Temple Project: Community Update #3
Dharma Centre Renewal - Community Update #3
Topics: Temple Air Quality Test, Site Plan, Permitting, Accessibility Plan, Designs
The DCC board of directors is pleased to offer this detailed and comprehensive community update. Herein we share recent investigations and activities concerning the DCC property renewal. The goal of the DCC Renewal is about improving physical buildings and virtual capabilities. DCC members have been gathering as much accurate information as possible about the current condition of the property in order to make informed decisions about how to best care for and support the Centre.
The Temple Project
As many of us in the DCC community know, there are numerous teachers and retreatants who experience challenges with the existing Temple. Some cannot visit the Temple because of its lack of accessibility – the existing Temple has no ramps, lifts, handrails, etc., – which makes the existing Temple difficult or impossible to navigate for those with mobility challenges. Others do not visit the existing Temple because of problematic physical reactions they have when inside the building. They are concerned there is something in the existing Temple environment that is causing harm.
Regardless of the reason, the important point is that there is a significant portion of the DCC community unable to navigate the Temple, and/or choosing not to enter the Temple because they experience adverse physical reactions.
Knowing the accessibility issues need to be remediated, the Board drafted an accessibility plan that is currently in revision. The Board also took the next step of investigating the cause of the negative physical reactions.
Air Quality Test
In February 2021, the DCC Board decided to further investigate what is causing difficult physical reactions. The DCC’s board ordered a test of the existing Temple’s air quality. The test was conducted in late February by a professional company, Air Quality Solutions, that specializes in testing specific particulates in the air.
The air quality test results were received in March. Here is a summary of Air Quality Solutions’ findings and recommendations:
Air Quality Solutions tested the Temple’s air for specific kinds of mold and bacteria spores:
Air was tested both inside and outside the Temple for specific types of mold and bacteria.
The air outside the Temple served as the basis of comparison for the air inside the Temple.
If there was a significant source of mold sporing inside the Temple, then the tests would indicate that the air inside the Temple would have significantly more spores than the air outside the Temple.
Air Quality Test Results:
For the types of mold and bacteria that were tested, Air Quality Solutions concluded that the air inside the Temple contains no abnormally high levels of airborne mold or bacteria spores at the time of the test when compared to the air outside the Temple.
Visible mold was seen under the stairs under the pedestal, and also around the red window frames. This needs to be cleaned using an approved anti-microbial (brands: Benefect or Concrobium). These moldy areas are the result of excess moisture.
There could be mold in the walls that was present at the time of the tests but not sporing. If the mold was not sporing, it would not be detected in the air quality tests yet still could be releasing toxins into the air. The mold could spore at a different time of year than when the tests were conducted.
There are substantial bacteria behind the walls due to the mice nests. According to the air quality report, this does not seem to be seriously affecting the air quality of the usable interior space. Side notes:
When the Wongkur closet was removed in 2017, Tieg Mowbray sent an email stating, “Attached is a photo of one of the walls I took down in the temple. Inside is about 6 inches of mouse nest complete with decayed bodies (several) and other gross stuff. The smell is overwhelming”. (see photo below article)
Four years have passed since the photo below was taken. There is increasing concern about the inside walls of the Temple.
Air Quality Solutions’ Recommendation:
Take the next step and conduct an “invasive investigation” by hiring a professional mold remediation company. In a controlled manner, the company would open some sections of walls to see if there is mold, without releasing potential spores.
Because there is significant moisture intrusion in the Temple, and because there are numerous complaints about the air quality in the Temple, an invasive investigation should be conducted to determine if there is mold that was not sporing at the time of the test.
Tests only find results for what they test for. There could be other types of mold, or something other than mold/bacteria, that are causing problems but weren’t checked for in the test.
The company that conducted these tests, Air Quality Solutions, does not do these further types of tests that they recommend.
