Section I.A: Purpose and Charter
1. Current
Under an agreement with the Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation District, dated May 26, 1994, BPAA has exclusive control over the Helix House in Battle Point Park, with an easement to the use of the part where it is situated. (Minutes #6, 30 May 1994)
The site of the Helix House includes a concrete structure 26' x 38' x 26.5' high. It has been cleaned up, an since the time of the first preparation of this manual, many improvements have been accomplished. Architectural plans were prepared and a model was constructed with revision along the way. These plans have been followed to achieve, at this update, a building that is usable (even though not complete), secure from vandalism, attractive in appearance, safe for those working on it and using it, and of interest to those driving by.
The plans called for the construction of an entrance foyer, office, an optical workshop where lenses and mirrors could be ground and polished, a meeting room with planetarium, a library, a control/communication room, a storage/workroom, a roof-mounted dome to protect a large reflecting telescope, stairs giving access to the roof with a stair access structure at the top. In addition, the plans have on the exterior a canopy over the entrance doors, a garden forecourt with seats and historical artifacts displayed, a pyramid serving as a sundial/memorial center. With a nod to archaeoastronomy, there is an aperture high on the south wall to create a shaft of sunlight which would display an image of the sun on the north wall of the meeting room on the winter solstice.
Drawings of the building, updated to the present, are shown within this Manual. (NOTE: these drawings have not been placed on the web page yet.) Almost all of the work on the project has been and will be done by volunteer members and non-members with substantial contributions of materials and equipment being provided by suppliers and contractors. A plaque recognizing these contributions is now being prepared and will be displayed at the observatory.
For responsibilities regarding the property see Articles 3-7 of the Agreement between BPAA and BIPRD that outlines mutual obligations, conditional use, insurance, maintenance and utilities. (By-Laws are in Section V: Documentation.)
The large concrete pedestals inside the building were dynamited and removed. The perimeter trench was filled and a new concrete floor was poured and finished.
A pair of doors was constructed and installed in the 8' x 10' opening.
An aperture was installed in the south wall.
Wood framing was constructed to create two floors and rooms with 2" x 4" furring on the exterior walls.
The attics were cleared and cleaned of accumulated starlings' nests.
A complete heating/ventilating system was installed with a donated furnace and oil tank.
Insulation, vapor barrier and drywall were installed, finished and painted.
Openings were cut through the concrete roof to allow the installation of a helical stair and the construction of a concrete block telescope support tower, both also now in place.
A wood stair was constructed from the workshop to the upper storeroom/workroom.
A complete electrical distribution system was installed with new breaker panel and meter base. Some temporary lighting fixtures were installed.
A new electric primary service line and transformer were installed (contributed by Puget Power Co.) and a secondary electric power line was laid, a telephone cable was placed and a television cable was laid, all in the same ditch that volunteers dug and back-filled.
Wiring for the communication system was installed in the walls as well as the wiring for the security system.
The giant insulator, once the support for the 800' tall radio antenna tower, was removed from the pedestal and set in the forecourt.
A steel railing was installed around the perimeter of the roof.
The circular concrete curb was formed and poured on the roof as the base for the future observatory dome.
The exterior of the building was sandblasted down to the structural concrete.
A corrugated steel canopy was installed over the entrance doors.
Three interior doors were hung in their openings on the main floor.
Motion detector floodlights to deter vandalism were installed.
A gravel driveway was put down by the BIPRD.
A salvaged flashguard from the radio tower was turned into a planter.
3. Projected
The final remodel in the program will be to:
Complete the drywall finish and painting in the Control & Communications Room.
Fur out the walls of the Storage/Workroom, install insulation, vapor barrier, hang drywall, finish and paint.
Install carpeting.
Complete installation of electrical outlets, switches, and lighting fixtures.
Construct and install observatory dome.
Install new roofing and metal edge.
Install telescope and control system.
Install telephone and computer communication system.
Install television outlets.
Set furniture, shelving and cabinets.
Hang two upper floor doors.
Hang drywall, finish and paint in Shop/Storage Room stairway.
Construct and install the planetarium dome.
Purchase planetarium projector.
Plant trees, shrubs and flowers around the perimeter of the forecourt.
Plant Boston Ivy and Virginia Creeper around base of the building.
Construct pyramid on former radio tower base in cooperation with the Kiwanis Club.
Enamel the helical stairs.
Install wood trim, casing and base.
Construct and install large (6' x 10') pair of doors to optics shop.
Dig drainage ditch from building to west swale.
