The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-14
RIVERSIDE PARK.
CLOSING DAY FOR COMPLAINTS.

Of Unfairness Against Both the Commission
ers-Ring and Anti-Ring Declarations
Yesterday afternoon the time fixed for ending
the reception OF complaints against the further
progress In, completion OF, Riverside Park,
closed and though there are etil many who desire
be heard both for and against the park, for ana
against the awards for the land taken, and for and
against the assessments laid against the landed In
terests which have been judged to be sure OF I'M
provement through the location and completion Of
the park, they are too late, and the decision
viii be arrived at on the facts and opinions which
had been placed before the new Commissioners be-
fore four O'Clock p M 49,. K p.
When the commission consisting Of Judge suther.
iand' W. O. Traphagen and @. K. Graham, met yes
terday morning, additional statements were re-
celyea u Wrlting ana soon after noon they pros
ceeded again to the ground selected for the park,
with 9 view to famiarizing their minds with the
work proposed and with the surrounding interests
which are called upon to pay very large portion
OF the cost. The purely money intereet involved
: may be estimated from the fact that the awards
made by the new Commissioners amount In the
aggregate to $5573s2s, and the cost assessed upon
the owners OF property in the neighborhood In
50, b53 $50. The ground selected for the park as
: may be known to many readers Of the HERALD, Ii
located on the border OF the Hudson River bank,
d from Seventy second to 10th street, and having
the road to be known West Side avenue as Its in,
land boundary. This land selected by the first
Board Of Commissioners, consisting OF William M.
d Tweed, Jr, Hugh Smith and James NJ. Sweeny, and
the form OF the park was completely drawn In 1867.
As now noted by the new Commissioners there
i to the work proposed until the breaking
4 out OF the "Ring dticulties,n soon after which
to be ass
from those who were to receive awards for the land
taken. These manifold complainings commanded
4 the attention OF the authorities, for among the
q charges most vigorously made was one to the effect
that William NJ. Tweed ST., had caused the Legsla-
ture to enlarge the powers Of the Park Commits
sion with view to speculative gain the part OF
himself and friends and the result was the appoint
\ ment Of new commission for Riverside Park,
n composed OF tho men first named. The amount
Y awarded by the first commission for the property
Tne Ts ~ was BY al
Il rectlon OF Judge Barnard reduced more than
n two hundred Thousand dollars.
I'll Under the new commission there was added to
y the assessments on property to be benefited. the
a cost for the two commissions, collectors fees and
Ia these awards and assessments that complaints
81 lave OF late been received, and the volumnous
in order that the stronger features may be brought
out to the eyes Of the commission before they
rH present
81 the result to the Court.
u The clerks, who are now at work night and day,
81 on the voluminous and multitudinous letters re-
ceived, up to four T. NJ yesterday find the following
EI to be the leading features Of complaint the
part par Of those who are re- assessed for
q have been placed below their estimate OF value for
q the land TAKEN
b general complaint on the part OF many OF those
ri who have been placed on the list OF the assessed ID
a that the extent Of the land upon which assessment
is threatened to be made Is entirely TOO large The
N will be no advantage derived by any property not
Gin the immediate vicinity OF the boundary line Of
n the park. They claim that the Central and three
N other modern parks lie near, and that no additional
y advantage can be gained from the Riverside Park
II second and 130th streets In enforcing this claim
many OF the recently received letters declare that
n between the Riverside line and Central Park there
II is but little more than half mile that can be de-
n voted to building purposes, and that beyond the
a lay an additional assessment for such improve
n nents. Those who are among the assessed also-at
for the park would not sell for building or any other
"a purpose for the amount which the awards have
to pay very large portion, the rate now declared
81 being-upon the land lying between Eighth avenue
and the river, from forty,second to Tooth street,
81 81, 800 49S and upon the city at large, So
a They also declare that II the property taken were
" to be graded and eveed the owners who arc now
a to receive the awards Of value would gladly give
q the land they have for what 1t would
Y cost to fit it for building purposes. The awards
q they claim, entirely too large, and they persist
even to the latest letters received in the decara-
ton that the awards in very large nun Der OF cases
a ought to be reduced at least one-haf ana they pro-
test against the present valuation Of the aad taken
q being fixed at what the probable value OF the bOr-
81 dering land may become when the Park shall have
81 been completed. And in proof that the latter cst-
n mate has been the basis for fixing awards for land
taken for the purchase of the park it is stated In
n Communication received some time ago that iOta
which last sold for 81 200 have been valued in
the awards at $1,000 And again 1t is stated that
d lands which the first commissioners valued at only
- 81, 900 set down at from $500 to 81 0O0
= Similar figures appear In many communications,
< and the same is declared by those who make oral
" declarations.
y There is also mass of complaints against the
~ specific increases and reductions which have been
q made by the new commissioners upon The esti-
"a mates made by the first commission; and also In
relation to the revocation OF assessments as wen as
to the increase OF the area OF assessment to Eighth
q avenue. In the FIRST assessment estimate the Hud-
son River Railroad interest was assessed SOL ,so3
Y and the Post estate, Palmer, Paine, Williams,
q Browning, Whiting, Rowland, Forrest, White and
Il others were assessed from $4,000 to $4,000
ae aSS ys TO the
Z ment has since been stricken out. In
!; the case OF the railway company the claim for
n striking out their assessment was that the road
n running from here TO distant Cities could derive no
II more additional value from the construction OF .
a locality either forest or swamp, and the assess
u ment was, therefore, released That reductions
entirely denied; but the claim is held that very
large proportion fully entitled to pay those
n who are stll retained on the assessment roll. In
AZ awards and about fourteen hundred who are down
9 for assessment and the complaints are Nolumnous
n against both and william b. Astor Is noted among
II those whose assessments have been largely in
q creased by the new commission. His has been In
M creased something over $300o0 to over $47, 600;
" while Mr.. Patrick Caaghan, W. p. Furnss, Court
Sc landt Palmer and others owning large amounts
IA have been decreased and their awards for land
IA taken increased. Again, numerous dispropOr
A Tomato awards and assessments complained OF,
3 rs are the estimates for various localities. These
a however, are III many cases understood by tho
N commission to De complaints made by those who
Z are not likely to make all by the Improvement
look Tor, and the dccla alton is that very careful
scrutiny VIII he given. III deemed at all necessary TO
n what they shall feel to be Just conclusion the