The Jersey City news., 1892-05-14
COUNTY ROAD PARINGS.
Some Property Owners Value
Them Higher than
Entire Lots.

The Commissioners of Condemnation OF
Lands wanted for the County Road in the
Third (BergeD) section met yesterday at
Chancery Chambers. as published in THR
| JERSEY CITY NEWS. Commissioners
Voorhees,, Ferris and Headden were pres
ent. and SO were Chief Engineer Harri
son, ex-Judge Garretson and several ex-
perts. Henry Flaacke owns some landltha
the County Road will take at Harri son
avenue. He sent one of his sons TO tne
meeting to represent him. Mr.. Flaacke
owns tract containing ID acres. which
| is assessed for only $4,000. The road Will
run through this tract, taking strip lOO
feet wide. Ex-Sheriff Cronan, E. +. EN-
mons and Frederick Spengeman, experts
as to values Of land, agreed that the lots
$3.50. but that the balance
of the property would be greatly
enhanced in value. In addition to the
advantages of a fine drive the improve
ment gave Mr.. Flaacke two new corner
lots. The experts were shown that the
grade OF the County Road would be oa
feet below the present grade, but tnls.
they said. would not reduce the value OF
the property, for 1t would give it tine
terrace. 1t was agreed that the benent TO
the property would be at least 20 per
cent.
DID NOT LIKE IL.
Mr. Flaacke did not think So the four
lots to be taken are 25 feet wide and 1875
feet deep. He valued these lots at 81, l0o
each.
"You offered to sell me some lots on
the north side of Harrison avenue for
$500 apiece" said Expert Spengeman.
land lots on the north side are worth at
least 500 apiece more than the property
the county wants"
Mr.. FIaacke did not like this assertion
and labored long and hard to show That
the lots Spengeman referred to were
few rods from the county road line and
that they were swampy. o.
'That is strange" commented Com
missioner Headden. II have been over
every inch of this land day after day for
many years and never saw any swamp
| ehers."
Mr.. Flaacke insisted that it was there,
however, and discussion on that subject
| ceased.
when Harrison avenue was opened,
did the city award you damagesT MT.
Flaacke was asked.
"Yes, sir; Democratic Board gave me
| $4,000 damages, but soon afterward the
Republicans got control of the Board OF
| Works and they cut it down to $40. Gen
| tlemen, we only want what is fair. My
father directed me to ask you to allow
| him just what his neighbors would re-
ceive," concluded MIR. Flaacke.
EASILY SATISFIED.
The County Road takes 3.16 inches of
| the front of Mr., Berger's property on
| Boyd avenue and runs back to a point
5000 each, and that the benefit to Mr.
| Berger's property far exceeded any dam
| age that itwould cause. Engineer Harrison
/ then said that the County road would
| lower the present grade of Boyd avenue
| at this point 3 feet 6 inches, and that re-
/ how n
! alongside of Mr. Bergen's house
| He said the county should takt
this into consideration. Ex-Judge
| Garretson gave an off hand opinion to the
| effect that the county would have to pay
this damage. This satisfied MI. Berger
| who said il that were done he would be
satisfied with 5000 damages.
A lot 25 feet by 1876 feet fronting on
| Clendenny avenue was the next property
| considered, 1t is owned by j. Randolph
| Appleby. The County Road runs diagon'
| ally across the lot and completely ruins
| it. The experts valued the lot at S600
| Mr.. Appleby sent letter to the Com mis-
siouers claiming the value of the lot to b'
| $3.50. He was willing to take that amount
| The lot is assessed for S4O0.
| Counsellor James B. Flemiug's three
lots on Oxford avenue were next consid
cred. He paid 5000 for them in 1867. HI
computed their value, from the tota
which he professed was s1,929
He was willing to sell the lots for tha
amount The experts valued them at 500
each, and Chic Engineer Harrison sale
thew were al A for $175. A neighbo
Of Nj; Elem as assessed for simila
The commis oners spent the Afternoon
inspecting the1ands.
| THE HoBoKEN END.
Commissioners George Bruce. Andrew
Beck and Theodore Mueller also met il
Henry Gaade's office in Hobokel
yesterday and located the lands t.
be condemned in maps from the Chic
Engineers Office, and afterwards visitet
the lands under discussion. They are II
| North Bergen, Union Hill and the Town
ship of Union. About two dozen propert.
owners were present. and they wer
told that the Commissioners would de
clare their appraisement at the next meet
ing.
Lawyers Alexander Young and Warne
Smythe represented the property owner
and Counsellor Gaede was present for tn
Commissioners.
A LEGAL QUESTION.
There was q conference OF the Count,
road counsel yesterday and plan OF &C
tion was decided on in relation to prop
erty that is both benefited and damaged
by the road. The lawyers ar
uncertain whether the plan o
assessing the damages ant
benefits and allowing property owner
the difference in cash will be indisputabl,
legal, The have therefore decided u
have four test cases and as soon rs pos
sible four property owners who have con
sented to the law will have their value
fixed and their awards made, and thel
they will. by arrangement, contest tn
cases in the Courts.
After the decision of the Courts ha
been obtained and the question of tn
legality of the present plan fixed tn
Commissioners will rush the busines
right along.