Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-18
TALKING ABOUT THE PARK
PURCHASE OF PARK GROUNDS
REO0M1fENDED

I
y REOOMAfENDED.
"a
VI City Councils Special Park Com.
niIttee Reports in Favor Of ISmyinu
the Necessary laod-The Question
8 Discussed and Action Deferred.
-
: At the meeting of City Council Thurs.
9 day evening, Mr.. Mention, chairman of the
! special committee on park, presented the
! following report:
To The President and Members of he
! CounciL;-GENTLEMEN: Your committee ap-
! pointed June 25th, 1885, to act In conjunc-
! don with committee selected blythe Board
or Park commissioners, most respectfully
| beg leave to submit the following report.
, Your committee Immediately after its ap-
potntment met the committee appointed by
the Park Commissioners, and arranged for
joint meeting on the grounds suggested as
suitable for park. In the early part of
July the Joint tcommitteesvisited the grounds
bounded by Broome, Franklin, Maple and
Sycamore streets, and also the Brandywine.
The lands suggested by the Park Commits
sion was thoroughly examined, on both the
north and south side of the Brandywine
creek. The committee, at this meeting, de-
termlned to have the grounds surveyed and
the Chief Engineer Of the Surveying De-
partment, was detailed to perform this SER
vice. The work was completed ON the Sd
OF october, 1885. A meeting Of the joint
committee was held at the engineers office,
| o few days subsequent to the completion
of the survey. The plans were submitted
mittees.
committee, consisting of Dennis ].
| Mention and William NJ. Cauby, was ap- |
pointed, to ascertain from the owners the |
prices asked for the land embraced in the |
| district selected for park purposes. This |
committee personally visited the property /
| owners and ascertained that for the four /
squares In the Eleventh ward the price asked /
for the land amounted In the aggregate to |
S17, 7,746.66, and for the property on both
sides of the Brandywine Including the Law
estate, to S239, 140, making total cost for
the land desired of 1886 ,88666. Another
meeting of the committees was held on the
20th OF October. The committee to ascer-
tain the prices at which the land could be
purchased, submitted their report, |
The report was duly considered, and the
committee arrived at the conclusion that
the prices asked by the owners of the lands
were entirely too high. The committee
have also taken into consideration, and
FULLY appreciate the generous offer Of
William p. Bancroft to donate At acres Of
land for park purposes, but the condition
upon which Mr.. Bancroft will make the
g1ft-the purchase OF the Law property
renders 1t impossible to recommend It's ac-
ceptance at present, because of the enor-
Messrs. Mention and Candy were requested |
TO make careful estimate Of the value of
the lands, and report the result to the Joint |
committee. This task was performed by | |
Messrs. Mention and Candy, and the results
reached were reported to subsequent |
meeting Of the Joint committee. AT the |
same meeting Messrs. Mention and Candy
were authorized to visit personally the
owners of the lands and ascertain what
reduction, If any, they would make on the
prices named by them previously. In the
performance of this duty these gentlemen 9
labored arduously, and the results were Of !
the most gratifying character. The four
squares In the Eleventh ward, for which the {
owners asked prices aggregatlng $17, ,746G6,
the committee secured reductions which
duction OF $5,796.68. IL
The property on the north side of the
Brandywine, lying between Washington {
street, Eighteenth street, Snuff Mill lane. | l
and thence to the bed of the Baltimore q
Philadelphia Railroad Company, the prices
secured reductions which reduced the total
amount required to purchase the lands on
that side Of the Brandywine to S83548.
The property on the south side of the
Brandywine, from Van Buren, street, along |
Lowering avenue to Rattlesnake run, thence G
by said run to Wawaset street, along q
Wawaset street to Scott street, and thence s
TO Crooked run, the prices asked aggregated |
Sl37, ,562 The committee secured reduce .
ions which reduced the total amount re- t
quired to purchase the lands on the side to Z
In the estimate Of prices agreed upon,
your committee omitted seven properties.
We deemed the prices asked entirely too G
high. The amount asked for said proper
ties aggregate $S3,980.
Amount asked by owners:
North side Of Brandywine. ,$10l ,57s 90
Four squares in Eleventh ward ,..... i7S46.66 u
ss5s,Ss6 &c
Amount agreed upon:
North side OF Brandywlne -. .......$ B3,54SOO |
South side of Brandywlne. ........ 4S37b 90 y
Four squares In Eleventh ward, l1,94998 3
s12s,s7a ss Il
Aggregate amount of reduction over the cl
amount asked by the owners, $1s3,O1a8a. n
We estimate that the cost of the land =
necessary to be secured by condemnation "a
If a commission will be in the aggregate
lbout $50, 100; making the actual cost of n,
he land necessary for park purposes, az
sl57, ,972.9S. This embraces all the lands q,
or park purposes. On the property 1t is -
proposed to purchase there are % houses, N,
'rected, from which a moderate revenue u
will be derived which can be employed by ~
he park commissioners in fencing the n
premises, &c. These houses can remain on n n
he lands until such time as the park COM ~
nissioners deem their removal advisable. A,
Your committee would recommend the =,
purchase of the following lands for park W. W.
purposes: The property known as the n n
Barley Mill lot; the land extending from M
IAN Buren, street, along Lowering avenue w. ~
0 dupont street, thence northeasteriy along cn ~,
luPont street to Wawaset street; thence ~ ~
long Wawaset street to Scott street; thence n
long Scott to Riddles road, thence ~, ot
long Riddles road distance of about ba
nf IrnI a 1
0 the Brandywine creek, on the south Vi
ide OF the Brandywine; on the north side
4 the Brandywine creek, the lands begin
ing at Washington street, thence along
eventeeith street to Snuff Mill lane, thence
o the road-bed of the B. & P. Railroad an
company, thence along the bed of said rail- lal
Dad to the Brandywine creek. pr
Also the four squares In the Eleventh au
yard. bounded by Broome street, Franklin oV
treet, MaLle street and Beach street. te'
All the lands embraced in the recon- mi
1endation OF your committee, can be pur- tn
hased for $40, ,094.5S. WI
We would ask that the committee of te'
,ouncil on the park be continued, until ne
uch time as under the law creating the So
ark commissioners, their services are no da
onger necessary, to aid In carrying out the du
purposes Of the act.
Respectfully submitted,
ID. ]. MENTION,
r. II. TAYLOR, Oh
MERRIs TAYLOR, ho
+. @. MooRE, DR.
THOMAS II. LATINER, un
Special Committee on Park. of
Immediately after the report Mr.. Blake ag
fered resolution providing that the re- en- en-
'ort be accepted, and the question su %,
or not the park grounds shall be Ial In,
purchased be referred to the people at hi
he next municipal election. He moved stI
hat the resolution be adopted, but the
notion was not seconded.
Mr.. Mention moved that so copies of
he report be printed and that Council II
neet on the grounds. Ju
Mr.. Hawkins said that if Council met @ cn
n the grounds the meeting should be nj nj
allied for the morning, as it would take to