The World encroaching? Move your driveway!

[bigpete]

It wasn't so bad that the twenty-something grandson inherited an acre of his Granpop's virgin timber across the road from my homestead. Most thinking folks with a wonderful legacy inheritance would scratch their head for awhile and consider all the long-term options and try to make Grandpop proud. At least that's what I think most folks would do. It isn't so bad that the grandson can only get part time work right now. We've all been there. At least I have when I was young. The good news for the grandson is that land values have soared around here and his acre could fetch well over $100 K right now. The bad news, in all of this, is that he has no patience and no common sense!

So what does the grandson do with his Granpop's legacy? He finds a gypsy logger to rip out every single tree all the way to the stream and rolls a double-wide in in a matter of six weeks. AHHHHHHG! What could possibly happen to make it worse, you ask? He centered the mobile home in the middle of my driveway where it is perfectly framed from every window in my house, as well as my family's favorite feature of our house: the front porch.

So, what to do. After fuming for awhile scratching my head a bit, I decided to move my driveway and plant a grove of various evergreens. The paver just finished his work. Attached below are a series of pics. In my deal with the paver, I removed the old asphalt and piled it for him. He showed up and removed the rubble, scraped the 6"-deep bed for the new "S" curve, dumped the topsoil where the old driveway was, and did a beautiful job of sculpting a new hotmix drive for me (6+ inches of crusher run and crushed concrete; two runs of hot mix: 2"+ base compressed and 1 1/2 inch finish mix compressed for the new "S" run, and 1 1/2" finish overlay for the existing pad next to the house). I am doing a couple of drywells for proper drainage this weekend and will start the landscaping, tree planting, and grass seeding next week.

the probelm

Lifting the Old Asphalt

More Excavation

Rubble Pile

My first stage done. I saved about $1,200 by just lifting the old asphalt:

Phase I Complete

Progress

Paving done. The rest is up to me:

Paving Done

Edit: Some imbeded pics converted to links...sorry guys /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Edit - changed the rest of the pics to links...

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Pete, first, I pity the people with slow dial up modems who try to view this thread with all those imbedded photos /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif but you sure did some creative thinking to come up with your plan. It will be very effective when the new trees grow in. Too bad the kid didn't talk to you first about where to plop down the new house, he could have saved you a lot of work!

 

[firtol88]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif These pictures look to me like the epitome of frustration, good luck with your hedge row/tree stand.

Class move on the solution it would have been much easier to make the feller some bonfire money off his home owners insurance.

 

[ronjhall]

I would not have put a double wide on that property. But would have selected the same location. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Your house is the view that most people would like to view from their porch. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JD2210MAN]

Wow, that is a big project. The pictures really helped because I would not have imagioned how he placed it... He sure did put it perectly in front of you. My brother-in-law is doing one of these no-thought as fast as he can pre-fab houses on our family land. Nothing but a mess!

I am scared to ask what this driveway has cost you. You have a great looking lot and very nice house. I hope your trees grow fast and very full!

 

[getut]

I hope you're not the type that is looking down on him just because he is living in a mobile home. He has as much right to be there as you do.

I do agree about the pristine land though... I despise seeing people clear cut beautiful natural landscape in the name of lawns just to show off to neighbors.

Just pray he doesn't sell the rest of the land for a development if he inherited that also.

 

[SCB]

So let me get this straight. A guy owns a piece of land. Puts a brand new redidence on it in the middle. Clears the trees to have a lawn. Assuming all local codes were met, I don't see where he did anything wrong. You have been fortunate enough to have a view of trees from a peice of property you did not own. If you wanted that view permanently maybe your house should have been placed to view your own property. However, I do admire your solution. Great thinking. I wish your trees a quick growth.

 

[bigpete]

<font color="blue"> I hope you're not the type that is looking down on him just because he is living in a mobile home. He has as much right to be there as you do.
</font>

You obviously didn't read the narrative of the post...Even his Grandfather, who has been my near-neighbor for 8 years is frustrated. In fact, he's embarrased. Grandpop gave him his inheritance for the future and he used no common sense in clearing, building, and placement. Every man has a right to do what he wants to with his land. Every thoughtful man will consider how it impacts the environment and the nearby landowners.

<font color="red"> So let me get this straight. A guy owns a piece of land. Puts a brand new redidence on it in the middle. Clears the trees to have a lawn. Assuming all local codes were met, I don't see where he did anything wrong. You have been fortunate enough to have a view of trees from a peice of property you did not own. If you wanted that view permanently maybe your house should have been placed to view your own property. </font>

I didn't say he did anything "wrong." I said he displayed no common sense or patience. The State won't allow him to move in now becasue his septic is too close to the stream. The State is saying he did something wrong.

Would you really embrace this situation in any more of a civilized manner than I have if you were in my shoes?

 

[bigpete]

Here's a view top the south for a little more perspective. All of the area residents are shocked that he was allowed to build anything there becasue it is right on a stream, which is hard to see in the pics. Edit: The mobile home is 90 degrees to the right (West) of the perspective of this picture

South View from Roof Peak

 

[kennyd]

Great looking driveway BigPete. I am sure you will appreciate the privacy when those trees come in.