Gravel ... A Great Way to Improve Drainage!

This letter was sent to Scarsdale10583.com by landscape designer Elaine Yellen:
Be careful what you wish for! Banning the use of gravel driveways in order to reduce the size of houses may seem like a good idea, but it has lots of unintended consequences.

I am a landscape designer in Scarsdale. Over the years I have used gravel when lot coverage issues precluded other surfaces for various projects. Here are some examples of things I have done but you may not be able to do if the new rules are enacted:

Enlarge a small patio
Add space for an additional car
Create a new seating area in the garden
Add or enlarge a walkway
Create paths where grass will not grow
Enlarge the existing driveway

In all of these cases, the use of gravel improved the drainage of the area where it was installed. Gravel is a porous substance...that is why it is almost always used in drainage solutions. The problem on the driveways cited is not the gravel, it' s the substructure which is usually compacted "item 4". Driveways do not have to be built that way.

If the new rule is enacted, most of us will not have any way to create a shady nook to read, add a space to the driveway for a new car or change the front walkway unless we live on large properties. It seems draconian to me and rather senseless since the real problem is the size of the houses, not the use of gravel. I ask those who disagree to just pick up a bunch of stones in your hand and pour water over it. Watch what happens and then report back to the people making this decision which will affect all of us.

Sincerely,
Elaine Yellen
15 Chesterfield Road
914 723 4090
elaineyellenlandscapedesign.com