A notice was hanging on our front door the other day. It was from Amarillo street department, telling us to prepare ourselves for a slight inconvenience this week. The city is going to lay down some seal coating, which comprises asphalt-covered pebbles.

I mention this because I heard this past week some faint grumbling from residents in the Estacado neighborhood near where we live. Their streets have been treated already and the residents don’t like it. The gravel gets kicked up onto their driveways, sidewalks and it gathers along the curb. Plus, some folks have said, the gravel plays havoc with their vehicles’ undercarriage.

Knowing about the grumbling, and having just received the notice, I took a brief walk Saturday morning along my street — which is all of two blocks long. It has cul-de-sacs on both ends and I joke all the time that the only people who drive on our street either (a) want to be there or (b) are hopelessly lost. I walked to one end of the street, then to the other. I looked for flaws in the pavement. I didn’t find any.

Indeed, the city just laid down some asphalt just about three, maybe four, years ago.

I know what the city’s response is to the gripes: Laying this coating down protects the street; if we don’t do it, City Hall officials say, the pavement will buckle, crack and will be harder on our vehicles.

But here’s the saving grace: We live in a neighborhood with rear-entry driveways. I don’t have to drive on this nasty stuff while it’s settling.

But the current street surface in front of my house looks to be in nearly mint condition. I’m still wondering why the city needs to do it so soon after the previous work on it.