Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-08-17
A PARK SITE.
Committee Selects
DunnG|| Estate.
COST IS SlSO,OOO.
Lighting Contract Passed
Over Mayors Veto.
VOTE WAS TEN To FIVE.
Other Business Transacted by the
Council Last Night.
VOTE WAS TEN To FIVE.
Other Business Transacted by the
Council Last Night.

The regular monthly meeting OF the
Common Council was held last evening,
President Pierce In the chair and all the
members present.
Petition OF the School Committee TO use
the Fourth Ward room for school pur-
poses was granted.
Mr.. Tingley OF the joint Committee on
Parks presented the following report:
PAwTUcKET, II. L., August 10, 1893.
To the Honorable City Council OF the City
of Pawtucket.
conference.-the Joint standing Com
mittee on Parks to which was referred the
matter of the selection of a suitable site
for public park for our city, beg leave to
su bmit the following report.
The committee entered upon their du-
ties Immediately and carefully inspected
and weighed the merits OF the various To-
calfties to which their attention was
called. A public hearing was also given
to which all persons interested were in
vited and an opportunity presented for a
discussion Of the advantages of the var
ious sites proposed.
After considerable preliminary investi-
CATION your committee found there were
Ave sites worthy of consideration and this
consideration your committee have en-.
deavored faithfully TO give.
The sites considered were:
Reservoir Heights,
City land on Smithfield avenue,
The Daggett farm,
The Hammond Pond site,
The Dunnell property and
The property on the West side OF and
bordering on the river.
Your committee deem II sufficient OBJ
lection to the locality of Reservoir
Heights, that the same is located I'm the
town of Lincoln.
The city land upon SmithfIeld avenue is
adjacent to a large cemetery and there IL
every probability that this lsnd will very
soon all be needed for cemetery purposes,
The Daggett Farm site has many natural
advantages; II IL located on Seekonk
Plains adjacent to Ten Mile river and con-
tains over 200 acres but the probability of
the further location of filter beds or other
means for the disposal OF the city sewage,
i'm that vicinity, seemed to your commit
tee a serious objection.
BY the courtesy of the Hon. Darius l..
Goh, the committee was permitted to in
spect his ella borate plans for the conver-
sion of the region Immediately surround.
ing Hammond's Pond into such park as
the city might be proud tn own, Dut mas
much as those interested declined to make
any proposition to your committee in re.
gard to terms, and as the water filling
Hammond's Pond Is entirely controlled
any time convert the lake into a steaming
and reeking moss OF mud, your committee
did not consider II In the interest of the
CITY to take any action thereon,
The remaining site Is that occupied by
the estate of Jacob Dunnell and comprises
tract OF about GO acres more or less,
pleasantly varied in Its topography, and
lying on both sides OF Prospect street.
The portion on the westerly side OF the
street Is about one-f fourth as large as that
on the opposite side and slopes gently to
the margin OF the Pawtucket river. One
very important advantage possessed by
this locality Is that an artificial pond hav-
constructed In the meadow on the eastcrly
portion of the estate which would furnish
perfectly safe sailing I'm Summer and an
admirable skating pond In winter.
In their investigation, however, your
committee did not forget that our city
rs located upon both sides OF the Paw
tucket river and that facility OF access TO
the residents upon the west side Is a most
desirable requisite to a park intended to
benefit the whole city. We have accord.
ingly inspected the territory lying upon
the Westerly side of the river and I'M
mediately opposite the DunDell estate;
here we found tract OF about 25 acres
which In our judgement would immense
ly enhance the value of the aforesaid es-
however, your committee have not been
able to agree with the owners of the land
on the west side of the river, as to the
price at which said land should be sold.
This land leiongs to numerous owners,
some OF whom are willing to sell at fair
price, while others demand price which
your committee deem simply exorbitant.
IL is possible, however, that arrange
ments may yet be made by which the
property on the west side OF the river may
be acquired at fair price, I'm which case,
your committee consider IL extremely
advisable that such purchase be m sde.
In conclusion, your committee beg
leave to recommend the purchase OF the
Dunneli estate as shown upon the plat
accompanying this report, at the price
submitted, t1S0, ,000-to be paid for as SUBJ
mitted by the owners, In thirty year
bonds OF the city bearing interests at four
per cent. per snnum.
Your committee furth her recommend the
purchase OF about 25 acres OF land on the
Westerly side OF the Pawtucket river, and
adjoining tho same, and lying opposite
the Dunnell estate aforesaid, provided
said land can be purchased at a fair
market price, and that your committee be
instructed to further negotiate with the
owners OF this property and report st n
subsequent meeting.
Respectfully submitted.