Author Topic: New Project in the middle of no where... (Read 4092 times)

CoolShades · « **on:** February 17, 2008, 07:18:34 AM »

Happy holidays everyone...did they pass already!

I have a new project in the Northern Neck of Virginia, i.e. a vacation/retirement house. While just underway the planning has been very detailed oriented to get everything we want. Here are a few waterview shots that has us excited and has sailboat depth out to the Chesapeake! My goal is no grass only plantings and a large pond!

Some questions though I have a big Horseshoe drive and plan to put the pond in the middle. Have any of used drainage pipes under a pond. I'm concerned about drainage and of course floods (Note House in last pic is 4' up with fill that brings us 2' out of 100 year flood plain) with water coming under pond.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Gary

CoolShades · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2008, 07:20:31 AM »

Sorry ran out of kB Here is the front and back of the first floor walls on the far right of the front picture there is a salt marsh and we will grade toward that to run the water off.

MikeW · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2008, 08:16:57 AM »

No help on the drainage pipes Gary, but nice one! on the sailboat depth.

Cheers,

Mike

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2008, 09:37:11 AM »

Never came across a situation with flood plains. Retirement home?! I'll be lucky to have 4 walls

Sure would love to see the progress of your project. Nice - no lawn. Love horseshoe drives....with a pond in the center it will be awesome! Do you have plans to share?

Is that metal framing? Thanks!

Esther · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2008, 11:34:30 AM »

Good luck on your project. What a great view. I hope it continues along OK.

Krista · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2008, 01:08:23 PM »

Wow! Beautiful view and property!! No help on the pipes but let us know when we can come visit

CoolShades · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2008, 04:16:28 PM »

Hi All:

Thanks for the kind words and everyone is invited to visit; however it really is in the middle of nowhere 2.5 hrs from D.C. 1.5 hrs from Richmond, Williamsburg and Virginia Beach so it is a bit out of the way...no chain stores within 30 miles, also means no Starbucks, Pete's or other know coffee shops. Maryvonne and Peter will be happy to hear that there is a real Waterman's no nonsense coffee shop that makes a mean cup of Joe, black of course. However, I will have to learn a new dialect if I want to communicate with them. I was in the coffee shop this past weekend "talking" with a few of them and I think my current translation rate is ~ 10%. The only part I could make out is that they would hook me up with free Blue Crabs if I let them continue commercial crabbing on my property (see first 2 photos, the sicks on the right sticking up out of the water have 25' long x4' wide nets hooked up to them vertically and evidently the crabs follow the net right into their traps).

Below is one more shot of DW day dreaming on the bank.

CoolShades · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2008, 04:26:21 PM »

Sorry forgot to mention the structure is Superior Walls that emerged out of NC. It's an interesting approach in that they use a stronger cement (~ 5,000 PSI versus poured walls 3,000-3,500) that is 1.5" thick skin, with 2x10 joist like structures that are lined for water barrier and then insulated with styrefoam. The joists have two holes to pass wires in and metal furring strips to hang sheet rock. Sections of the wall are bolted together and triple caulked. Interestingly it is extremely level and floats on 2' of crushed stone, What is really nice the walls are up in one day! Check out their web site,

Jonna · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2008, 01:55:00 AM »

That's gorgeous! Really spectacular location and the pond will be wonderful.

Are you thinking french drains? Basically PVC with holes drilled in it? The ones we did we also wrapped it in weed barrier cloth to keep roots out. I don't see why it wouldn't work under a pond if it was sloped well enough. I ran them alongside all sides of a swimming pool and under a lawn and they worked great. We had problems in heavy rain years of ground water rising up quite a bit, the park behind us was under 3" or 4" of water at times but the yard stayed damp but no standing water. More importantly, it didn't push the pool up out of the ground either. This was even in years when I had to run a sump pump in the basement to keep the water from rising into it.

Bullfrog · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2008, 05:05:25 AM »

What a fine piece of property, every person's dream.

karen J · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2008, 08:41:36 AM »

Wow. Coolshades, what a beautiful property! Interesting building technique, too. That is exactly what we want to do when we retire- move back to Virginia and get a small place on the water.