Construct concrete area with grating at fresh air intake.
Construct darkroom if there is a demand for it by members.
Install area drain with French drain from north side of driveway to south swale (by BIPRD).
Drill vent holes through concrete walls to ventilate attic spaces.
Blow insulation into attic spaces.
Construct curbs and covers for attic hatches.
Install a light-weight steel rail and traveling electric hoist at the ceiling of the upper floor Storage/Workroom to facilitate handling of heavy items both in the Workroom and Workshop below.
4. Operation
Set up administration and operation/maintenance functions and responsibilities.
Continue and expand the publications and communication systems.
Set up links with educational institutions, other amateur associations, national and international systems/organizations.
Set up apprentice/instruction course on the operation/care/maintenance of the telescope and systems.
Set up an apprentice/instruction course on the operation/maintenance of the Ritchie Mirror/Lens Grinding/Polishing machine.
Set up a committee of volunteers to run the office/library.
Set up a system to allow members to borrow books/publications from our library.
Set up and run a course in astronomy.
Continue the series of public lectures.
(Note: Drawings are included in the Plan Brochure)
The drawings show plans, sections and elevations of the soon to be complete observatory as well as a general site plan.
6. Space Allocation For and Use of the Facility
Estimated yearly observatory time totals 1,845 hours. (See details under Section IV: Program.) If every hour of observatory time results in 10 hours of control/communications time, then there would be an average of 5 persons using the facility every day of the year.
Accordingly, we have assigned more liberal areas to Control & Communications, and are planning to use an additional smaller telescope system that has been gifted to us that will be set up on the roof in a separate housing for quality viewing as required. In addition, privately owned telescopes can be brought to the observatory, or stored there for use by the owners.
The Workshop will contain the Ritchie lens/mirror grinding and polishing machine and a light machine shop with machine tools to be added as they become available. Lens and mirror testing equipment will be kept there also.
The upper floor Storage/Workroom will be used for both the storage of materials and items such as small telescopes and projects under construction as well as for a workroom with workbenches, machine tools and a darkroom and lockers for securing equipment and projects under construction by the members. Stairs give direct access to the Workshop below and to the Control & Communication room above.
The Office on the main floor will contain a desk, file cabinets and bookshelves for the initial library. It will be separately heated with an electric baseboard unit to keep books, papers and files dry. The Library will contain full sets of Sky & Telescope and Scientific American, special reference textbooks on astronomy and telescope design/construction as well as an astronomical video library. The volunteer on duty will provide security, scheduling, information, word processing, copying, communication and visitor reception.
The Foyer will serve as an entry and public space for access to the other rooms on the main floor. It now contains the 41.5" Boeing mirror that will be ground and polished for use in another telescope that can either be mobile or remote. This major project awaits developments. The Foyer will hold bookshelves as the library expands as well as wall displays, bulletin board and chairs for visitors.
The Meeting Room/Planetarium Room will be used for group viewing and displays. Large screen monitors can show what the telescope is viewing or has viewed in the past and was stored. A computer console will allow an instructor to operate the telescope and direct it to look at various objects in the sky for the benefit of a group of viewers. Wall displays will show a variety of astronomical subjects of interest. Television hooked to cable can show current programs or taped shows on astronomical subjects.
A podium, lectern, stacking chairs, screen and projector will allow groups of up to 40 persons to attend scheduled classes, lectures, conferences and group meetings. In January 1997 the Annual Meeting of the membership was held in this Meeting Room.
A folding planetarium dome is planned which will, with a projector available on the market, allow groups to attend informative, educational and entertaining shows of the night sky. The unique combination of having a planetarium along with a telescope will provide the unusual opportunity of having an audience view the artificial sky of the planetarium and be able to request that the telescope be pointed at a particular subject of interest. The object will then appear on the monitor, "live" from outer space! (See the section on planetarium for details.) The helical stair rises from this room to the second floor and thence to the roof.
The Roof area together with the telescope and dome will of necessity be restricted to a limited number of people who have reason to use the area for an observation platform, work on the telescope or do maintenance. The design of the roof is to carry a snow load and is not designed for the load a large group of people would impose. Strict regulations in this regard need to be established and rigorously adhered to.
Section I.A: Purpose and Charter
Section I.B: History and Chronological
Development
Section I.C: History of Battle Point
Park
Section II.A: Facilities: Physical
Plant
Section II.B: Facilities: Operating
System and Equipment
Section II.B: Facilities: Operating
System and Equipment, part 2
Section III.A: Organization and
Administration
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