Final Driveway Clearing

Harold, Sue, Nick, Jeanie, Jonas, Matt, and Aubrey spent about three and a half hours working on the property.  A woodpile in the parking area/gravel pit was moved and the rest of the trees in the parking area were cut down.  Another large birch on the side of the driveway was taken down at the recommendation of Robbie Davidson.  A location was selected for the outhouse.  Tom and Cathy stopped by for a bit; it was raining pretty hard by then.

Outhouse Design Contest

Nick's Winning Outhouse Design

A meeting of the shareholders was held in Seward in the morning.  Harold updated everybody on what he had heard from Robbie Davidson, and relayed Robbie’s cost estimate ($3K-$4k).  It was agreed that we should move forward this year with the driveway, and to hire Robbie to construct it.  All stakeholders also submitted and discussed outhouse design ideas.  Through a democratic selection process, Nick’s “whimsical” modified A-frame design was selected.  Nick, Matt, and Harold took a trip to Spenard Building Supply for materials.  Jeanie and Sue took on the project of painting a pair of louvers for the outhouse.  By the end of the day, the floor, front, and back panels were framed.  The rainbow louvers are a knock-out!

Outhouse Framed Up

Outhouse Back Panel

Meeting with the Davidsons

Harold met Robbie and Willie Davidson at the Holler (they built the subdivision roads for the Borough) and discussed getting them to put in the driveway.  We agreed that our planned parking area would be a perfect spot to make the gravel pit and bury the stumps and duff.  If/whenever the pit settles, we can have more fit added. Several (?) loads of fill will be needed to be brought in to build the hill grade as well.  Robbie also suggested that we come off the street at an angle, rather than at a right angle.  That plan would make better use of the topography, provide some more fill, and make the driveway easier to get into and out of, and better for backing a trailer down.  Unfortunately, it will mean destroying a property line point, a pin that simply locates a very small turn in the east property line.  Robbie suggested we call Paul Voeller at the Borough to discuss whether we can do that (Tom Gillespie said that the pin is ours to do with what we want).  Robbie can have the right excavator on site sometime next week.  He will rent it from Airport Machinery, and they will bring it down when they come to Hope to pick up another unit at the Porcupine Campground job.

Called Robbie Davidson

Sue and Harold stopped by the property to pick up the Moseman’s tent they left there last weekend, when Jonas wouldn’t settle again.  We got it all bagged up about 15 minutes before the first rain in weeks!
Larry Harmon walked over to visit while taking a break from collecting firewood on his lot 6, with a four-wheeler and trailer.  He said they have been busy building a house for their daughter in Girdwood, so haven’t gotten over to Hope as much as they want to.  Larry also said that he is still deciding the route for a driveway onto his property.

Harold called Robbie Davidson to talk about getting a driveway roughed in, and Robbie was very nice and supportive about creating a primitive road at the beginning and improving it later.  He would advocate digging a hole to bury the stumps onsite, and using some of the removed gravel for the road.  Robbie said that he just “turned in” an excavator last week, but he can easily get another, better-sized unit to work on the drive.  Harold said he will call Robbie later this week and set up a time for them to meet and try to make a plan.

There was no new activity noted in the subdivision; Brendan’s drive on lot 9 is still pretty rough, with little gravel and no culvert yet.  Holstein’s white van was parked at lot 4, but they have not made a road yet.