For months, land clearing on the harbor-side slope of Valdemar Hill (Skyline) Drive near Skyline Village has caught the eyes of passing motorists. Both the prominence of the area — officially Estate St. Joseph and Rosendahl — and the scope of the work has prompted questions about whether a development was going up in the residential area. However, paperwork filed with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources states the work is in preparation for a private residence.
Anne and Felix Pardo, whose address is listed as Cambridge, Mass., received an earth-change permit and a building permit for a two-family, two-story dwelling, with pool.
Under the conditions of their permit, they are allowed to clear only where there will be construction and they must mitigate erosion by constructing a retaining wall; the most conspicuous aspect of the work done thus far, with trucks and work crews often slowing or stopping traffic on Skyline Drive over the past few months.
In addition, they are required to control erosion by putting in ground cover immediately after the land is cleared and by using a brush berm, contouring, silt or fences. They must also replace any tree that is cut down if its trunk is four inches or more in diameter.
