More Cut & Fill

Went back out today as more cut and fill was scheduled for yesterday. Since I plan to level the front yard, which will involve a small amount of retaining I asked for some dirt to be moved to the front yard to raise it slightly. I was told no and this is where they expect deliveries and will be too unstable and affect the silt fence. So I went today just to have a look and see. The good news I had also been told the other day was that they do not anticipate the amount to be removed to be in excess of the allowance, so no extra bill.

But knock me over with a feather have look at this:



Where has all the dirt gone? I mean ALL the dirt? They have flattened it from boundary to boundary, and then the garage is a little bit lower. But look at the rear, there's like a 500m drop from the back neighbours to our yard, I've got a bit of both to the outsides and all of the one not yet built in the middle.

The land goes from tree to tree as in the picture below, where you can see the Peach Palace sits on the boundary line. My Mum thinks I should stop calling it this, but I'm not meaning it in a derogatory way, and actually it is growing on me as in different lights you can see some increased variation. The garden is also very flattering, but odd they didn't provide a letterbox in matching brick. I've also proposed to Camden Council that the street planting that is right on the driveway in the left of the picture be relocated towards where I am standing by about a metre, as I really like the magnolias and it's a shame it was vandalised, but also this will mean it won't impinge into her garage access.


But I digress. Because the neighbour's garage sits on the boundary, there is about a 2m offset from that side to my garage, but as you can see, all the dirt is gone. So I hope they have intentions of putting some of it back, which I guess they will to cover up the slab, because otherwise I'll have to haul in tonnes to fill in the retained sections. Speaking off which now involves some reconsideration. Particularly in the backyard, if the house sit lower than the back neighbour (see picture 1), I'm thinking about retained garden beds all the way around, about 1-1.5m width. This would stop at the entertainment area, or at least be stepped back in to support the fence that will run from the rear of the neighbours wall to the back fenceline, as they have an easement of 900m along their wall, so it can't be permanently blocked off in anyway. Then maybe stepped down with some pebbles and palms in large glazed planters, ala' Better Homes and Gardens the other week.

My last little picture is of the view to the west, which I know will be obscured in future but fingers crossed it will be all single storeys (my street will be) so there are glimpses of the Razorback Range off in the distance.