When we lived in the tidewater area (Western branch of the Elizabeth river), we had a neighbor with just such a driveway. It was a horseshoe shape with a raised, round, formal pond in the middle. I don't know if he had drainage pipes under the pond, as his drive was sloped towards the street. Maybe you could put a French drain around the pond, then a culvert going under the driveway to wherever you want the water to go.
The cool thing about it was those neighbors were from Taiwan, visited frequently, and would bring back some really interesting plants.

There was always something very beautiful (or very illegal) growing in their pond.

I really miss Va.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2008, 01:18:45 PM »

What a great dream come true! I only wish I could afford a second place!

CoolShades · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2008, 05:09:37 PM »

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Jonna I was thinking about a french drain on the high side dumping to the marsh.

Karen, Tidewater is also pretty, but too crowded for us, but I think the Naval base is closing and they will be selling off all of that water front property so you may want to get in line.

maryvonne · « **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2008, 09:30:04 PM »

Hi Gary,

It's nice to see photos of your place. Sure is peaceful looking. Nice photo of your wife sitting by the river. With the house nice and high you will have a wonderful view. Pete just stepped in from the shop so I showed him the photos too. We will have to get over to Philadelphia some time, Longwood Gardens is on my list of things to do. We have talked about going across to the east coast for years now, so hopefully it will happen. It's good to know there is a good coffee shop close by!
Keep us posted on the house construction. Interesting construction and it will be neat to see it go up. I also like your idea for your pond. Can't wait to see that too. We will be keeping our next garden very simple too with mainly ponds and a few flower beds around them. No more grass to mow for this old woman!! The weather has been warn and sunny for the last week and the darn lawn is growing again.

We are still here dreaming of our next place and waiting to sell this place. I was in Victoria this weekend to visit family and can't wait to be there permanently. Our oldest son is now living there on an older 27' sailboat he just bought in Tacoma, while he decides if he wants to start his PHD or work in Engineering or a while first.
Hope we see you again next winter if you decide to come up to Whistler again.

Maryvonne

CoolShades · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2008, 05:41:38 PM »

Hi Maryvonne:

We hope you and Pete can make it east. When you come out plan on several garden visits not only at Longwood (Pierre DuPont's estate), but also the Winterthur (Henry DuPont, http://www.winterthur.org) that also has wonderful gardens that is only 5 minutes away not to mention the Brandywine museum that holds the Wyeth collection, Howard Pyle studio, and the Chadds Ford Winery.

We just booked our rooms at Whistler for Dec 28- Jan3, so maybe we can catch up for brunch in Vancouver with Sean on Saturday January 4. This time our treat!! We actually caught up with Sean for brunch one time on Granville Island at a nice place overlooking the water. My daughter loved going through the art galleries and even more the cheap art supply stores. Of course the US dollar was much stronger then.

Gary

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2008, 07:35:01 PM »

That is a beautiful place for a retirement home. Keep us up on its progress.

Congratulations,
Karen

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2008, 08:53:21 AM »

It is going to be gorgeous! I don't know anything about grades or drainage though, sorry. I would agree to the crab deal.

I long for a beach cottage myself. Doubt it will ever happen. Half of California has bought up the Oregon Coast. My aunt and uncle bought one in 1961 for $5000. Sold it for more than $500,000.

Maryvonne, Longwood is on my list too. Has been for a very long time. I have a dear friend in Erie PA who has loads of room but I know it is not close at all. Though I may get to Niagara Falls if I visit her.

Hmmmm, brunch in Vancouver on Jan 4th, maybe we could make that. Hoping to visit this summer too. We are very passed due to visit Victoria.

Jerry · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2008, 09:46:31 AM »

A Great site! I may have missed it, but what body of water is that? Man o man Id sure have a boat or at least a kayak!

