Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-28

EDIToRs HERALD: The proposed
widening of Los Angeles street, south of
Washington, and extending it south OF
TweRty-third street, is so evidently un-
necessary and unwise that it is attract
ing considerable attention. Even those
who have no property there are sorry to
see their fellow citizens robbed of land
and money, mot knowing how soon it will
be their turn to be cinched. After all,
it is not Los Angeles street as it appears
on the city map; that is already open
beyond the city line; but short street
named Carlisle and laid out by the own
ers of the Martin and Kinney tracts,
chiefly for their own use and benefit.
South of Twenty-third street the lots
are all laid out to face north and south,
it having been noticed that in the older
part of town where they face the other
way, any one who builds house on the
south side of his neighbor deprives him
to some extent of sunshine and air. So
that to extend Carlisle street, or Los
Angeles as it is now called, south of
Twenty-third street, will cut up the
land into small blocks only about two
hundred and forty or fifty feet long. 1t is
quite evident that to do this would
permanently injure and depreciate all
the property in that vicinity making
dong line of little bits of blocks from
Twenty-third to Jefferson, smaller than
any in the whole city. To be heavily
assessed for benefits while their prop
-erty is being thus injured suits nobody
but the real estate firm who subdivided
the land thereabouts, and find them
selves with number of unstable lots
on their hands that this scheme would
enable them to get rid of to great ad-
vantage. An eighty-foot street would
use up three at least on every little
block from Twenty-third to Jefferson,
and lots that sold last winter at $3.50
each will bring the lucky spectators
5000 and upwards. In order to keep
the people quiet while this little Job
was put through the last council, those
who live the other side, between Wash
if they would not object to having Car
Isle street widened from sixty to eighty
feet they would be paid for the ten feet
that would be taken off their frontage
and also for the moving back of fences
and houses. AS these parties |
begin to inquire how much money will |
be allowed them on this account, they |
are astonished to learn that the sum
allowed them is swallowed up by the
against them for benefits,
and the result is that the lot owners get
nothing for their land, they will have
to move their fences and houses where
necessary at their own expense, and
will have to empty their pockets be-
side. The assessments as made out
read like this: Lot number nineteen
in the Kinney tract is allowed $95 for
the ten feet taken from it's frontage and
$50 for damages to improvements, max
ing $155; but 1t is assessed for benefits
at $500, which leaves the owner of lot
l9 the sum of $l45 to pay instead of to
receive. AS to the benefits, it would
require the Lick telescope to see them,
for their street, lined as it will be some
day with cottages, looks better at it's
present width of sixty feet than it
would if widened to eighty, to say
nothing of the extra expense the lot
owners would be put to when they get
ready to have it graded,
Owners of lots on the cross streets fare
even worse. Lot 16 is around on Twen-
ty-third street, and does not touch Los
Angeles street at any point, but is
obliged to pay $240 for benefits, and lot
8, also on Twenty-third, with no earthly
use for any other street than Main, which
is very close to it, is assessed to pay $3.50
for benefits, and as the widowed owner
never can pay it: having no income what
ever, the prospect is that her humble
home will be handed over to whoever
does pay it. All these schemes to rob
the people which confront us on every
side are great drawback to the progress
0f hQo Mt ifnl oit n of tn n In
such things must cause litigation and |
delay. Near the business part of the
town an obstructed street should be |
opened for the general good, no matter
who suffers, but this is not such case
by any manner of means. Is it any
worse to knock man down and take all
he has than it is to resort to such trick
cry as this under protection OF the law?
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