The results and recommendations are disclosed in Air Quality Solutions’ report that can be found by clicking this link. The results were also discussed in a group Zoom with Air Quality Solutions, the Project Leader, several Board Members, and a Practitioner in Residence.
On one hand, it is great to hear that the tests basically concluded that there isn’t a dangerous level of commonly identified airborne mold and bacteria spores in the existing Temple. On the other hand, for those who experience problems in the existing Temple, these results will likely not change a thing. For them, the cause has still not been found. They will continue to avoid the existing Temple.
This report confirms that the DCC community is left with the same challenge: how do we run a retreat centre where a significant portion of the community is choosing not to be inside the existing Temple?
The following questions have to be asked as they are at the very heart of the Dharma Centre’s decision on how it moves forward with the Temple Project. Does the DCC either 1) remodel as the top priority, OR 2) build a new Temple while also making necessary improvements to the existing Temple?
Given that the cause of peoples’ physical reactions from being in the Temple has not been identified, what is the percentage of confidence that the unknown problems can be remediated with a remodel?
Even if there is a 90% level of confidence that the problems will be remediated with a remodel, is the risk still too high to justify spending significant donated dollars on a solution that may not work?
What happens if valuable donations are spent on remodeling the Temple, and afterward people still experience problems being in the Temple? Then who will be held accountable for that decision?
Given the Temple’s age, lack of accessibility, lack of a vapor barrier, poor functionality downstairs, and the higher cost per square foot for remodeling (when compared to a new build), remodeling the Temple will require a major investment. Is this the best use of funds?
If a remodel is pursued as the only solution and the problems are not remediated, then is the DCC prepared to risk losing significant membership if the remediation efforts are unsuccessful?
In response to these questions, and with the intention of running an inclusive and accessible Dharma Centre for all members, the DCC’s Board of Directors made the decision (previously disclosed in Community Update #2) to:
Build a new Temple on the field site, as a first priority.
Keep the existing Temple and make necessary improvements to it.
Install an already-donated cabin near the Hermitage that will function as a teaching space and cabin, that would fulfill a longstanding plan for a long-term retreat teaching space at the Hermitage.
This decision was made to offer many in the community much of what they wanted.
DCC Site Plan, Permitting
For any building and remodeling done at the DCC permits are required. In order to submit for permits, the DCC has to have a Site Plan that outlines existing buildings and any plans for new builds and remodels. Efforts have been made toward the Site Plan by Marta Castiglioni, Terry Hagan, and members of the Board. The Site Plan is a necessary component of getting the DCC properly permitted.
Most of the structures at the DCC were built at a time when the municipality wasn’t as actively engaged in inspecting and overseeing construction. Nowadays, the municipality is much more involved. Existing DCC structures have been grandfathered in by the municipality, though some structures might not meet current building codes. The Property Planning Committee is working to remedy this situation. Positive and productive discussions are taking place with the municipality. These efforts will give the DCC a path to build properly permitted buildings and hopefully grant the right for the DCC to update older buildings.
DCC Accessibility Plan
As for the Accessibility Plan, by law the DCC must update its property to ensure people with mobility issues can navigate the property and its various buildings. Of course, for both the Site Plan and the Accessibility Plan, there are many considerations, such as sleeping accommodations, washrooms, kitchen facilities, pathways, and more to think about. There is a lot on the property to update to make the property accessible to those with mobility challenges.
New Temple Designs
A number of people with diverse viewpoints within the DCC were invited to, and have been, giving input on the new Temple’s design and working on the updated site plan. The Temple Project Leader has also been working with the Design Build Contractor on the site plan and designs for a new Temple. Discussions are on hold until the AGM is completed.
Many people have worked together to evolve these plans over the years. People from a variety of backgrounds have advocated various viewpoints which have been researched and discussed at length. Where the DCC finds itself today is the synthesis of these many views.
Your feedback is welcomed and can be sent to info@dharmacentre.org.
The mice nest discovered in the Wongkur closet, made of decaying mice, feces, and other substances