Tasteful ways of paving over a yard
I know this isn’t going to be a popular post. We have a curb cut that currently services the space between our house and our neighbors, but it’s difficult to navigate through the smaller opening. Our neighbor refuses to park his car behind ours and vice versa with the intention of sharing keys to get…
I know this isn’t going to be a popular post. We have a curb cut that currently services the space between our house and our neighbors, but it’s difficult to navigate through the smaller opening. Our neighbor refuses to park his car behind ours and vice versa with the intention of sharing keys to get in and out. We’re stuck with considering paving over part of our front lawn in order to create a dedicated parking space.
If it must be done, we’d like to use pavers or stone that won’t detract too much from the beauty of our home. I think that bluestone would be lovely, but I am not sure that it can handle the weight of a car. Any suggestions for which materials to use?
Also – should we have any concerns about paving over sewer and other pipes that run out to the street?
Where is the property line between you and your neighbor? If it’s right down the middle of the drive, you both need each other. If you’re going to cede use of the driveway to your neighbor, and half of it is on your property, he should be paying you rent for it.
Would it be possible for you and your neighbor to do some work in your back yards instead, so that you just use the driveway for access, and each park entirely on your own property in the rear? That’s the typical arrangement where there is a shared drive, and in my case it works with no problems.
Look up permeable pavers, which let water thru and so don’t increase runoff to sewers. Some can be grassed in. Also why not plain old gravel, also permeable.
Cobblestones or bluestones would be nice. Take a look at some of the houses on Park Place between Flatbush and Vanderbilt- they have nice gardens overgrowing the parking spaces. It’s not always bad. There are a lot of older houses in other cities that have a hedge or fence and then a bluestone driveway for parking. Think about maybe using gravel- with plantings around it. It doesn’t have to be paved to be paved.
In most zoning districts in NYC, off street parking is allowed only beside or behind the house, or in an enclosed garage. Not that it’s enforced (obviously) but unless you’re in an exempt neighborhood a cranky neighbor with 311 could make your life difficult.
The Commons at Metrotech (the pedestrian area that runs along what used to be Myrtle) is largely paved with bluestone and it’s holding up fine despite the frequent presence of maintenance vehicles, security cars, and sometimes fire department vehicles on its surface. The secret is using a reasonably thick mesh reinforced concrete base (8″) and embedding the bluestone on a mortar bed rather than sand. The bluestone in the park next Brooklyn Borough Hall, on the other hand, is showing severe signs of distress that I attribute to Marty and his cohorts using it as a parking lot. So, bluestone could work, but it needs the right construction sandwich to do so.
I always thought that (2)12 inch strips for the wheels seemed to be the best compromise. Of course you have to be a pretty good driver.
There is a new law in NYC that regulates just how much of a yard can be paved over and how much green space is required.
http://home2.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/yards/index.shtml
Be careful – people are sensitive to this and are watching and ready to call in violations to DOB.