THE Road Widening - A Continuing Saga

Yvonne G

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Just to give you an update: The City is planning to widen the street I live on from a rural, two lane to a 6 lane with left turn lanes, curbs and gutters and street lights. Construction is scheduled to start in about 2 weeks. I've taken some 'before' pictures and I'll keep the thread updated as the project moves along. The widening project is about 4 miles long and according to the City Engineer construction will start at my end, which is the last block in the project. The first thing they have to do is move my driveway from the corner to further north along my property line to facilitate PG&E's pole relocation, which involves Dudley's yard.

My existing driveway and Dudley's yard:

before driveway a.jpgbefore driveway b.jpg

And then outside the fence where the new driveway will be going in:

before driveway c.jpg

An overall view of my frontage:

before frontage.jpg

You can see my existing driveway that they say is too close to the corner, and the new one will be about 25' to the left of the mailbox.

In the last picture you can see how my lot is elevated about 6 or 8' above the street. Part of what I asked for in my contract with the City was to have a retaining wall constructed where they cut off the hill for their encroachment. In order for their equipment to get in there and build the retaining wall I have to clear about 10' more than they're taking for the widening project, which I'll get back when they're finished. Problem with that is, my pond is now in the way and has to be drained. But the good part of that is now it's in the contract that the new pond will be lined (it's now just a big mud hole). So, after a week of not adding water to the pond, it looks like this:

Pond before:

pond 7-11-13 b.jpg

pond 8-25-21 a.jpg


Last September I ordered four poly tubs 2'x6'x2', one for each species of turtle in the pond. Because of the lack of truck drivers due to Covid, it took until the end of July this year for them to get here. When they finally came, they are galvanized instead of poly, but I can't afford to re-order, timewise.



pond 8-25-21 b.jpg

Only found two pond turtles:
pond 8-25-21 c.jpg

Three RES and one Western Painted:

pond 8-25-21 d.jpg

One Phrynops hillari:

pond 8-25-21 e.jpg

And a male and female Florida Softshell:

pond 8-25-21 f.jpg


The softshells are way too big to live in that galvanized tub. She's about 18" SCL. She's HUGE!!!
 
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Maro2Bear

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Just to give you an update: The City is planning to widen the street I live on from a rural, two lane to a 6 lane with left turn lanes, curbs and gutters and street lights. Construction is scheduled to start in about 2 weeks. I've taken some 'before' pictures and I'll keep the thread updated as the project moves along. The widening project is about 4 miles long and according to the City Engineer construction will start at my end, which is the last block in the project. The first thing they have to do is move my driveway from the corner to further north along my property line to facilitate PG&E's pole relocation, which involves Dudley's yard.

My existing driveway and Dudley's yard:

View attachment 331629View attachment 331630

And then outside the fence where the new driveway will be going in:

View attachment 331631

An overall view of my frontage:

View attachment 331632

You can see my existing driveway that they say is too close to the corner, and the new one will be about 25' to the left of the mailbox.

Yikes, quite a project & expansion of the traffic in front of your house. ?. It’s always good to have before pix. Good that you have prepared & kept in contact with the project foreman. They might have a few extra pipes or barriers that they will gift you.
 

TisMary

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@Yvonne G thank you for sharing your story. Sounds like you're taking things in stride which is good! I envision myself running around like a crazy person, telling myself "change is good, change is good.....". Maybe you're already through that stage? ? Anyway, keep your cool head and vent to us if you need to. Good luck!

P.S. I am sooo jealous of your cactuses! They're gorgeous.
 

ZenHerper

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*expletive redacted*

Wow. Six lanes is a lot.

First of all: *applause* to you for putting in the good sense and time to get the retaining wall. That right there will preserve your property value.

B: *boo* to the tub seller. I'm guessing they want the metal ones sent back before they re-ship the proper order. *pouts*

Oooo...turtles...!
 

