Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-07
PROPERTY OWNERS.
A Move to Open Fort street Through
the Hill.


the Hill.
About thirty of the property owners ON
Fort and Buena Vista streets met in the
police court last evening for the purpose
of devising means for the extension Of
Fort street through to Buena Vista
street at Bellevue avenue. The chair
was taken by Mr.. F. L. Allies. while Mr..
H. @. Wilmer officiated as Secretary.
The following were appointed COM
mittee of five to place the matter in
proper shape before the Council: Messrs.
d. U. Wilmer, F. L. Allies, R. B. Young.
M. L. Woodward and w. F. Fitzgerald.
Mr.. Glover was Of the opinion that the
City Engineer ought TO be consulted as
to whether the proposed change of the
line OF Fort street was the best route or
not. He thought by doing as proposed
that they would have to cut at least
twenty feet more than by following the
present line.
The Secretary in explaining the object
OF the meeting stated petition had
been signed by ninety-six property own
ers, and that a meeting had been called
for the purpose of ascertaining the views
OF all property owners on those streets
with regard to the proposition.
The owners OF property on Fort and
Buena Vista streets request that proceed
ings to be taken to change the alignment
of Fort street between Rock street and
Bellevue avenue, 90 that said street will
be straight prolongation Of Fort street
between Temple street and Rock street,
and making said Fort street con-
meet as near as may be with
Buena Vista street at Bellevue avenue.
In response to DR.. E. Fay, the chair
stated the Council would undoubtedly
assess the property in the district to be
benefited by the opening of the street as
usual in such cases. Mr.. Donegan said
that this would be an unusual piece of
grading. The assessment in this case,
would, in his opinion, fall upon the
property owners on Buena Vista and
Fort streets from the bridge to Tenth.
Mr.. Gephardt thought that the Coun-
Gil ought to be petitioned to estimate the
cost OF the undertaking. He was certain
that If the cut was made, the property
owners of the land upon the hill
would insist upon having their property
cut down to correspond with the street,
because they all understood their rights
and would undoubtedly stand up for
them. He suggested tunnel, but Ques-
toned the advisability Of such scheme,
as it would never justify it's cost. DR..
Fay agreed with this proposition and
thought 1t was hardly fair to ask him to
vote for motion until he knew how
much expense was to be incurred and
who were to bear it. He said that
there was now going on in this city an
unjust thing. A company of men sell out
q large tract of land in small lots. A
street abuts on it. The people on buying
this land think they know where they
are, and having paid their money, live in
security. Later, however,
the same company which sold them the
land buys another tract further out, and
it Immediately proposes to cut through
the property for which they have pock-
eted the money, and open the street
which abutted there, at the expense of
the very people who are irreparably in
jured by the carrying out of the PROPOSE
ton. He wss not prepared at the pres
ent time to entrust his interests to q
Mr.. Hervey Lindley said that he did
not think that any man who owned
property on Fort street would deny the
necessity for the opening of both ends of
that street as soon as possible. He was
OF the opinion that the matter should be
pushed through regardless of cost at the
earliest possible moment. He therefore
moved that the committee be authorized
to request the Council to make the proper
estimate of opening and extending Fort
street as speedily as possible.
Mr.. Humphreys supported the motion,
and stated that property worth SIS per
worth $3.50 per front footif the street was
Pasadena and the East Side.
Mr.. Lindley's motion was carried
and the committee was
authorized to fill vacancies which might
occur at any time.
The meeting then Adjourned.