Yes, yesterday, at long last, the church parking lot improvements were “completed”. I put that in quotes, because just like the flood study I just posted about, the project is not really done. Yesterday the sub-contractor completed the corrections for two areas that were non-draining. We put the hose on them, and they both seemed to drain. The larger one, however, drains to another area that doesn’t drain. That, however, can be corrected by a little bit of grinding in the gutter to get the water into the east rain garden.

The contractor actually had a couple of more things to do when I left the site yesterday. He had concrete coming to pour two short sections of sidewalks where we cut in the entrance. I’m assuming that happened as scheduled. Also, the contractor yesterday noticed a short concrete apron that he poured earlier that wasn’t draining. He saw it just too late to order concrete for it, so said he would take it out today and re-pour it. I didn’t go to the church to see. This is a vindication of sorts. When the apron was being poured, I warned the contractor twice that it didn’t look right and that he ought to put a level on it. He said he would, but never it. It turns out I was right.

Then he also has to finish the striping. He held back some of it where the corrective patches were to be made. Today is a beautiful day, and I thought he would come do it. But he says no, he’ll come tomorrow, Saturday, when there’s no one at church using the parking lot, and do it then. So I assume when I arrive at church on Sunday the lot will be fully striped. I’m not actually holding my breath on that.

Then there will be the contractor’s final bill to haggle over, then the church’s own work to put a light pole and lights on an existing base, and to finish out the rain gardens with bedding soil and plants. But hey, the end is in sight, and I don’t need to be making daily trips to the church to watch the contractors. I have close to 30 hours to make up for time siphoned off from my employer.

And yesterday was a good wrap-up, being on site and smelling fresh asphalt being laid. It’s one of my favorite smells. I guess you’d have to have been on a lot of construction sites to enjoy the smell of asphalt.