New-York tribune., 1879-12-10
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
p,y,LpIN0 PIERS ILLEGALLY.


INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES IN
THE DOCK prPARrNEST-TnE Nrw-YoK CEN
TRAILS RIVER FRONT PROPERTY.
Considerable uneasiness is manifested in the Dock
DEPARTMENT as TO what will be the result of an in
vest,ration which is TO take place to-day by the
Commissioners of the Sinking Fund into an alleged
violation of the law by the Dock Department, under
the pretence OF improving the water front. On
November l3 tho Dock Commissioners adopted
rlan for new pier at Stxty-htth-st, ana
also plans for two piers which were
reported as new, hut which had been bniit
at sixty-third and Slxty-fourth-sts. North River,
and directed that these plans be transmitted to the
Commissioners OF the Sinking Fund for their APP
rroyal. IL appears that in May 1874. the New
York Central Railroad applied to the Dock Commits
sioncrs who were then Messrs. Westervelt. Gard
ner and Budd, for permission TO build two piers IN
front of ITS property at Sixty-thrd and
which they were TO stand The right 10 tne
land under water was granted ior three
Of ~ 500 Arsse Ts csses was renewed for ten
wears at annual rental OF So,uoo VIII paN
icge of renewal from time to tune "p 10 'IT par
mission was also granted the railroad company 10
build the two piers upon the plans OF Engineer-n-
Chief Greene, of the Dock Department. who
still remains the head of the Bureau OF
Engineering The original plans were that
the piers should he built at rght angles WIN tne
.rhn plans were allowed to be altered afterward. so
that the piers stand at an angle of about 60 WIN
thc bulkhead line, thus giving greater length OF
picr ont to the established per line. Not only Is
this found to he in direct violation OF the law put
tho piers are 100 feet VIDE, while the law OF leUo
specifies the maximum of 40 feet width, ana the
original plans were for piers OF 50 feet wldln.
Another alleged violation Of the law is that the
Dock Department overstepped IT'S powers wneh a ,n
Nav 1874, il made this grant without asking the
approval of the Sinking Fund commissioners. as
The law requires that all acts of this nature must oe
mIttrd 10 be built IN 1874 were constructed at
the expense of the railroad company. One
of these is of stone ana has an nnense G elh ho g.
,ator erected upon il; the other Is ot wood. ! he
company now requests PERMISSION 10 Dulld anothei
pier at Sixty hithst of the same width, lengh ana
angle the Others Ii having been discovered that
fhere was neglect, intentional or otherwise OF the
Dock Department IN 1874, the present bOaru
now asks the Sinking Fund Commissioners
plan. and also TO approve the piers al
ready built Tie matter came before tho Sinkirg
Fnnd Commissioners at their meeting two weeks
ago. when Controller Kelly remarked that II
seemed strange that two piers could be built with
out their approval and wondered why why
ent application. The matter was referred To the
Corporation Counsel, who sent his opinion 10 the
meeting on Thursday last After citing the law on
The onest,on. Mir. Whitney SAYS: Under this
thoriIy the Department of Docks. prlor 10 May L,
1871, determined upon plans for the improvement
of tie entire water front OF the city, aud sent sucn
plaps to the Commissioners of the sinking Fund,
who approved said plans, far as they related 70
the North River, as lar up as ol1ti i-nIst-s'. tho
plans for that portion OF the water front on the
North River above SIxty-iirst-st. were never for
mally acted upon by the COMMISSIONERS OF the sink-
lug Fund, but must, after the lapse oil more than
eight years, be regarded as having been vir-
tually rejected by them. Under the
law the Department OF Docks certainly had
until May /, 1871, 10 send their original plans
10 the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund. and as
the law expressly makes it the duty of The Board,
I'm ease the original plans rejected TO send Other
plans in place thereof, think the Board had
authority 10 submit the plans above referred TO- for
the district between Sixtyirst and SixtysXth-sts.,
North River, and that the Commissioners OF the
Sinking Fund have authority, IN their discretion.
10 approve the same" -,
Al cr brief discussion, on motion of Controller
Kelly the subject was LAID until the next meet
ing IN order to afford an opportunity for the MEM
bers the Board to examine the premises. III Is IN
timated that there are other alleged irregularities
in the Dock Department which are TO be thoroughly
Investigated.