Navesink is a hilly, wooded corner of Middletown Township in Monmouth County, near the borders of Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. It is an unincorporated community, not a separate town, with its own ZIP code and village name. Dan The Paver builds and replaces asphalt driveways for homes in Navesink and paves asphalt parking lots for churches, offices and other properties nearby.
Steep lots and winding drives
The land around Navesink rises into some of the highest ground along the Jersey coast, and Hartshorne Woods Park sits close by, above the Navesink River. Homes here range from old farmhouses and cottages to large newer houses tucked into wooded lots. Driveways tend to be long, curved and steep, with tight turns where they meet the road.
That terrain is beautiful, but it is hard on pavement. Water running down a slope will find the weakest seam and undercut it. Roots from mature oaks and maples push up the surface, and shaded drives stay damp. Narrow, steep approaches also make it tricky to get trucks and rollers into position.
Building on a hillside
On a sloped Navesink property we excavate carefully to avoid creating an unstable edge, place a compacted aggregate base and pay attention to the shoulders so the asphalt is supported along its whole length. Grading is planned so water is diverted off the drive at intervals. Where the base is still sound, milling off the worn top and repaving can renew the drive; where the whole surface is broken, full replacement makes more sense.
Permits
Because Navesink is part of Middletown, driveway and apron questions go to the Middletown Township construction and zoning office. Ask them about any work at the street edge and any limits on impervious coverage for your lot.
We also work in Atlantic Highlands and across the Monmouth County service area.
Navesink paving questions
Our Navesink driveway climbs a steep hill. Will asphalt hold on that kind of grade?
Yes, asphalt works well on hills when it is compacted properly. The main concerns are washout at the edges and runoff racing down the surface. We build a firm base, roll the asphalt carefully on the slope, and add a shallow swale or turnout so water leaves the drive before it reaches the garage or the road below.
Trees shade most of our property near Hartshorne Woods. Does that change how you build the driveway?
It can. Heavy shade keeps surfaces damp longer, and large roots near a driveway will eventually lift it. Before paving, we look at which roots can be cut back safely and give the base extra depth where the ground stays soft. You may want an arborist's opinion on any tree you want to keep that sits right at the edge.