Yvonne G

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Wow big changes! Will you loose lots of your beautiful cactus garden? What a good looking soft shell!! I think I’m going to have to look in to getting some again haha
No, I'm losing 10' or so of frontage, but all I'm losing on the cactus side is for the new driveway, a strip about 16' wide and 40 or so feet long ( running along the edge of Dudley's yard)
 

jaizei

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Did they give you a timeframe for the work to be completed?
 

ZEROPILOT

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Tell me about it. The traffic noise now with only two lanes is so bad you have to be right next to each other to hear each other talk. I'm not looking forward to what it will be like with 6 lanes.
The last place I lived in South Carolina was in a sleepy little town called Fort Mill.
The last time I visited there was a highway going right through the woods where I used to hike and fish in.
The place was unrecognizable
 

TisMary

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Maggie3fan

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This won't help to hear the person next to you, but they work really well when you need Q-U-I-E-T! Howard Leight by Honeywell Laser Lite High Visibility Foam Earplugs
Both Y and I wear expensive hearing aids...the 2 lane outside her property is a 55 mph hiway where drivers go past her house with their stereo's at max volume at 70 mph. It IS very irritating. The bass shakes her windows...THUMP THUMP THUMP da da...Her bedroom is off the hiway, my bedroom at her house is behind the house and very quiet. Maybe she needs to change rooms...???! Frankly...I hate that they are doing this to her. Obviously, the privacy at her home will be no longer, her pond damaged, her long private driveway moved...how will it go thru the cactus garden and cut thru all the pens to get to the garage??? I can't picture it...driveway between the Gopherus pen and Dudley? Maybe you need to take the reptile room as yours now...?
 

Yvonne G

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This won't help to hear the person next to you, but they work really well when you need Q-U-I-E-T! Howard Leight by Honeywell Laser Lite High Visibility Foam Earplugs
I wanted a cement block sound wall, but they wouldn't allow that, so I'm getting a double sided 5' redwood fence across the front. I'm going to research if there is any type of tree I can plant across the front that doesn't have a bad root system that would interfere with the retaining wall. Maybe something like cypress trees? Those tall pointy trees?
 

Yvonne G

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Both Y and I wear expensive hearing aids...the 2 lane outside her property is a 55 mph hiway where drivers go past her house with their stereo's at max volume at 70 mph. It IS very irritating. The bass shakes her windows...THUMP THUMP THUMP da da...Her bedroom is off the hiway, my bedroom at her house is behind the house and very quiet. Maybe she needs to change rooms...???! Frankly...I hate that they are doing this to her. Obviously, the privacy at her home will be no longer, her pond damaged, her long private driveway moved...how will it go thru the cactus garden and cut thru all the pens to get to the garage??? I can't picture it...driveway between the Gopherus pen and Dudley? Maybe you need to take the reptile room as yours now...?
The driveway will be a straight shot from the street through the edge of Dudley's yard and into the garage.
 

Blackdog1714

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Don't be discouraged since you will get a true pond now instead of a watering hole. Side note all the emotional energy spent due to this project could charge the spectral "batteries" of the house allowing for your ghost to entertain future owners! For trees would crape myrtles survive in your climate. They do well in the devil strip hear in VA and can be trained into a tree instead of a bush. Mine are about 15' tall as bushes.
 

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Yvonne G

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Yes, crepe myrtle grow here, but what about their roots? I need something that won't harm the retaining wall they'll be planted next to.
 

Yvonne G

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I spied one more turtle this a.m. in the mud flats. But he slithered away into the mud before I could reach for the net. Tomorrow I'll be prepared, net in hand! I still haven't seen the foot long gold fish. There's not enough water left to support fish that big, so I'm thinking the heron probably caught them already.
 

Mrs.Jennifer

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I wanted a cement block sound wall, but they wouldn't allow that, so I'm getting a double sided 5' redwood fence across the front. I'm going to research if there is any type of tree I can plant across the front that doesn't have a bad root system that would interfere with the retaining wall. Maybe something like cypress trees? Those tall pointy trees?
I‘m not an expert, but cypress trees have “knees.” Not sure if they would be an issue for you…
 

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