I'm new to this site and have just purchased the lot I plan to build on. So far, this is a terrific resource. I hope I'll be able to contribute as time goes on. Robert in Paradise Valley, AZ

Jeff's Forum Posts: 2
Journal Entries: 10
Average Forum Rating: 3.50



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Well

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 7/20/2010

Very happy to have a well. At 86 feet and 20 gallons per minute, we're below budget on this one!

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Well in progress

Driveway

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 11/28/2009

Dirtwork for 650 feet of driveway/road. We pondered several options for the road, but ultimately decided ease of access takes precedence over cost. 

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		120 tons of gravel (will be laying more). Ditches lined with 95 tons of 2-4 rock.
Our focus through the winter is ensuring erosion control measures are working. So far, the rock, jute mesh, and 300 pounds of grass seed are doing the job.

Fire - Spring 2009

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 11/28/2009

Unfortunate and expensive, but we haven't given up hope. We lost the 250 trees we planted in fall 2008 to replace the trees we logged...

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Friends and family pitched in to help haul burned slash down the hill...		We decided to combine the clean-up operation with the road operation; removed stumps in the path of the road.
		We'll be replanting fir trees this month.

Rachal's Forum Posts: 79 Journal Entries: 30 Interview Answers: 62 Average Forum Rating: 3.82 Rachal's Selected Image 11/29/2009	What caused the fire?
Jeff's Forum Posts: 2 Journal Entries: 10 Average Forum Rating: 3.50 Image from Jeff's blog 12/1/2009	Run, Bambi; man is in the forest!

Logging

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 8/14/2008

Logging almost complete...

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Before	Cedar, alder, maple. Not much fir or hemlock. No word yet on any volume of alder peelers. Jury is out on figured maple at this point (probably a pipe dream).
Trees near highway will be logged last. Will need to hire flaggers for traffic control.	This is a huge harvest, not for the faint of heart... not to worry, two plus acres left unharvested, and we will be replanting in the fall.

Silt Fence

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 7/16/2008 2:50:05 PM

350+ feet of silt fence before logging can begin.  We've discovered this is why we had sons!  Terrain did not accommodate power equipment.  Back-breaking work, but we finished.  On to the next step.

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Logging Permit

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 7/2/2008 10:48:11 AM

A mere 8 months later, the logging permit (Forest Practices Application) has finally been approved!

Still waiting...

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 6/10/2008 12:04:38 PM

Seven months later...

After singing Kumbaya for pileated woodpeckers and preparing an alternative habitat for them, apparently not endangered but a species of concern, we have continued to wait.  (Translated - either cut down 2 woodpecker snags and REPLANT THE DEAD TREES somewhere else, or pay $1500 to a biologist to kill two other trees and make sure they stay dead for 2 years!   I'm NOT kidding. I thought those birds had wings and could fly to any one of the other wood pecker snags on this 6-acre parcel, but apparently not.) 

Public Works appears to be the picture of inefficiency.  It took them 5 months to tell us they didn't like our storm water management plan, and another 1 month to say they like it, but now they need to ask the state about it.  

We've built in Mason County before, but never had to deal with public works.  The Building Department is Great.  The people in Planning are fine.  We've recently learned that other folks have had similar issues with Public Works here as well.

So, here we are, still waiting to log.   Would really like for it to happen this summer.

RogerC's Forum Posts: 51 Interview Answers: 3 Average Forum Rating: 3.36 Randomly Selected Image 6/11/2008	Yikes!  I feel for you.  That is just crazy.  As a lover of birds, I can't help thinking there just has to be a better way to make all parties happy...  land-owners, biologists, and Dryocopus pileatus alike. By the way, that is a beautiful lot!  If you ever get beyond the Public Works, what type of house are you planning?
Jeff's Forum Posts: 2 Journal Entries: 10 Average Forum Rating: 3.50 Image from Jeff's blog 6/11/2008	Struggling between keeping the size down and "having what we want."    We can't even get a complete take on the view because it is so heavily treed.  Definitely a view though.  Because of the slope of the lot, we're going to end up with a basement, but probably won't finish the basement.   Probably will be about 3500-4000 sq ft. at this point.   Looking to build a high-end house on a budget.  Still LOTs of site prep to do though.
RogerC's Forum Posts: 51 Interview Answers: 3 Average Forum Rating: 3.36 Randomly Selected Image 7/17/2008	Your project sounds very similar to mine, which is yet to begin.  I'm planning on around 4000 sq ft with basement, on a hillside 1.25 acres, hoping to do high-end finishes (we'll see how that goes).   All I've done so far is purchase the land.  Very different terrains though...  you'll cutting down trees; I'll be moving saguaros.   It looks like you're making great progress!...  I'll be watching your journal closely.  :)

Slow Going

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 10/31/2007 8:05:50 AM

Summer has come and gone.  We had hoped to be done logging by the end of summer, but the survey took MUCH longer than promised.   That said, the survey is complete, the geotechnical report is done, and the logging permit has been submitted.   Maybe we can hope to have the property logged by spring . . .

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Approach in progress

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 6/27/2007

40 feet of culvert, extending 30-40 feet of the future driveway (only another 600 feet to go!)

Haul out 

• 15 loads of organic material (13 of which a guy a mile down the road took as clean fill.)

Crushed rock 1-1/4

• 7 loads

4x8 rip rap

• 3 loads

Heavy Equipment

• Traded a hardwood floor (prefinished) installation for labor!

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Approach

Posted to 302 by Jeff in Belfair, WA on 6/27/2007

Need a culvert!

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