Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-26
Statement of the Central
improvement Society.
The Cost of the One in Twenty
Grade.
1t Would Be Considerably Over Half
Million Dollars.
Immense Retaining Walls Would Be
Required and the Assessment More
Than Could Be Borne.

were adopted favoring the in 10 grade on
First street, and condemning the l in 20
grade, and submitting to the public the
following statement of it's reasons for
such action:
In answer to many mistaken and mis-
leading statements in regard to the pro-
posed grade on First street, which have
from time to time been presented to the
public through the press and by circu-
lars, the residents upon the first line of
hills west of Broadway submit the fol-
lowing:
There are now pending before the
council the petition of the owners of
property on First street, between Broad
way and Pearl street, for the establish
ment of grade of in 10, and the
recommendation by the board of public
works of grade of l in 20.
At the last meeting of the council the
city engineer was instructed to draft an
ordinance OF intention in conformity
with said recommendation, and it is ex-
pected that the matter will come up on
next Monday, upon the question of the
adoption or rejection of such ordinance
This being the case, it is high time that
all parties interested should be thor
oughly advised as to the effect of sucha
grade.
The in 10 grade will cross all inter-
secting streets at substantially their
present established grades, and will per-
NIT the residents of those streets to use
First street in going to and from the
business part of the city. The expense
of improving the street upon this grade
will be slight comparatively, and will be
borne mainly by the hill property.
1t has the approval of nearly every
property-owner on it's line, and will
meet with no effective opposition if once
adopted by the council consequently
the street could soon be ready for travel
This would afford relief to the residents
of a thickly-settled hill district, which is
at present without a direct street or
fair grade into the business part of the
city, accommodate travel from the west
part of the city, and be of decided bene
fit to property IN the vicinity of First
and Broadway.
1t is a compromise grade, being the
result of concessions by numerous
parties, who submit to cuts, fills and
changes of existing grades on intersect-
ing streets for the purpose of securing
feasible grade on First street. 1t has
received the unanimous endorsement of
the commission of engineers appointed
by the council to report upon the cost
and comparative merit of the proposed
grades.
The in 20 grade will put First street
so far beneath existing grades of inter-
secting streets as to absolutely shut off
all travel from those streets between
Hill and Pearl. That portion OF First
street was originally laid out for the
benefit of the property on the Mott
tract. The advocates OF the / i'll 20
grade propose, by fair means or foul, to
take the street from those to whom it
belongs, proceeding which might not in
aptly be called highway robbery" The
cost of the project has been the subject
of many misleading statements, among
others one to the effect that the esti-
mate of the commission of engineers
($133, ,631) included all items of the cost.
That commission in it's report expressly
stated several times that it had not
made any estimate of the cost of retain
ing walls in the cuts, or ithe damage to
adjacent property.
1t certainly requires no argument to
show the necessity of retaining walls,
or some equivalent, in cuts having an
average depth of about forty feet; such
walls would cost not far from $500 900,
probably more, possibly less. A cheaper
method would doubtless be to condemn
sufficient property on each side OF the
cuts, slope the banks and build facing
walls to prevent the crumbling and
sliding which would otherwise newt
ably obstruct the street. The cost of
the property necessary for such pur-
pose, the sloping of the banks and slop-
ing walls would certainly exceed $780,,
600. The amount of damage to adjacent
property cannot be definitely fixed, ex-
cept by jury sworn for that purpose.
Before that jury has been impaneled
it is impossible to even guess its ver-
dict, but that it would award heavy
damages to each of a considerable num-
ber OF property owners, cannot be de-
MED by any honest and well-informed
person.
Placing each item of the cost at the
lowest possible limit, the aggregate can
not fall below 100000, and it is quite
will be double that amount. This is
merely for the improvement (?) of First
street east of Pearl. Where is the money
to come from?
The city engineer estimates the cost
of grading First street from Pearl west
to the city limits at $4,000. The prop
erty on both sides of that portion OF the
street to depth of $50 feet was assessed
last year at $78,3 300. 1t is apparent that
that section has all it can carry without
assuming any Of the expense for work,
etc., east of Pearl. The hill section
would be seriously damaged, robbed of
its street, and certainly could not be as
sessed. 1t follows as necessary con-
clusion that the bill of $500,000 or more
would have to be saddled upon the prop
erty east of Hill street What the as
sessment district would be can only be
guessed at, but it is fair to assume that
it would not extend further than Main
street on the east, Second street on the
south and halfway to Temple street on
the north. Any extension of these limits
would undoubtedly be resisted, and sue
cessfully too. The district mentioned
has frontage of about 5000 feet. If
one-half the assessment should be levied
upon the frontage of the street improved
(as is usually the case) property on
First street would be called upon for an
average of 500 per foot at least, and al
most certainly more. Does any one
suppose that such an assessment would
be tamely submitted to? Our older