My driveway had to be finished by hand after strange find 500ft away – I wanted to feel whole again but city pushed back
A WOMAN had a wrench thrown in her driveway overhaul plans when authorities found an eagle's nest close to her home.
Endangered animals are very sensitive to noises and unknown smells, so many cities and states have strict rules about disturbing them.
That's what Maria Gdula, a recent widow living in Cape Coral, Florida found out the hard way when her driveway job was halted by the city due to the finding of an eagle's nest 500 feet from her home.
Her husband, Stanley, had recently passed away from a sudden heart attack, and the halting of the driveway work added another layer of stress.
She told NBC 2 that she 'wanted to feel whole again' after the tumultuous week she'd endured.
She had plans to spread her husband's ashes with her family when the driveway job was done, but with the mandated cease of construction, she may be holed up with an unfinished driveway until May.
The contractors, hearing Gdula's heartbreaking story, told the outlet that they've agreed to finish the job entirely by hand.
Doing the work by hand would reduce noise and therefore the chance of disturbing the nest - making for a fair compromise.
"We've been back and forth with the City for months trying to get answers on how we can do this," said Next Level Pavers' owner, Justin Capobiano.
We submitted our Eagle plan. We did it on our end. I just took a while with the city, I guess. Then I found out Marie's husband had died, and my heart goes out to her. I felt so bad. I came over here yesterday and talked to her; let her know my plan."
The new outlet also found out about the driveway job and Gdula's story through her neighbor, Frank Radochonski, who though the outlet would be able to help ease her suffering.
"It's just about Marie. She's been through such a tough time here in the last couple of weeks and was just trying to make life better for her," said Frank.
"She deserves that."
Marie was overjoyed at the heartwarming passion that came from the pavers and her long-time neighbor.
With the paving job set to be complete, she can finally keep plans with her husband's family to grieve.
"I was very stressed, to say the least, but I'm getting into myself more every day," she said.
"Now that everything is calming down, the men are working, and Stanley is at peace,"