The morning call., 1892-03-07
SEVENTEENTH STREET.
A Modified Grade From Douglass
to Ashbury.
The Prorerty-owners Organize in an Efor.
to Save Their Small Holdings From
Complete Ruin.

The Seventeenth-street property-owners
assembled In room on the corner of Doug
lass and Seventeenth streets yesterday to
give vent to their dissatisfaction with the
grade as officially fixed between Douglass
and Ashbury streets. and also to see if some
thing could not be done to have il changed
so as to cause as little injury to the property
Immediately effected as possible.
This grade occurs In the extension of
Seventeenth street over the high hill where
Sutro's statue Of Liberty is erected, and on
to Stanyan street, or First avenue. The
original idea was, in extending westward
from Douglass, to have the grade up the hill
as regular as possible without making the
cuts and nils too heavy. A profile map was
prepared By the promoters purporting to
show just how much cutting and f ling
would be necessary, and the property
owners. so eager to get the street cut
through that they overlooked practical
examination of the profile, all joined in the
petition 10 the Board OF Supervisors, and
the opening OF Seventeenth street was
speedily ordered as prayed for.
AN EYE-oPENER.
1t was not until the contract had been let
Tor the grading just west of Douglass street
and the contractor had actually plunged
into high bank quite number of feet,
to be realized. Then the affected property
owners commenced to investigate and forth
with made discoveries that fairly took their
breath away. Whereas it had been repre-
sented to them that the cutting and filling
would nowhere exceed FIVE or six feet, they
found In fact that the very first cut would
be more than twenty-five feet; that the fill
ing beyond would exceed that depth con-
siderably, and before the end could be
reached there would be cut Of ffty-five
0nf -,
erty perched on heights varying from
twenty-five to hfty-fve 1eet above the grade
and leave others from twenty five to forty
feet below the grade, in either case render
Ing them practically valueless.
THE WORK STOPPED.
The. eyes of the pr0perty-owners were
opened at once. They saw that the pro-
motors Of the extension. in order to obtain
nice. even. easy grade, were about to de-
strOy large part of the adjacent property.
They at once combined, and made their
complaint to the authorities. The grading
was stopped. and there the matter has since
rostedr
They still desire to have the street ex-
tended, but not at the complete sacrifice of
their property. They desire to have the
original grade modified so that, while from
Douglass 10 Ashbury it will not be SO easy,
1t Will still remain good passable grade.
ana the frontage property will not be de-
stroyed
To that end the property-owners' meet
Ing was called yesterday 1t was attended
by pretty nearly all the frontage from
Douglass to Uranus streets.
Supervisor Taber of the Eleventh Ward
met with them. To their sen timents in OPP
position TO the grade as established, he
added his concurrence. He said when the
project was originally proposed il looked to
him so perfectly feasible and desirable that
he voted for it in the board without any
heSitancy. But when he discovered what
tile result was going TO be he repented of
his acts and stopped the work at once.
TABER's ADVICE.
He advised the propeTty.owners to weigh
the situation thoroughly and fairly, agree
among themselves what would be salts
factory 10 each, and present their wishes to
the Supervisors. He was sure that If they
appeared before the board in perfect har-
mony they would get what they asked for
The prOperty-owners decided at once to
organize themselves into a club TO be desig-
mated the Seventeenth street Property
owners Club. between Douglass and Ash
bury. No one outside these limits will be
invited to membership. They will meet
next Friday night and complete their organ
lZatiOn.
Meanwhile committee, consisting Of
Thomas Clark, Peter Brass and Hugh Foley,
assisted by Chairman MeNair, will confer
with the City and County Surveyor to have
another profile map prepared. outlining
nuck more modified grades, saving the prop
erty, yet preserving perfectly feasible as
cent from Douglass street westward
The club Will endeavor 70 reach a grade
satisfactory TO all before the present week
closes, so as to present their petition to the
Board OF Supervisors next Monday night