New Walkway to Chapel
Capital improvements continued in early fall 2022, as a new concrete path was constructed from the parking lot to the chapel. The path continues around the bottom of the steps, making the chapel accessible from both sides for the first time. Visitors can now travel up from the parking lot, through the side door, and into the chapel for worship or meetings without ever encountering steps. Handrails and landscaping will complete the project later this season.
Capital improvements continued in early fall 2022, as a new concrete path was constructed from the parking lot to the chapel. The path continues around the bottom of the steps, making the chapel accessible from both sides for the first time. Visitors can now travel up from the parking lot, through the side door, and into the chapel for worship or meetings without ever encountering steps. Handrails and landscaping will complete the project later this season.
Road Construction Eases Traffic Issues
Late spring brought the completion of the new two-lane driveway into camp. It spans from the entrance at Camp Mikell Road up to the main parking lot, and helped ease traffic concerns all summer! Cars are constantly flowing in and out of camp on the first and last days of summer camp, as parents arrive with eager campers and return home with exhausted ones.
August 2022
Late spring brought the completion of the new two-lane driveway into camp. It spans from the entrance at Camp Mikell Road up to the main parking lot, and helped ease traffic concerns all summer! Cars are constantly flowing in and out of camp on the first and last days of summer camp, as parents arrive with eager campers and return home with exhausted ones. The new road allows for two-way traffic, so cars don't have to wait as long at either end. The widened road also makes passage easier for large delivery trucks and emergency vehicles. In addition to the road construction, the project also included installation of a 6-inch water main and fire hydrant, the first at Mikell.
The Road Ahead: Increased Safety and Ease of Access
The second project funded by the Walking in Faith campaign is underway, with contractors and engineers working to widen camp's driveway this spring. As with the dorm bathroom renovations, we have taken advantage of these quiet months with very little traffic to undertake this significant step toward safer and smoother traffic flow.
The second project funded by the Walking in Faith campaign is underway, with contractors and engineers working to widen camp's driveway this spring. As with the dorm bathroom renovations, we have taken advantage of these quiet months with very little traffic to undertake this significant step toward safer and smoother traffic flow.
Work Begins on the Single Lane Road
Breaking Ground near Upper Cabins
The main driveway will be two lanes, eliminating frustrating bottlenecks on the current one lane road, and allowing emergency vehicles to enter and exit camp, should the need arise. We consulted with an environmental engineer prior to construction to determine the best course for the new road, and installed several lines of silt fencing to shield Little Toccoa Creek from erosion issues. We also used this time to install a new six-inch water line to replace an aging pipe, and added a hydrant in the center of camp in case of fire. These improvements will help protect Mikell's grounds for generations.
Progress Under the Chapel
Two-Lane Road Taking Shape
Essential Dorm Upgrades: More Privacy and Safety for All
It’s been a quiet year at Mikell, with no summer camp, retreats, or school groups visiting since March. But, we’ve had dozens of families and individuals take the opportunity to stay a night or weekend up here. And, we’ve used this time to fast-track a project that has been in the works for several years.
It’s been a quiet year at Mikell, with no summer camp, retreats, or school groups visiting since March. But, we’ve had dozens of families and individuals take the opportunity to stay a night or weekend up here. And, we’ve used this time to fast-track a project that has been in the works for several years.
The bathrooms in many of our six dorms were in need of repair, and we knew they could benefit from a significant upgrade. With the privacy and safety of all of our guests in mind, we redesigned each to include larger shower stalls with locking doors, as well as two reconfigured toilet stalls. This new layout helps us meet the Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People requirements of the Episcopal Church, making Mikell a safer place for all. Sinks have been moved into the main cabin area to allow for more space in the bathrooms for stalls. And, we installed a new driveway to Scott, which allowed better access for the construction crew and will continue to serve campers in the future.
Initially, we planned to remodel our dorm bathrooms one at a time over the next few years. Because all of our dorms are used regularly throughout the year, it’s difficult to close more than one of them for construction. But with the pandemic came a little silver lining. We had several months that we were able to complete construction on all the dorm bathrooms, saving time and money. Our permanent staff – who usually work in the office, kitchen, or with Blue Ridge – even spent days working as the demolition crew, prepping the bathrooms for the new layout. And a huge thank you to Leonard Griffin, our head of maintenance, who was instrumental in getting the project completed.
Our individual retreat guests have already been able to enjoy the new fixtures, and we’re looking forward to welcoming larger groups to use them when we’re able. These renovations have been funded by a grant from the Diocesan Foundation as a gift to the Campaign for Mikell.
This new layout helps us meet the Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People requirements of the Episcopal Church, making Mikell a safer place for all.
Now, we know bathrooms aren’t the first thing on anyone’s mind when they come to Mikell, but these much-needed improvements will help ensure the privacy of all of our campers in these dorms – which helps us carry out our Baptismal covenant to “respect the dignity of every human being” (Book of Common Prayer, p.305).
Look for more updates about what’s going on at Mikell in the coming weeks and months. These essential upgrades would not be possible without the generosity of our Walking in Faith campaign donors.