Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-24

Clerk of the Board of Public Works.
Yeas-2. Nays-None.
Adopted. (See order)
OF same
Recommending the passage of refundinc
order for the redemption of L. 8, B. So, j.
Enlargement of r. & I. addition.
Adopted.
OF same
By the President, H. M. Rice, accounting
for contingent fund of 800 placed in his
hands. 5sS.Et{ H.
Referred to the Committee on Public Ac-
counts. ssr..a-s -
OF same .g4# ..ssz
Asking for an appropriation of 5000 for
clerical assistance.
One hundred dollars allowed.
OF same. .t.,, 4At'f 2
Transmitting petition of Alvis Neuer for
damages in the matter of opening and wild.
| ening Western avenue. ...a.,s.,.s.... -.
Referred to the Aldermen of the Fourth
Ward and the Committee on Streets
Of same ,4,aa 712 ~ - 90
Presenting certified copy of Judgment
in the matter of the second re- assessment for
opening and extending Seventh street.
Accepted and placed on file. T.. NOD s.r.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. IL.
| Of Committee on Claims s-.lra az
j. Martin, 5000; White, Stone &C. Co.,
$76.43; st. Paul Gas Co., $675.6O; Smith &
$3.50; J. Davenport, $500; j. Cramsie,
$25.S6, allowed and referred to Comptroller.
E. Langevin, $26.49, referred to Board of
Public Works. 49,. s.i lots
| Of Committee on Streets ..,,-. lis z,a
On grade of Fourth and Fifth streets, be-
| Hot
To the Honorable the President and Common
Council Of the City of st. Paul. . -
| GENTLEMEN: The Committee on Streets, Sew
ers and Bridges, to. whom was referred the pc
titicn of P. F. Egan and number of other
property owners on Fourth and Fifth streets,
in the Fifth Ward of said city, asking that the
grade of SAID streets, between Hoffman and
nally established in 1873, with the protest of
A. Gotzian and others, demonstrating against
any change from the grade of 1876 together
with the report of the Hon. George l.. Becker
to the Board of Public Works, ontbe same sub
ject, respectfully report: E,fa..r .-.-.,....,.
That on the 18th inst. they held a meeting at
the City Hall for the purpose Of the considera-
ton of the several matters connected with said
reference, having previously given notice
to the petitioners, as we'll as those
demonstrating. II that ' they '.'e, would
be heard by said committee at which meeting
]
and others, representing those who desired a
change back to the original grade line, and
! Messrs. A. GOtzian. Munich, Merrill and O'Neil,
and Others, on behalf of those who protested
against any change whatever, were present, and
heard. That after an investigation of all the
facts which came to the knowledge of you,
| committee, IT, g. .,,,i. :.-.~ -: : ::
| They find that on the Goth day Of July, 1873,
the Common Council established a. grade on
Fourth and Fifth streets, between Hoffman and
Maria avenues, in the Fifth Ward of said city,
which was easy enough Of ascent with an or.
binary load, and one and half foot less to the
hundred than that on Ramsey street. .@e
Afterwards, and on the 14th day of Novem-
Der, 1876, the grade was changed at the reques,
| of majority of the owners of property on
Fourth and Fifth streets, between Maria and
Hoffman avenues, which grade in fact, vacated
| Fourth and Fifth streets between Hoffman
and Maria avenues, as far as public use was
concerned, except as pathway for persons
| travelling on foot. Those who now complain OF
that change had the right of appeal to the Dis
trict Court of Ramsey County from the actor
of the Common Council, where the necessity
or expediency Of such change of grade, as wei
as all other questions involved in it, could have
been inquired into It is to be regretted thai
no one did appeal, for in that event, if the
Common Council had acted hastily and without
due consideration of the question, it could
then have been corrected without much expense
by the friends of the change of grade, who al
all times represented that it was only a TEN.
porary change, and that whenever the owners
along either of said streets desired to have
them graded to the old grade line there would
only discovered their mistake when the Boar6
Of Public Works gave notice Of an assessment
for benefits and damages by reason Of the
change. Those who procured the change OF
grade claim that there was no misrepresenta-
ton, that due notice of such intended change
was given by publication in the official news.
papers of said city for three successive weeks
| of the time and place when the Council would
consider the same; that some of the petitioners
| appeared before the Council and were heard in
| opposition to such change; that after such
change, the streets have been graded at a large
expense to correspond to the new Or changed
grade, that the property owners along The line
thereof erected buildings and built stone walls
with reference to the new grade, and that they
would sustain large pecuniary damage by the
restoration of the old grade. 1t is difficult
question to determine just what to do and to
do equal and exact Justice to all
! the parties in interest-for the present
| it would seem that the - grade
as changed is the proper grade, and as graded
| adds considerably to the beauty of the hillside
! on the eastern slope of Hoffman avenue, as also
to the appearance of the property AUDITING on
Fourth and Fifth street between Hoffman and
Maria avenues, if St. Paul is finished or even
double her population-and then stop her in
crease, there is no doubt but the street facili-
| ties leaning out of the city eastward are amply
sufficient: but il we take into consideration the
fact that north of Seventh street there is no
continuous line of street leading eastward be-
yond the city, and that south of Seventh street
but one, that Third street-Fourth, Fifth and
Sixth being closed to public use; that St. Paul
has just begun to grow and that at time not
many years in the future, On Dayton's bluff
and beyond will be a population equal in num-
Der to our entire population of to-day. IF this
be true, can we afford to close up one after an
other Of our great thoroughfares, as if We were
country village satisfied with one main
street! And as we write this report VIC call to
mind st. Charles, Madison Monroe, Woodward
and Mount Airy, east of Mississippi-street
that were vacated by the common council at
the request of some adjoining owners, and this
but a few years ago; to-day they are needed
for public use, and there is no one who at
tempt to defend the action of the common
council in vacating them except, perhaps,
those who were personally interested in the va
cation. Fourth and Fifth streets between
Maria aud Hoffman avenues are practically
vacated as far as public use is concerned The
act has been contaminated; the grade has been
changed. Shall the common council refuse to
take action in the matter, and wait until inn
provements aggregating hundreds of thousands
of dollars in value shall have been erected
along the line OF the changed grade, and then
be met with the absolute necessity Of a change
to meet the public want, and then order
the change at the expense of the property
along the line of the street, or shall the Com
| mon Council order the grade restored to it's
original line az fixed in 1873, making provis-
ions for the insignificant sum which may have
already accrued as damages to the property.
owner? 'l'" '@F .''i f"F' '@7hs t'''','' =
Your committee after careful consideration
of the subject, have come to the conclusion
that the best interests of a large majority of
the property owners along the Line of Fourth
and Fifth streets, as also that Of the public re-
qnires the restoration Of the grade to where it
was before the change in 1876. As to the time
when it shall be graded-if the grade be re-
stored-we leave to the property owners along
the line of the streets, the future growth Of
the city to determine. Years may elapse before
this is required, as we understand that none of
the property owners desire the street to be
graded at this time iis 2, .farHF 'it,|:''+s
To carry out this report an order is here
with submitted. 3,,g ga"
+ March 18, 1879. aaN"s&hs5
zainN oss rst,.4e Very respectfully,
s1rifur f1ft JOHN DowLAN
Chairman of Committee ON Streets Sewers md