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Size: about 4000 sf minimum
5000-6000 sf would be better?
The ground floor of the current building, exclusive of the barber shop, is about 2600 sf. (Note: this, and all other distance and area information for the current clubhouse, is based on measurements of Monty's 1":10' scale map.)
We also have ?? sf of basement space under the Blue Room.
We also have ?? sf of rented storage space.
Configuration:
Unless we get substantially more than our minimum amount of space, the main / meeting room will be used as a marshalling area for pre- and post-convention activities, and so must have easy access to wherever we load and unload vehicles.
The storage area must have easy access to wherever we load and unload vehicles.
'Easy access' means either an essentially-level connection (shallow ramps are OK, steps are not) or a connection via a freight elevator of sufficient size and load capacity. In any case, the connection must be wide enough and have sufficient load capacity at all points.
It would be best to have space with no structural interior walls, so that we could rip out any existing interior walls and then divide the space exactly as we wish.
Rooms:
If the space has very high ceilings, all areas except the storage / warehouse space will need dropped ceilings.
Check on requirements for fire exits, etc., for all rooms and plausible numbers of occupants.
Main room: about 1600 sf minimum
If we adopt an "open plan", this area would not be partitioned off from the storage / warehouse space except by the (partly) enclosing bookcases.
Could this cause problems with echoes?
By intention, everything which is not noisy or private happens in this room.
Permanent setup:
A 15' x 20' clear area, set with up to about 50 chairs during meetings, a collating table during collations, etc.
A 6' x 30" head table, used by officers during meetings and for miscellaneous stuff at other times.
Worktables (6' x 30") along the sides of the clear area for:
Mail processing.
Miscellaneous computing. (Two tables each with two computers?)
Sales packing.
Sales processing. (Has one computer plus a label printer.)
Treasury. (Has current files and one computer.)
Sofas and comfy chairs around the remaining edges of the clear area.
Bookcases for the library around the edges of the room, probably in 4' bays.
The library currently overflows about 120' of 9'-tall bookcases (measured 5/7/02).
If we limit the bookcase height to about 6' so that all of our members can actually reach all of the books, we'll need a minimum of 180' of bookcases--which is about 85' of wall, allowing for two corners.
Given the rate at which the collection grows we should plan on substantially more shelving that this.
Storage space for currently-unused chairs and tables.
Food and beverage storage, refrigerator(s), microwave oven, sink and a bit of counter space, etc.
Fire-resistant "safe".
What else?
This leads to a minimum room size of about 45' x 35'.
A possible option, if we find space with very high ceilings (15'-20') is to build bookcases to the ceiling with a balcony about halfway up.
Our current main room is about 980 sf (33' x 34', with a 9' x 12' bite out of one corner and two small bites for the front doors), and is too small.
Workroom / noisy room: 600(?) sf minimum
By intention, all noisy equipment and activities are in this room.
Must have real walls that are reasonably soundproof.
Permanent setup:
Most of our equipment and its supplies:
Credit card swipe box, printer, and supplies (ribbons, paper).
FAX machine and supplies (toner/ribbon, paper).
At least one computer, for uses that need to be near the printer(s).
Mr. G and supplies (ink, masters, paper).
Photocopier(s) and supplies (toner, paper).
Printers and supplies (toner, ink, paper).
More worktables.
Shelving for selected sales items:
All copies in stock of all Advent and Hyperion books (except "The Immortal Storm").
All remaining copies of NESFA Press books which will not be reprinted and of which we have too few copies to be worth dedicating space in the main storage area.
What else?
The current "blue room" is about 525 sf, and is too small.
Private room: about 175 sf minimum?
Must have real walls that are reasonably soundproof.
Available for the occasional private meeting (Nominating Committee meetings, a few Executive Board meetings, etc.)
Mostly used by Magic players and anyone else who needs space away from the center of things.
There is currently no space of this type available.
Bathrooms: about 125 sf minimum?
We must have some.
Cost $2000-3000 each to have built (less if we do most of the work ourselves).
The two bathrooms in the current clubhouse occupy a total of about 60 sf, and are much too small.
Storage / warehouse space: 1500 sf minimum?
Ideally high-ceilinged space with no walls and no (or very few) pillars.
The minimum space required may be reduced if we have a very high ceiling.
Used to store
fanzine collection (in file cabinets)
Officers' and Committees' files (in file cabinets)
NESFA Press inventory
Boskone Art Show hangings
other stuff for Boskone
office supplies
repro supplies
sales supplies
flatbed carts, two-wheelers, pallet jack, etc.
what else?
Need ability to park a semi-trailer and move pallets of material to and from it.
Moving pallets requires much wider doors and aisles than in the current clubhouse.
The storage space on the ground floor of the current clubhouse (everything except the meeting room, the blue room, and the bathrooms) totals about 1000 sf.
The basement under the Blue Room provides an additional ?? sf.
Our rented offsite storage provides an additional ?? sf.
Parking (on the property or nearby):
At least 2-3 spaces all the time.
At least 20 spaces evenings and weekends. We might have to arrange with our neighbors to use their parking lots; this might cost money.
Room to park a semi-trailer when needed. (It's acceptable for special arrangements to be required.)
Internet connectivity:
Affordable high-speed 24x7 connectivity.
For now, this means DSL or, perhaps, cable.
DSL is not available everywhere.
Cable may not be available in industrial areas, and the cable companies may not be willing to deal with anything non-residential.
Compatibility:
We need to fit the neighborhood, and vice versa.
We do not fit in a residential neighborhood.
People need to feel comfortable parking and also walking back and forth to their cars, local sources of food, etc.
Easy access from a major highway.
Ideally, 5 minutes or less driving time on local roads.
Near the geographical center of local NESFen, as measured along major highways.
The current center is probably somewhere along Route 128 between the Mass. 'Pike and Route 3.
[[create and insert map with active members' homes marked]]
This page is maintained by Dave Anderson, and was last modified at 10:45 am on 5 June 2003.
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