It may seem tedious, hard, and unnecessary to move these plants, although most gardeners enjoy re-arranging to improve their garden's function and appearance. Most hate trying to move or rip out the mistake of previous owners, mistakes which sometimes then reveal damage. Because these plants are still manageable, this situation can be set right. Once done, you will be again at the point of considering next steps toward the goal of eventually having very little upkeep to handle. You will have lost nothing and gained several benefits: Protection of your home. Healthier plants. Better looking in terms of appropriate rather than crowded spacing. You will still have: Same plants. Screening of windows. And there are psychological and physical benefits: Lowered anxiety about whether the paint job and wood will deteriorate due to those pieris. Spring exercise planting your beautiful shrubs. Self-esteem up because you've gained knowledge and improved something wisely. Yes, you calculated the spacing, but forgot to calculate appropriate distance from building. Also, a shrub doesn't reach a certain number and then say to itself, "I'm 5 feet tall and wide now. I better stop or the shrub police will come and get me." Shrubs are living and, unlike humans, continue to gain height and width throughout their lives. I think the size ranges are estimated for 5 to 10 years?, but the shrubs don't know that and they will keep growing. What's to lose here? Re-planting 3 shrubs? Ah, c'mon! If I lived closer, I'd come by and help! Wellspring

The peninsula can't be shortened at all, rather than a whole redo on the plan? You might have to call someone or visit the fridge in the store to find the answer you need. When I was planning placement for mine, I had to call our trusted salesman to measure for me, because the specs didn't include how far back the door needed to open in order to get drawers past the door racks, etc. I don't think the number of degrees it is able to open necessarily helps you know what the minimum space you need beside it.

It's not a crazy long fall, just a flight, but still my cat sprained his ankle once just from falling off a book case onto carpet. The only thing I have been able to think of is to put up some kind of short railing made of either white wood spindles or plexi glass in the middle of the ledge, with moldings on both sides of the railings at an angle so that doesn't become a new ledge. My concern with that is like you said that it might just create a new more dangerous ledge still on top. I know if I just leave the ledge how it is now he is likely to hang out on it all the time, and sooner or later will either miss jumping up and fall or roll over when he is sleeping or grooming himself. He almost has done that a few times in one of his fav spots which is sitting on our DVR on top of a book case. Luckily my husband noticed and stopped him. That's with a much safer fall and a much wider base. And unfortunately the just watch him approach won't work, because we want to move his litter box there and my husband has encouraged him to do crazy adventurous things and spots him, so now when we're present he thinks he can do anything and not get hurt. So he is actually more prone to attempt dangerous stunts when we're there.

8 steps it's a 5' high deck so most likely it will be 7 steps+ the landing so no matter how you wing-it its a straight run or a broken run with a landing.