The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-06-16
STREET IMPROVEMENTS.

ment is always a live one in live
town. It is constantly before a
citys council and is subject OF
never-ending complexity from va
rious causes. Almost all intelll-
gent citizens recognize the advan-
tages of good streets, but too many
of them want somebody else to
pay for the improvements.
Under the provisions OF The
charter of the city of Corvallis
adopted in 1891, no street i'm
provements could be ordered by
the council and paid for by a tax
upon the adjacent property with
out the consent of one half the
owners of the property affected;
indeed. the consent of uwothirds
of the property-owners was I'M
portant. Through the efforts of a
few public spirited persons the
necessary signatures were obtained
to a petition for the grading and
graveling of Second street and a
portion of Madison and the cost
was duly assessed against the
property affected. 1t was thought
that the excellent manner III
which this work was performed
would induce others to petition for
street improvements, but these 'ex-
pectations were not met. The coun-
Gil then, recognizing the import
ance of improving Monroe street,
authorized work TO the amount of
$1,000 which was paid for out OF
the general fund, the property on
such street paying only its proper
ton with all other property within
the city. This seemed an lnJus-
tice to those who had just paid fo1
the expensive Improvements on
Second and Madison streets, the
former of which was more benlfit
to the city as a whole than the
improvement of any other street
could be. At that time, however
there appeared to be no other way
of placing Monroe street in good
condition for winter travel, as the
property-owners refused to present
the necessary petition.
at the last session OF the 1egisla
ture the charter was amended sc
that two thirds of the members O
the council could order street
work and assess the cost agains
the property directly benefited
The council does not apperantly
recognize this fact and have order
ed vast amount OF grading, all o
which is to be paid for out Of Tho
general fund. There are now si1
teams and as many men at work
on streets here and there and thi
expense is to be borne by all thc
taxpayers without regard to whose
property is affected. The work
which is being done on Monroe
street or College avenue from the
O. P. track to the intersection 0
the first county road running ii
from the north might, with consis
tency, be charged to the genera
fund because it is a main avenue
leading to the city and the expens'
would fall too heavily Oh the three
or four persons who own the al
Jacent acre property within th'
incorporation. The section of roat
or street in question IS all Wlthll
the incorporation and not merel,
the north half of it as some per
sons suppose. Except one lot ives
of the O. 2. track the land ON tn
south side of the road is coliegt
property and not within the incor
poration.
Two blocks north, Van Burel
street has been graded through
town lots from Second street t
the western city limits, or to al
intersection with the county roat
already mentioned. This last j
not an important Improvement
since Monroe street or College ave
nue. would accommodate the coun
try travel from the northwest.
Two blocks north Of Van Bnren
Tyler street has been graded iron
Second to the Polk county road