EE Drainage Improvements and Hardscape Restoration

Jul 27, 2025, 5:05:11 PM (21 hours ago) 

to Talk CCH

The Board has commissioned ZEN Associates to develop a grading, drainage and paving plan for the East End area. The plan will ensure that stormwater is conducted away from the building, either on the surface or via underground connections between downspouts and storm drains.  It will require some grading changes. For example, the spine near the Garden will be lowered so that patios in front of 118 and 119 can drain away from the building. Attached is a preliminary plan showing elevations, which might be interesting to the architects in our community. 

This plan will also replace the concrete paths and patios - and much of the asphalt-paved Spine in the East End - with pavers. The concrete to be replaced has been severely deteriorated for years, and was slated for replacement long ago. Now, due to the below-grade waterproofing, slices of it have been torn up and removed.  

As you will see in the early drafts of the plan (attached), the Spine will be paved with smaller pavers that can best handle the many necessary undulations in the path. The patios will be paved with larger pavers that resemble those used in the West - in a neutral gray that harmonizes with our new siding colors. 

There will be a base plan - including all the elements that must be completed this year. In addition, there will be several a la carte options to consider:  

• Re-paving the path from the EE gate to the corner of the Garden with pavers (this section does not need to be re-graded); 

• Replacing the bollards (path lighting) from the EE gate to the Glade; 

• Re-paving the path behind the EE with pavers and extending it to 117’s rear entry (currently asphalt and extends only to the EE basement door). 

The Board will review the plan as soon as it is available (maybe as soon as this week), and work with Zen to finalize it. Time is of the essence. We want to receive multiple bids on the work before the end of August, and begin the work in September or early October.  

Financially, the Board needs to make several decisions: 1) Which contractor bid to accept; 2) Which optional items to include, if any; and 3) How to finance the work. it makes sense to fund the work from the loan, if possible. This will allow us to lower base condo fees in 2026 and make CCH reasonably affordable for Unit Owners who cannot afford to pre-pay their share of the loan principal.  It currently seems likely that the 3.925M borrowing limit (which the Community consented to) will be sufficient. 

Joe and I are spearheading this project for the Board. We will form a Helping Circle (a sub circle of the Board) if there are community members who want to help the Board manage the project. Whether or not you have time to volunteer, please let us know if you have particular technical, aesthetic, or financial concerns about the plan.

-Bob M.

This is a screen shot of an early draft plan that we saw in a recent Zoom meeting. It has since been changed in response to our input. E.g. several pieces will be separated out as optional extensions of the plan.