The site, located on K Avenue in Littleford, is less than one mile from the closest of the two interstate highways that ease the difficulties most suburbanites face during their drives to work. The K Avenue site is also located less than a quarter mile from a state highway that is known as one of the top ten most dangerous roadways in the country. Convenience always has its price.

Ana and Peter see this home as a refuge from their busy work lives and have chosen this lot because of the physical amenities it possesses. The Tranquil River is wide and slow moving where it meets the Southeastern edge of the site. The river edge is quiet and peaceful in spite of its proximity to the roadway. The steeply sloping site protects the area near the river from the roadway dirt and noise. A one hundred foot flood zone boundary from the riverbank must be respected by all habitable structures. Sideyards are required to be 15’ although accessory buildings may be as close as 10’ from the side yard and 50’ from the river. The height is limited to 35’ and is measured from (1) the average grade (dirt level) at the front of the house to the highest point of a flat or mansard-roofed building or (2) the midpoint between the peak (ridge) and the eave (bottom edge) of a gabled, hipped, or shed roof. Building on a site like this is challenging because of the extreme change in topographical features at the roadside of the site. The size of the “buildable area” is not as encumbering as most lots available in the area at the same price. The positive attributes of the site include the natural surroundings, central location to major arteries, and availability of utilities. Public water, sewer and electricity are all readily available to the site that would reduce the budget for site development. Lower cost of site development means more money can be put into architectural amenities. The negative characteristics of this site include proximity to dangerous highways, the extreme difference in elevation between the street and the remainder of the buildable are, and the lack of community amenities to be expected in a community whose primary industry disappeared forty years ago.