I served in the military for 21 years and took more baths in a 5-inch basin of cold water than I care to remember.

The sunken portion is like 2-3 inches deep 

Gaps/holes around heating system flue pipes and gas utility not in serviceEvidence of rodent and/or bug infestationHoles and large gaps (more than a quarter inch) on walls/ceilings/floors of living space areasSee also MINOR HQS DEFICIENCIES ELIGIBLE FOR SELF-CERTIFICATION: https://cha-assets.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Minor%20Fail%20Items.pdfSee also CHA INSPECTION GUIDEBOOK:https://cha-assets.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2020-01/HQS%20Inspection%20Guidebook_2020_January_web.pdf

It is recommended to tile about 6 inches ABOVE the shower head. 20 Beautiful Bathroom Designs with Pedestal Sinks (nimvo.com)https://www.google.com/url?

http://www.pattonproducts.com/fans/patton-18-inch-...I have that Patton fan and use it that way in my apartment.  

It's important to stick to your system you have in place and not give an inch, or you risk putting your entire business in jeopardy.Thank you for reaffirming this lesson.

If you try putting in bark or mulch, then you have to weed it, and you can't let the leaf blowers near it, or it's all gone.  

So what I would do is maybe buck it into logs and stack them neatly for later use, buck it into smaller sections that can be hauled out of there reasonably, or just pay a shredder to come turn it into mulch and grind the stump while he was at it.

This may turn out to be a "give an inch take a mile" scenario.

I would drop it to about 18 inches, that way you can get better air flow for flame combustion and you do not restrict the heat it gives off.