are unable to participate, a survey will be provided online and by paper following the Town Hall meeting.

 

Houser Walker Architecture, the architect and master planner for the Wieuca Neighborhood Development, will host a Town Hall meeting immediately after worship on Sunday, August 29th. This will be an information-gathering session for the team from Houser Walker; no presentation about architecture design will be made at this meeting. Please come to listen and to share about your hopes and dreams for the new design of our church campus. If you are unable to participate, a survey will be provided online and by paper following the Town Hall meeting.
TOWN HALL MEETING - SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2021

• Through the leadership of our developers, the Neighborhood Development continues to work through the rezoning process. Continue to pray for Wieuca, for the community, and for the leaders who will make this decision in the coming months.
• The SIT team, in coordination with DaVinci, will begin the selection process for a construction firm to lead our part of the development. Look to hear more information soon.
• Information about the Prayer Walk is now available. Go to wieuca.org/prayerwalk for more information.

 

• With the approval of the SIT Team, Houser Walker Architecture is selected to be the master planner and architect for the work specific to Church at Wieuca. This firm is no stranger to Wieuca as we already have a great relationship with Hank Houser. A kick-off meeting will be held next week as the first of many meetings as the design phase of the Wieuca Neighborhood Development begins.
• Information about the Prayer Walk is now available. Go to wieuca.org/prayerwalk for more information.

 

• A subgroup of the SIT team has chosen the architect to work on the project. This firm will be presented to the full team and an announcement about the firm will be made soon. Look for more information in the coming days.
• Information about the Prayer Walk is now available. Go to wieuca.org/prayerwalk for more information.
• Susan Stewart, Jane Henley and DaVinci continue to work with the archives as they organize, catalogue, and digitize most of the items. Work should be completed in August.
• Leadership of the church including ministerial staff and the SIT Team continue to meet with various community partners during the rezoning application period with the city of Atlanta. Please continue to hold our development partners, our neighborhood partners and our church community in prayer during this crucial time of discernment.

 

• A subgroup of the SIT team is actively interviewing architectural firms that will be hired to lead the project for the church. The team is visiting various local churches to see the work of each architectural firm in person. The group plans to have a final decision by the end of July.
• The Deacons, SIT team, and church council have all participated in the Prayer Walk. This Wieuca Neighborhood Development Prayer Walk was developed by Gene and Pamela Hayes with design assistance from Rachel Crews. It is a helpful opportunity for the church and the community to consider the past, present, and future of our church. Opportunities for participating in the prayer walk will be available very soon.
• Susan Stewart, Jane Henley and DaVinci continue to work with the archives as they organize, catalog, and digitize most of the items. Work should be completed in August.
• Leadership of the church including ministerial staff and the SIT Team continue to meet with various community partners during the rezoning application period with the city of Atlanta. Please continue to hold our development partners, our neighborhood partners, and our church community in prayer during this crucial time of discernment.
• Remember that updates and new information can be found here on the Wieuca website. Please direct friends and others in the community to visit as more information will be added.

 

• With the assistance of our project management firm, DaVinci, we are inviting three architectural firms to be interviewed. These will be held at the end of June and will be led by a sub-team of SIT. It is the intention that a firm will be chosen and will begin their work with Wieuca in July. Information about the firm will be shared once they are chosen and under contract.
• The Deacons were part of the first Wieuca Neighborhood Development Prayer Walk, led by Gene and Pamela Hayes. It was a great experience to look at where Wieuca has been and to pray for where God is leading Wieuca in the future. Opportunities for participating in the prayer walk will be available in the coming months.
• Susan Stewart, Jane Henley and DaVinci continue to work with the archives as they organize, catalog and digitize most of the items.
• Remember that updates and new information can be found here on the website. Please direct friends and others in the community to visit as more information will be added.

 

• The application for rezoning was officially submitted on May 28th. This is a crucial first step for the Wieuca Neighborhood Development. Please be in prayer for the city leaders who will review the application, for our community neighbors who will respond, for our development partners as they provide leadership and oversight, and for our congregation as we wait patiently over these next few months while the application is processed.
• DaVinci, our project management firm, has invited architects and received proposals to be Wieuca’s master planner and architect. With the SIT team’s guidance, it is the hope that an architectural firm will be in place toward the end of June.
• Wieuca has retained W. Alex Heaton the Morris, Manning & Martin law firm. He will represent the Wieuca Neighborhood Development regarding all real estate matters.
• The Communications sub-team of SIT is finalizing plans to offer a prayer walk in support of the Wieuca Neighborhood Development effort. The rollout for this prayer walk will begin with the Deacons and the SIT Team.
• Remember that updates and new information can be found on the Wieuca website. Please direct friends and others in the community to visit as more information will be added.

 

Do you remember what it is like to move from one house to another one? Whether it is in the same town or in another country, the experience is usually the same. There are moments of stressful decision making followed by peaceful moments of waiting. Then, all of a sudden, the planning turns to action as you begin to move forward and you find yourself moving in numerous directions at once. Pack the dishes, empty the attic, drop-off unused items at the local Goodwill, plan for meals while in transition, change the address on your mail, and on and on and on. And there is always the grief of leaving what was while celebrating what is to come. Tasks like moving are stressful for a variety of reasons, yet we know that on the other side of the move, hopefully, will come stillness alongside an exciting new world of opportunity.

