Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-15
GrandView Avenue Property Holders
Relieved of a Portion of the
Expense Entailed by
GRADING ANDPAVING TIE STREET.
The Proper Way to 60 About Obtaining
Improvements, and Who Has
to Foot the Bills.
ASSESSING BENEFITS AND DAMAGES.
Power Of Councils to Order the Construction oi
Sewers


nue.. which is now being graded and paved,
are to be relieved of portion of the cost of
this work. This avenue, which runs along
the brow of Mt. Washington and Duquesne
Heights, will, when completed, make the
finest drive in the world, the only drawback
being that it has to be reached either by in
cline or by long and very steep winding
road. The work, which is being done by
Sloan & Co., contractors, necessitates the
building of q heavy stone retaining wall,
surmounted by an S-foot iron railing, on the
bluff side OF the street.
For the greater part of the distance now
being improved, there are building lots on
but one side of the street, the other side con-
sisting simply offs falling-of place, where
man in search of rapid transit can pre-
eipitate himself into Carson street in an in
apprecIable number of seconds. He can
also reach his final destination beyond the
grave bv the same route and in the same
space of time. For this reason the cost of
the improvement would naturally fall rather
heavily upon those persons whose property
would be benefited. The contract price of
the work is $74, 394 which would necessitate
an assessment of S11 90 per foot front on the
abutting property.
REDUCING THE ASSESSMENT.
Under the circumstances, and in view of
the fact that the Improvement will be
public benefit, the city will assume % per
cent of the cost of the work, thus reducing
the assessment to 81 81 per foot front. For
this relief it is to be presumed that Grand
view property holders are duly grateful.
There are persons in this world who i'm
agine that the proper way to open a street
is with crowbar and pick, and that the
quickest way to get the street paved and
severed is to stand in their doors and an
nounce to the wild, wild winds that "it's an
outrage it hasn't been done before this"
They are wrong. There is right and
wrong way to do everything, and this maxim
applies as pertinently to street Improvements
as to anything else.
A man who wants a street opened and
paved must first get the holders of one-third
of the abutting property, inclusive of his
own, to agree with him. Persuading men
to spend money is fine art, and if the citi-
zen succeeds in doing this be can feel that
he is not cumbering the earth. The DIS
ueNtI d SuBScSllOu NlLuOub
showing how it can be carried out, and
therefore offers the following argument for
the use OF the street opener.
TWO INvINCIBLE ARGUMENTS.
It Injuries the dignity of the man with
Prince Albert coat, and it is only dig
nifed man who wears this style of garment,
to leave his coat tails and perhaps portions
- H.
ragged edge of barbed wire fence while
cutting across lots in the dusk of the even
ing TO reach his home. Again, Alexander
Selkirk, despite his monarchy over every
thing within the horizons circle, was not in
the same class with the man who can stand
in his front yard and sprinkle the streets
and everything else that comes within
range of his erratic hose. The superlative
complacency of the citizen who floods the
shoes of the Wednesday evening visitor of
his neighbours pretty daughter, and then
retires to the back yard to snigger, is some
thing awe-inspiring in its intensity.
Having got his neighbors fixed, petit
ton and an ordinance prepared for the
street opening and paving, the citizen will
move upon the Councilman from his ward.
This is an easy matter. A councilman is
only too happy to present an ordinance in
Councils. 1t gets his name into the news
papers, gives him the appearance of being a
hard-worked public official, and as it is not
necessary that he should deliver a speech
on the matter it saves him from disclosing
his lack OF elocutionary talent.
Councils having approved the ordinance
and the contract for the work having been
L Al n
of Viewers takes a hand in the matter, and
charges up each property holder with his or
her share of the expense. OF course there
is generally more or less kicking about the
cost, but the Viewers report is finally COM
pleted, turned over to the City Attorney for
approval. When the work is completed
the report is turned over to the City Treas
urer, and he proceeds to collect, or at least
tries to. Sometimes the Sheriff has to do
the collecting, but whoever does it, the
money has to be paid.
SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITY.
Property holders are held responsible for
the entire cost of the first paving of a street,
except under circumstances such as sur
round the Grandview avenue case. Where
the paving of a street is of greater benefit to
the public at large than it is to the property
holders in the neighborhood, the city can
assume portion OF the Indebtedness The
amount is determined by the Board of
Viewers and the City Attorney.
The repaving of streets is matter resting
with the Department of Public Works. If
the residents of a street find the cobble-
stones are rising up in their might and ever
throwing the unwarv and belated pedestrian
thev may make kick. 1t annoys a good
citizen who is returning home late at night
and endeavoring to balance his plug hat on
the rim of his LETT ear when he falls
over a loose brick and drops his
latch-kev and three dozen of assorted oaths
Ii the Board of Public Works fails to heed
the complaints of the citizens they may go
into court, and if they can prove that it is
absolutely necessary that the street be re-
paved a mandamus will be issued upon the
chief of the department ordering him to
attend to the work within a specified time.
The usual wsv, and probably the best, is to
present an ordinance to Councils ordering
the repaving This prevents friction and is
not so costly.
In grading and regarding streets the
abutting property-holders may be assessed
benefits or may receive damages, according
to the effect OF the change of grade upon the
property. All the cost however, must be
borne by the property-holders. Thus,
where the cost of the work would
amount to IS foot front, one man might
receive SIS a foot damages, while his next
door neighbor would have to pay SO foot
for benefits received.
Sidewalks have to be laid and paid for
by the property-holders, and the material
must meet the approval Of the Department
Of Public Works. If the property-holder
fails 10 Law. a sidewalk the department NAV