New-York tribune., 1889-12-22
IN THE ANNEXED DISTRICT.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT STREET OPENING.
PEOPLE WANT GRADING, PAvEMENTS AND
sEwERs-THE EXPLANATION OFFERED
THE BOARD

PEOPLE WANT GRADING, PAvEMENTS AND
sEwERs-THE EXPLANATION OFFERED
BY THE BOARD.
One Of the principal complaints made before the
Special Committee OF the State Senate to investigate the
needs of the Twenty third and Twenty fourth Wards
which held Its last meeting Friday that streets
which had been used for traffic for many years
not formally opened by the city. street which has
not been declared open and formally taken possession
Of by the city cannot be finally graded and paved and
sewers cannot be laid in such street. IL may be
laid out for use, dwellings may be erected along its
and gas and water mains may be laid. but the
improvements cannot be completed until the city
thorities take possession Of it.
Many miles of streets in the outlying wards now
I'm such a condition that further improvement be
made until the Board of Street Opening and Improve
ment acts. The Board consists of the Mayor, Con-
troler Commissioner Of Public Works. president Of the
Department of Public Parks and the president of the
Board Of Aldermen. This Board must authorize the
proceedings for The condemnation Of the land and the
taking possession OF the streets by the city The
Park Commissioners fsmerly had the power to lay out
and open the streets in the district north Of the Har
lem River but the Legislature in 1885 transferred that
power to the Board Of Street Opening and Improve
ment.
The residents Of the Annexed District complain that
the Board Of Street Opening refuses to act on the
petitions for opening streets They say that the popu
laon of the district has increased thrcefod In hieen
wears and that the present rate Of increase Is much
larger than the average of past years. The number
OF new streets opened each year IS small ana no streets
more than a mile in length opened The law at
present requires that half the cost of opening and
grading streets than mile long in the Annexed
District shall be borne BY the city at large and the
present Board takes the ground that this provision
of the law is inequtablc.
4 LAWYER who lives in the Twenty fourth Ward, and
who has been active in endcavoring to secure the
openng of many streets. expressed recently the lueas
which have been presented to the senate Comml'ucc
on behalf of the of property in the dlstrct
above the Harlem lie said II is impossible to Sc
cure from the present Board the improvements needed
and there seems to be way Of compelling actloh OH
their part. streets laid out by owners oi large
tracts in accordance with the general line OF thc oy
streets and lots are sold because there is demand for
the property for residence purposes. Houses are
erected and gas and water pipes iid but when VIC go
TO the city authorities and ask them to grade and pave
the streets We are met with the answer that the city
has not vet acquired title to the streets In all the
Kingsbrdqe region and north Of It. only two streets
and small parts of Others laid out. The owner OF
a large tract who wished to improve MS properly
offered 10 give the streets to the city under the pro-
visions Of tho law applicable to such proceedings D
he could not obtain the acceptance OF thein' Inc
same thing is true in other parts Of the upper wards
The streets are ankle uttp III huu "H" w NN
M pavements The houses erected must be OF a
cbeaner kind than would otherwise be built. because
we can get no that the grade of the streets
will not be changed, that the houses may DC lel
high in the air above the street level.
.Tbe BOARD of street Opening did in August, 1885,
mass resolution to open over thirty miles Oh sueets
in the two wards but when it became necessary to
sign the petition to the supreme Court 10 Degih
proceedings to acquire title, the Mayor and other
memher, would not sign and this resolution remains
Ineffective. have read the pIoceedlhs5i i i,, vi & I,o
Ioard from time to time, and find that Wnlle sonle
fsw bocks NAV be declared open occasionally, every
netition for the opening OF streets more than mie
onr is not acted upon The law proVldlilg that inc
riiy should pay half the expense OF opening streets
over "A mile in length was adopted deliberately, anu
Wsnv residents consider that it was part OF the
% understanding under which the wards were annexed
Hnt whether IL is Just or not, II Is the ia"' ahu az
efforts TO change il have been heneSeu% c ndor and
not refuse all improvements because they 90 hoU ike
he law under which they should act ~, -.
c,roe 0pening take a different view of the subject.
the Mayor said to Tribune reporter " Inc maln an
diTcnItv is with the residents themselves OF ue
"c1e district Every lays out street To SUIT
himself and names II after hlmseli OF rSlatl'c anu
then to us and wants tS sIceo b man TP 80
There are streets 50 laid out now on tne map n1 50
thot the street enters one side OF the avenue scNla
feet the corner of the same c and md
third st. running into One-hundred ana lOrty lIotSt
and other absurdities If the citlzehs wou ia % aopi .
ii ~ the Harlem one great difficulty would be re
,navcd They want the street, however, opened Just
aSsbev are and the members Of the board want "a
rocnIor system adopted. II the residents VIII agree
,o that there will be difficulty in opening snort
streets. 49, - . Ill ,o,, ,,rdar tho
,o,ision, that the city shall pay half the expense
oeomethinc which the taxpayers at large Will never
Consent TO- The property owners in or near streets
I'm the rest of the city must pay the cost OF gtlhg
md having and there is reason why the residents
inrg ar thc Harlem should fare differently why we
haze had cases in which property owners received
nre for the land taken for the streets than the af
nSt ~ opening assessed upon them 80 that the city
no,S Tor improving the land and made gift to the
Innn vhose property improved. | nave been
orl,ing for months obtain accurate map OF the
Soi,ict above Harlem with the streets already opened
dasigned ! have recently received II, and now the
Hoard Of street Opening will know the exact problem
before them" - .- -.., .
The proposed act OF the Legislature presented at
~ meeng of the Special Senate Committee on Friday,
royiang for a new method Of laying out and opening
represents the ideas OF many OF the residents
81 the district. Ex-Judge Noah Davis has given it
his Endorsement. feasible plan for obtaining the
needed improvements. II provides that the Mayor
shsil appoint an additional member OF the Board OF
stree. Opening and Improvement who shall have
oycusiye power to lay ont and construct roads and
dSes in the Twenty-third and Twenty fourth Wards.
,Ie il TO hold Office for six years and receive an
n,u.l salary Of S3 600 Some OF the residents favor
ter pIans and few believe 1t wise to continue the
present method