As I've mentioned in older posts, we've gone with Great Oaks Landscaping as our landscaping designer and installer. We met with Geoff early 2015 when there was still some snow on the ground to get some preliminary information about what we were looking for in landscape design. In pretty quick order, they drafted a preliminary design before we paid a retainer and signed on with them.
We talked about the desire to keep as much natural space as we could. Probably about 5.5 acres of our lot is wooded and we might be developing on 1/2 acre. I've never measured it, but I think 2 acres is water. All hardscape and plantings would be installed by Great Oaks, but the pool would be subcontracted out to a pool designer/installer they like to use. We're planning on having our builder build the pool shell from ICF and finished by the pool subcontractor. We're also planning an ICF bunker built under the deck to house pool equipment. The all foam and concrete construction of the bunker will go a long way to reducing the sound impact of the equipment.
Since the extensiveness of the work is so great, incurring a high cost, we're looking at implementing the whole plan over 5-7 years. I think we'll be able to break up the project into sections, first starting with any retaining walls necessary for the driveway (front yard), and the ICF pool shell. We need to complete the pool shell before any of the northern landscaping because we'll need a path to the back yard for heavy equipment. Any plan implementation will require HOA approval before starting, so we'll have to deal with them for a pretty long time.
Even though we're not implementing it yet, we've already had some push back on the proposed back yard fence. By law, the pool must be enclosed in a barrier to the outside. If the house is used as part of the barrier, then audible door alarms need to be placed on the house doors leading to the fenced in area. For some reason, the HOA doesn't like the amount of area enclosed by the fence. The fence perimeter was designed this way so that it runs in the woods and is less visually obtrusive. I believe the HOA would rather have us fence in the pool deck, which is aesthetically unappealing. The best part is that there isn't a written deed restriction that dictates pool fence placement, and that there are other houses in the neighborhood that enclose an area equal or greater than what we're proposing. The only difference is that the other houses have the pool location more centralized, and that the entire enclosed area is concrete. This is a battle we'll be fighting.
We need HOA approval on the removal of any tree greater than 6" in diameter, measured 4' off the ground. We've obtained approval for all tree removal, ICF shell, and front retaining walls, but due to wetland setbacks, there will need to be some revisions to the plan.
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