The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-04-02
sTAUNToN. VA.
DE EH=s.ED Ne AErER
The Street Paw ng Improve ment.

The Street Paw ng Improve mont.
The paving Of the streets in the cen
/ trail business portion o. Sfaunton with
Belgian blocks, as recommended last
week by the street committee of the
City Council, il proving to be a very pop
ular measure with the people. Words OF
COMMUNICATION for it are being freely ex-
pressed, while scarcely word against it
has been heard.
The reception accorded bg the public
| to this proposed Improvement is a hope
full sign for the future of the city. When
| the people are ready to spend their own
and the public nonew cheerfullv in pro
noting the city's material interests, the
great possibilities Of Stanton will be
/ speeahr realizai. Better streets are an
I tive loss has undoubtedly been sustain
ed by the city this winter for no other
reason than the bad condition of the
streets Manufacturers and others who
are desired as new citizens, when
looking out for new locations, are often
turned away from a city by compare
lively trivial conditions, such as muddy
or dusty streets, bad roads leading to the
country, uncomfortable hotels, and the
like. Money spent in making city per-
manentiy attractive. and convenient for
business and residence, is we'll invested
The most prosperous and progressive
cities spend enormous sums of money on
streets and other public improvements,
and do so more as a cause than as re-
suit of their prosperity.
| And for cities rs we'll as for individu-
| ais the best is generally The cheapest
The street committee expect to save
money for Staunton by spending 2,C0o
for gian block pawn g-the smooth
est, most durable and best of all cover
ings for business streets. When such
paving is put down properly it lasts for
many years, and by proper sweeping can
be kept entirely free from dust and mud.
The next step should be to improve
the cross streets especially those away
| froil the business centre. Some OF them
are ia miserable condition and ought
to lie worked at once. ~
The following is the report of the
street committee, presented TO the eoun
ell at las; week meeting and laid over
| for further consideration
Tothe Honorable, TIE Coupcil forthe CitD Of Stona-
tom ..a,a,....5. a.
/ consideration the question OF Paving with Bel
gan blocks certain OF the business streets or the
I city beg leave to submit the following report:
After due and careful consideration Of the
matter, aScertaning the cost and character or
the material to be usea and the cost or lay il,s
Der of the committee OF similar WORK recently
put down in the city OF Norfolk, where consider
able paving has been DONE and after cores
| pondence with the street commissioner of that
city and others. find that the proper nlateri-
! al to be used is granite blocks from either the
| Virginia Granite quarry or the Greystone quar-
| rvof North Carolina Of the following diiilen-
sions: S to 10 inches long to inches deep and
principally used for laying "a the large cites.
/ granite, sand. ia')or, hauling. &c.--woutd aver
age about 1875 per square yard of street paved;
The following statement shows the estimated 9
cost Of paving the principal business streets IN
! the city, each of which are 2S feet wide between
/ the curbs;
New street, from New Court House to Main. s55 #
| Frederick, from Augusta to Water. 800 9
Main. from Lewis TO Market. $50. LII :
/ New Court House, from New to Augusta. 3e0 :
Augusta from New Court L; to Frederick. 800 :
/ denot NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 2l5 s
Total. observation-disclosures l57 #
This gives 1892 square yards to be covered, OF
which 1s4 square yards will be the space at the
intersection OF streets TIE cost st., Of d paving this
AS to the advisabiliGy OF the city undertaking
this work, your committee are clearly OF opinion
/ that it should be done. Under the present sys-
tenn of Matchmaking these streets oyer which
! most of the heavy traffic OF the city IS carried
on it is almost Impossible to keep the streets in
| good order, and to a true surface and we recon-
mend the paving, not only on account OF IFS
cleanliness and beauty, hut fDr actual economy
las a means OF saving money 20 tne clGy ana
| tax payers
i The metal now used on the streets is costing
the city from eighty-five cents to 81 per cubic
yard, and has to be constantly renewed, as 1t is
soon ground into dustin dry weather to be
| blown in clouds into the business houses, anu III
wet weather to be washed off by the rains OF
] left standing in unSighty mud on tne Stfeets
and crossings until it Is scraped up ana hauieo
There is nc better evidence OF business thrift
and energy in any city or one that more Iavof
ably impresses strangers, than well paved
streets The city of Roanoke, approaching the
/ advantages to her growth and progress, with g
/ population not double our own, has just voted
4 an appropriation of $l50,000 for street Improve
ment and the same amount for sewerage
Our present rate Of taxatlon IS aess ,na Una
/ to increase it to make this Improvement: ~
shown above the total estimated cost Of tht
have to pay for paving the intersections o.
streets, 1874 square yards 81 ~, and one nan o.
|
paid by the property holders on either side q
the street in proportion to their frontase till
cost to them being about Fl 20 per ffon9 iooG.
Adopting a plan that has been in use IN sever
| al of the western cities. and which has give1
1 great satisfaction. we recommend that the CITY
/ issue its bonds for the whole cost or the WORK
| So 600, or as much thereof as may be found nee
essary, AS 0 thereof TO fail due IN one year -
800 to fall due i'll two years, $500 to fall due IL
three years, 81 $50 to fail due in four years ant
the residue 81 600, to fall due in five years Thess
bonds can be negotiated and the whole WORT
a fa,. 1sl,ao ,n,1nt DrOnnfG1
holders along the streegs to be divided into nv
equal parts and one part with interest on thu
unpaid whole, to be collected each year and ap
/ piled in payment in part of the bond to fail du
that year. This will give the property noldei
aorsn Of h the eos For g feet
at S1.75 per foot $3.50 or $3.50 per year unit
paid up, interest being added as above. and en-
able the city to pay its part oue Oh It's cufren
revenues.
There is in the streets named above abou
$500 square yards of surface which has beel
| McAdamized for years and as the proposed new
pavement will only need about eight inches
the thoroughly settled metal for sub-base
McAdam removed, that would be ayallabie 70
use on other streets, greatly to the advantage Q
those thoroughfareS, and THUS whilst the nusl
ness streets would be greatly i'm proved Dy 81
paving, the other streets will get The benefit Q
the material removed to make room Tor TIL
granite.
The work, if done, should ne let to contract
and some competent person employed to super
intend the same on behalf of the city.
In conclusion, we would say that since til
matter has been in our hands, we have purpose
~ delayed submitting g report thereon, Win tn
view of getting the opinion of those tome henl
flied principally and of the public genefali,
and we have no hesitancy III expressing IN
opinion that the people of the city are hearth
4 in favor OF it. We therefore recommend tina
the work be proceeded with as soon as III
weather will permit
Respectfully submitted.
JOHN MCQUAIDE,
RICHARD F. HELL.
]. A. ADVENTUROUS.
!, :
Mr. Benz. f. Mayherry, of Washing