What fish are taken there?

maryvonne · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2008, 10:54:50 AM »

Jan 4th on Granville Island sounds good to me. I like to visit the market to pick up some of those stinky European cheeses. Granville Island is a nice place to hang out. I often meet our daughter there.
It would be wonderful if you could make it up LeeAnne.
Maryvonne

CoolShades · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2008, 04:08:45 PM »

Jerry:

This is just off the Rappahannock river that feeds into the Cheasapeake Bay. I've been tempted to bring out my fly rod, I have seen crabs, oysters and a perch looking fish. However, I always see a couple of Herons fishing either in the grass flats or across the way in the park. Ironically we were down there the day after Thanksgiving and we had a gaggle? of Turkeys defiantly walk across the property. About 500 yards downstream is a bald eagles nest and I was told by several people that this is in a hawk migratory stop and we will seen at least a dozen species. Also Osprey nests are all over the channel markers and buoys so with all these birds I'm sure there are a variety of fish. Just need to learn about what to fish for. i'm sure there are blues, and fluke in the deeper water. Perhaps karen knows since she was from the area. Yes we have a boat, a sailboat and kayaks so I will be on the water most of the time!! So stop by and we can head out fishing! I just got the dock permit so that should be in by May!

Here is a picture of some kayakers I took 18 months ago.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2008, 04:17:47 PM »

Oh my, every fisherman's dream come true. Especially if there are Bass in there.

CoolShades · « **Reply #21 on:** February 28, 2008, 04:22:39 PM »

Hey LeeAnne,

Even I figured out that one!!! My DW can eat dozens of them...I just don't have the patience so I always get crabcakes, but in this area forget any bread its all rich crab meat!!!

That's quite a return on your Aunt & Uncles investment! We ended up buying in this area, because it was the last area on the east coast that was reasonably priced. We closed 4-5 months later and people were offering me double the price. It's amazing how areas just explode, and 3 years later before we started construction relators were trying to get me to sell for over 5x what we paid. Isn't there a realestate crisis? Timing is everything with these silly markets.

Sounds like we could have a good size group on Jan 4 in Vancouver. Hopefully sean can make it and maybe we'll have a chance to meet Debbie. Mike W and Jerry are you ready for a road trip?

Gary

Krista · « **Reply #22 on:** February 29, 2008, 02:29:42 PM »

Beautiful shot of the kayakers... you are definitely in a beautiful part of the world.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #23 on:** February 29, 2008, 02:39:19 PM »

Gary, I would love to get in on a reunion. But going over the passes in Jan. Hmmm not my idea of fun!

Jerry · « **Reply #24 on:** February 29, 2008, 04:29:39 PM »

Family Is in MD so who knows? Looks idyllic, but I am sure that's been said a few time!
I have had Chesapeake crabs and yes very good.

Enjoy!

CoolShades · « **Reply #25 on:** March 01, 2008, 05:15:40 AM »

Thanks Krista, we our definitely excited, Not sure how far Vancouver is for you, but if you can make it on January 4 it would be fun to see you again.

Jerry, stop by for a little bit of R&R and some fishing...where in MD is your family from?

Debbie, I usually drive from Seattle and it's not too bad, which pass is difficult to get over?

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #26 on:** March 01, 2008, 07:17:25 AM »

Well in Jan. all of them but I would have to go Stevens and back track up to BC. I was thinking pull my trailer to stay in but I guess that would be wat to costly on the ferrie anyways.

Jerry · « **Reply #27 on:** March 01, 2008, 08:19:06 AM »

Silver Spring, a suburb of DC

Krista · « **Reply #28 on:** March 01, 2008, 11:13:31 AM »

would be good to see you and yoru family again Gary... and of course teh rest of the West Coast Ponders gang... can't believe how long its been.

its' about 4 hours.. maybe more in the winter... I'll keep the date booked Gary and see how it's going. I can't probably stay at my sisters then since she'll be up the mountains at that time of the year again.

debbie, if you could get to Kelowna, then you could ride with me and stay with me...

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #29 on:** March 01, 2008, 01:18:36 PM »

Quote from: Krista on March 01, 2008, 11:13:31 AM

debbie, if you could get to Kelowna, then you could ride with me and stay with me...

So how far and witch direction are you from There? I think it's a goo 3 hrs to there from here but then ya have to go over the pass don't ya to get to Vancover?