# Odd construction near me **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 13, 2024, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158 "2024-07-13T20:51:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2024, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/1 "2024-07-13T20:51:18Z")
So this lot has had nothing but a garage on it for several years. Last fall the guy fenced off the lot and began digging with an excavator. I figured he was finally building a house. The hole never had vertical walls and sat half dug all winter long. A month ago he got back to work digging a bit more. Then a corrugated pipe about 6 feet in diameter was installed upright at the bottom. Then he trimmed the excess so it was level with the bottom of the pit. Now a nice flagpole has been installed and that’s all you can see by driving by. Google Streetside happened to photograph it just before he trimmed the culvert pipe. [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/9NjzhJG.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/Uf6tckV) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/2 "2024-07-13T21:08:39Z")
Building a new septic field, maybe? Is this far enough out in the country that you (and he) don’t have access to a city/town waste sewer line? ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/3 "2024-07-14T05:41:19Z")
No. This is in a high end residential area. ---
**Author:** ![DaveUnknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@DaveUnknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveUnknown)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/4 "2024-07-14T06:26:19Z")
did you ask the folks doing the work when they were laying out? Go to the city hall? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/5 "2024-07-14T07:37:42Z")
Serious flagpole footing form. Maybe he is planning an ultra fancy out door living area with a round fireplace. He needs one since there’s no house yet. My deep well had that corrugated pipe until the last section of concrete well pipe was put down. It was there about 2 weeks. But you said residential, so no well. Hmm? Curious indeed. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/6 "2024-07-14T10:28:38Z")
Is it a flagpole or a cell antenna? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/7 "2024-07-14T12:48:33Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > No. This is in a high end residential area. Plenty of high end residential areas don’t have sewers. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/8 "2024-07-14T14:50:34Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Plenty of high end residential areas don’t have sewers. Exactly. If you’re far out enough from the city/town, you’re on well water and a septic system, even if you have a big, expensive house. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/9 "2024-07-14T16:55:22Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > big, expensive house. Big houses sit on big lots. Big lots make it easy to use septic tanks instead of sewers. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/10 "2024-07-14T16:57:33Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Big lots make it easy to use septic tanks instead of sewers. True, but even so, if one were given a choice of being on city sewer, versus having (and having to maintain) a septic tank/field, I have to believe that nearly everyone would choose the former. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/11 "2024-07-14T17:05:24Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > everyone would choose the former. You dont have any choice. If the city has not built sewers on your street, then you and all your neighbors have septic tanks. If the city has built a sewer line in your street, all new buildings must connect to it , and no new septic tanks may be built.(unless you have really weird zoning regulations) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/12 "2024-07-14T17:31:47Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > If the city has not built sewers on your street, then you and all your neighbors have septic tanks. > If the city has built a sewer line in your street, all new buildings must connect to it , and no new septic tanks may be built.(unless you have really weird zoning regulations) In Massachusetts, authority to require mandatory connection was devolved to towns by the legislature, so you can find that language in most town code, and it pretty much always requires new-construction connection (where available) to the town system. There are exceptions, however, and my town is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/13 "2024-07-14T17:39:40Z")
Same in my town. The sewer line had stopped short of my property when it was installed years ago for a new development built down the street. Luckily for me someone wanted to build a house on the lot across the street from me and they had to extend the sewer line and install a lateral for my property. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/14 "2024-07-14T18:04:58Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > Is it a flagpole or a cell antenna? Typical 10’ flagpole with a round knob on top. The only person doing this work is the owner, I guess. Just one older guy working slowly. Looking back on prior years on Google there used to be a home there in front of the garage that has been torn down. The property lines have also been redone so this site is no longer on the same lot as the garage. The garage property has been attached to the parcel on the other side. I checked the property at the auditor’s office and found there is a “permit for a new home- not started”. So this thing is going to end up under a new home, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![a6ka97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/15 "2024-07-15T00:14:15Z")
How deep is it? Is it filled? Is the house going to have a slab foundation? My guess would be a storm/tornado shelter. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/16 "2024-07-15T00:34:11Z")
Dude, he’s burying a treasure chest! It’ll be in that pipe, and will be inaccessible once the house is built… …until his will is read, and his kids are given obscure clues and a time limit. Whoever finds the chest gets his entire secret fortune. Even if they have to destroy the soon-to-be-built house to get it. But his kids are jerks, and you’ve got a head start. Get digging! ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/17 "2024-07-15T03:41:59Z")
There’s a similar mystery lot near my house. It was previously completely covered with trees. About 10 years ago, all the trees were cut down. I remember it well, because it was done during the month when my wife was dying, and there was chainsaw noise for weeks. Then nothing more was done for a while. About two years after that, a concrete driveway was poured. And that’s how it’s sat for the last 8 years: an empty lot with a concrete driveway. It puzzles me every time I walk past it. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/18 "2024-07-15T08:03:40Z")
I’m thinking more like a dungeon entrance. When the house is built warn strangers passing by don’t ask for a drink of water at that house, from an all too welcoming homeowner. Just walk on by… ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/19 "2024-07-15T12:22:02Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > the last 8 years: an empty lot with a concrete driveway. It puzzles me every time I walk past it. This is a mystery which must be solved! Building permits are public records. And these days, most cities have a website that covers zoning board meetings, including building permits. I would check it to see what plans were approved for that lot. Actually, me personally…I would be so curious that if it isn’t on the website, I would drive to the city engineering office and ask to see the plans. Because otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep for 8 years. But I s’pose you aren’t me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158/20 "2024-07-15T18:36:03Z")
> [@a6ka97](#): > > How deep is it? Is it filled? Is the house going to have a slab foundation? > > My guess would be a storm/tornado shelter. The top of the pipe is about 5 feet below ground level. I wouldn’t build a storm shelter in the floor of a basement as the basement fills up with debris. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-construction-near-me/1004158.md?page=2)