Jan Birnie owns a 12-acre property on Kilworthy Road that she is preparing to build on this spring. However, the small-statured carpenter has another dream for the property — for it to become the future home of Southwood Anglican Church.

“It would be wonderful to have it on my property,” she told town councillors. “I love it. It almost speaks to you.”

Birnie sat in on a meeting of the corporate services committee of town council on April 15, where her letter describing her desire to relocate the church to her property in Kilworthy and repair and restore the building to use it as her home was discussed.

“Seeing the church in its current state has given me pause for thought,” she wrote in a letter to the municipality. “I feel it really deserves to be repaired and kept up in a respectful manner.”

Birnie said she toured the church property and inside the building. She would like to have the church opened again for inspection so she and her contractor can determine the extent of the restoration work and the exact dimensions of the building. She has also had several discussions with a neighbour who knew the original builders.

“The church is in a bad state, it’s very sad actually,” Birnie told the committee, adding mice have made nests in the pipe organ inside the structure. “There are rows of logs that need to be replaced, rechinked and re-insulated.”

Town staff confirmed Birnie previously expressed verbal interest in relocating the church. Now that she has property in Gravenhurst where she could relocate the church, she has put her request in writing.

Last April, the corporate services committee decided to leave the Anglican church in the Church of Our Lady Cemetery on Southwood Road after going through the third go-round, where proposals to potentially relocate the building were solicited from the public.

Only one proposal was received at that time from Jennifer King, who in 2004, originally requested to relocate the 300-square foot log structure to her family’s property and restore to its original condition. Town staff did not recommend disposing of the church because a number of criteria in the proposal were not addressed.

The first time King suggested she was interested in the church, the committee was reluctant to move on any disposal because the town lacked a policy to deal with selling off municipal assets.

Since then, there has been no direction to staff to come up with a policy to help the committee deal with disposing of the structure in an equitable manner.

Mayor John Klinck said if the church is declared surplus there is a process that council can follow.

Committee’s member Bob Colhoun said council has been dealing, or not dealing with the church for too long and it’s time something definitive is decided.

“I’m sure having the church sit there another year will not make it any better,” he said. “We need to make a decision in 30 days to either move the church from the lot or tear it down and take it to the dump. There’s nothing worse than leaving a building to rot and ruin.”

Committee member Bryan Pilger agreed the church is probably a liability and something should be done.

Committee member Paisley Donaldson said it should be put out to fair bid to those who indicated interest before.

“I would hate to see it torn down and in the dump,” she said.

A request for proposal (RFP) package will be issued at the next committee meeting on May 6, with a short turnaround time for expressions of interest.

“Let it be known we will be making a definitive decision,” said Klinck.