New-York tribune., 1881-11-20

The successful sale of a portion OF the East
Side Park lands in Brooklyn is the consumma-
tion of a scheme which had a definite begin
ming and middle and end to it, as President
Stranahan was able to assert in public meet
ing more than twelve years ago, when he was
practically challenged to give an account of his
stewardship. The administration of this trust
by the Brooklyn Park Commission has been 50
crcditable, and some features of the scheme
were 50 completely at variance with the
ordinary practices of municipalities in this
country, that the matter is worth some attention
as a precedent. These lands have not been
held by the city for sale because of an original
mistake in securing too much ground for the
Park, but because for reasons not necessary To
cite the territory northeast of Flatbush-ave.
was undesirable for park purposes. The
abandonment Of this section, with the cXccp-
tion of a small portion which would be needed
to give dignity to the entrance was advised in
a preliminary report on boundaries 10y Mr..
YauX in February, 1863 and the city was
urged to acquire in its stead the cheaper al
though more desirable lands to the south aud
west Of the limits as then established. A year
later, after the plan for the proposed park had
been matured by Mcssrs. Olmsrcd and Vaux,
the design was published, and after full discus
sion the authority to buy tie needed land was
granted by the Legislature, but the permission
to sell the East Side lands was no, given.
These lands would have reverted to the orig-
nal owners when they ceased to be used for
park purposes, but in order to give additional
credit to the Park bonds the ultimate fee had
been transferred to the city by special enact
ment in 1868. Finally the power to sell was
secured, and Brooklyn, 10y an accident, found
herself an owner of real estate to have and to
hold, to improve and dispose of.
Here was an opportunity, and the Commits
sioners had the sagacity and courage to make
the most of it. In New York certain "a,so-
Citations had made efforts to control the char
acter of a block Or so. But the results had
never been encouraging. The management of
the Columbia College property offered almost
the only example of sales ON large scale under
limitations as to the class of residences but "A
still more important success III this instance
would have been reached if the college had had
power to regulate the street system. But here
was a city i'm possession of n large and attrac-
tive district, with full and original control of
the property with all its belongings so that "a
comprehensive scheme of improvement was
Dossible What the Commission did was boldly
10 revise the entire street plan of the region
in accordance with the advice of the competent
designers of the Park. The blocks were wild
ened. and the streets, instead Of meeting the
Park boundary at a sharp angle, were set out at
right angles to it, Reservations were made for
public purposes, and restrictions were adopted
which will ultimately secure the erection of
4
that the project was wise one when considered
merely as pecunary transaction, that the Park
has been benefited by it, and the general repu-
tation and prosperity of the city have been
advanced
When il is considered that no one who builds
a house on Manhattan Island can have any
guarantee that a beer garden or soap factory
will not be established next year on an adioin-