Pavers the way

Work has started on our driveway!

When we found our hillside hut, there wasn't even clearance enough for a small car to make it up the driveway (archive: First Projects).

I can already visualize the finalized project, but I'm guessing it will be three times as good looking in reality. Work includes:

• widening the driveway to 11 feet so that the fire department will finally (in the entire history of the house) grant approval and permit for habitability. Strange, I know, but I'm told by the county that it was never acquired, not that it really matters to them. But it will lower our insurance premium.
• adding more than 200 feet of retaining walls. Neighbors told us the previous owners would park in the turnouts below the house because they feared a landslide trapping them in during the rainy seasons. A bit extreme, but not unwarranted considering the driveway's condition.
• grading the entire parking area and driveway and adding drainage for optimum water redirection and management.
• repairing and repaving the 1/10 mile driveway with asphalt.
• installing up to 2,800 sq. ft. of paver stones for the parking area, which I'm told last longer, require less maintenance, environmentally sound drainage, and even allow access to our utility lines buried underneath without major issues.