Perhaps the Wieuca Neighborhood Development is like a move. We are moving physically, yes, but we are also moving emotionally and spiritually. What has been (our buildings, our history, our shared mission) are all being prepared to be boxed up, so to speak, in order to move them toward new opportunities. We will carefully box the most meaningful items while at the same time we will consider the things we have held onto that may have a new purpose with someone else. We will move toward a future that God continues to guide us toward in order to be God’s church in Buckhead and beyond.

Often during a move, though it is celebrated and is confirmed as the right decision, there is still grief about what is changing. Transition is always hard. As we continue to live in a global transition we are willingly making changes at Wieuca. My prayer is that as we transition that we continue to trust God and one another while we move. May we continue to provide space for grief while also providing space for celebration. May we move together as a family, a beautiful and complex family, that carries one another in our grief and in our celebration. I am grateful to be called to share in this work with you.

Updates:

• DaVinci, our project management firm, has invited architects to submit their proposal to be Wieuca’s master planner and architect. With the SIT team’s guidance, it is the hope that an architectural firm will be in place toward the end of June.
• The application to the city for rezoning is almost complete and will be submitted to the city for approval no later than June 1st. Prior to this submission, various pre-meetings and studies related to the re-zoning will take place in May. Please pray for everyone as we submit this important application and wait for the city to follow their approval process. Please pray for the community as public knowledge about this project will be amplified by the submission.
• The Archives sub-team of SIT met this week to continue their work organizing, cataloging, and planning to digitize Wieuca’s history. Thank you to Susan Stewart, Jane Henley and Tish Spearman (of DaVinci) for their ongoing work.
• The Communications sub-team of SIT is finalizing plans to offer a prayer walk in support of the Wieuca Neighborhood Development effort. Look for more information soon.
• Remember that updates and new information can be found on the Wieuca website. Please direct friends and others in the community to visit as more information will be added.

 

The archives team continues to work diligently to organize, digitize and store our historical documents. We continue to be on track working with the developers and our team at DaVinci to submit the rezoning application in May. Please continue to pray for all leaders as they finalize this important application. As mentioned last week, a prayer walk experience has been developed and will be shared with the congregation soon so that you can pray for specific areas of the property this year.

 

A friend once described his work as a project manager as plate spinning. This work required him to pay close attention to multiple things simultaneously. Plate spinning is the act often seen on shows like “America’s Got Talent” and at the circus where numerous plates are spun and kept atop a pole by one person. The goal is to keep them all in motion without one plate tumbling to the ground.

I think the Wieuca Neighborhood Development can be best described as spinning plates. Each decision, survey, application, study, etc. all need to be spun, so to speak, at the same time so that this project continues to move forward successfully. Unlike traditional plate spinning, we have the luxury of having multiple people responsible for keeping everything in motion. The developers, the SIT team, our project management team at DaVinci, our staff, the congregation, and the community all have an important role in maintaining these plates as they spin. Our prayer is that none of them stop or fall off, which is why there are so many people involved. I know you will continue to pray for each and every person who is working, often unseen, to direct this project for Wieuca and Buckhead. Pray that all the right plates will stay in motion at the correct time and that those who are responsible for spinning those plates will keep them from stopping and falling to the ground.

• The Archives sub-team of SIT met this week to continue their work or organizing, cataloging and planning to digitize Wieuca’s history. Thank you to Susan Stewart, Jane Henley and Tish Spearman (of DaVinci) for their ongoing work.
• The application to the city for rezoning is almost complete and will be submitted to the city for approval soon. Please pray for everyone as we submit this important application and wait for the city to follow their approval process.
• The Communications sub-team of SIT is finalizing plans for a prayer walk about the Wieuca Neighborhood Development to be offered. Look for more information soon.
• Remember that updates and new information can be found on the Wieuca website. Please direct friends and others in the community to visit as more information will be added.

 

Timeline of Recent Events:

February 15, 2021
• The Church at Wieuca, Greenstone Properties and Toll Brothers, Inc., signed Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSA), officially launching the Wieuca Neighborhood Development.

February 22, 2021
• Associate Pastor Joshua Speight begins his ministry at the Church at Wieuca. One of his main responsibilities will be to coordinate all work and communication among all partners, the SIT team, the staff, the congregation, and the community.

February 23, 2021
• DaVinci Development Collaborative, LLC, is hired by the Church at Wieuca to serve as project manager on behalf of the congregation. DaVinci will work primarily with Josh and the SIT team.

March 26, 2021
• The Church at Wieuca, along with development partner Greenstone Properties, publicly announced the reimagined campus plans. Press releases linked below:
• Wieuca Press Release 3/26/2021
• Baptist News Global
• Atlanta Business Chronicle

March-April 2021
• Due diligence: Since the announcement, multiple contractors have been on campus performing surveys, geological studies, environmental studies and other due diligence steps necessary during the current phase of the PSA.
• Rezoning Application: The Church at Wieuca and development partners are currently finalizing plans for submitting the rezoning application to the city.
• Archives: The SIT Team, DaVinci, and development partners organized and digitized previous blueprints and other drawings stored at the church. The archives sub-team of the SIT Team and DaVinci are currently organizing, cataloging, and digitizing all historical records stored in the archives of the church.