Evening star., 1895-04-27
STREET EXTENSION
Major PoWells Report Adopted by
the Commissioners.
PLANNING TIE GREATER WASHINGTON
Explaining Some of the Features
of the Map.
NEW AVENUES PROPOSED

NEW AVENUES PROPOSED
special meeting Of the board of Com
missioners was called this afternoon to
| consider Maj. Powelrs report upon the
| first section of the map for the extension
| of highways. The report was unanimous
| ly approved. and is as follows:
Concerning the street extension plans
Tor the first section. prepared under the
highway act of March 2. 1893. and SUBJ
| sequent provisions of law, and now approv-
ed and adopted by the Commissioners, I
have to submit the following resume of
the progress of the work, together with
some explanations Of the plans and of their
connection with proposed plans of other
sections, which do not appear upon the
| maps OF the first section plans
upon the passage Of the act two tenta-
i've maps were prepared, showing widely
| dlnerent plans Of street changes and ex-
| tensions for Mount Pleasant and adjacent
suouivisions. se These maps were displayed
| curing several months in the public office
OF the engineer Commissioner for sugges-
| uon and criticism of citizens and others
| Sn,aIier maps or sketches were made for
| .he purpose OF showing suggested changes
| In certain streets or areas An advertised
| pubic hearing was held about the eJNension
| OF connecticut avenue through Columbia
| Heights.
Planning for "a Hundred Years.
while divergence of view as to the de-
sired degree Of conformity to the plan of
washington was expressed at the bearing
| ana during Informal discussions of the
maps. the general opipicn appeared to be
that the plan offered for adoption ;hould
be carefully studied out; not hastily made,
| neither In a haphazard way; not considered
| for the present time only, but for n hum
dred years or more; that individual inter-
ests should be ignored and that in exc
| cutting highway plan worthy of the ma
| tlonal capital commensurate expense
should be expected and could be provided
| for.
I'm the meantime, a division of the conn
| ty into sections for street extension plans
and an order of work having been approved,
the study for the plans and especially for
! these of the first section. was undertaken
The highway act requires that The o,ans
| be prepared in sections. of such areas as
| are deemed advisable by the Commission
ers, and, as far as practicable, that areas
covering subdivisions not in conformity
| with the general plan of Washington be
first selected. ----.-.---
The First Section.
Tho first section comprises the part OF
| the County lying between Rock creek and
the line of North Capitol street.. Il covered
| a large number OF the most irregular SUBJ
divisions and ones where the lands were
the higher priced and where Improvements
were more rapidly advancing. This section
for the purpose stated is naturally a unit.
and il was deemed, could be SO treated ard
used to the advantage Of the whole work.
Preparatory steps in the work were to
map the subdivided parts Of the section
on sheets SO inches by 50 inches or 90
and to make a general working map on q
scale of l inch to 400 feet, covering the
whole section.
The general map shows existing high
ways. streams and contours of 8 feet ele-
vations The larger scale maps show ex-
isting highways. property lines and square
and lot numbers and dimensions.
THE maps were carefully compiled from
official records, or in their absence from
sources believed to be reliable, and from
surveys for verificat:on of data or explain
ing inconsistencies. Important survey
points and lines were marked for preserya-
tion. -
''The compilation and surveys necessI-
tated considerable research and field work.
Some mistakes in subdivisions were discoy-
cred; in one case the subdivision over
Tapped as much as 40 feet by 400 feet: in
two cases subdivisions supposed to Join or
connect with a highway boundary. did not
join or connecti in other cases subdivi-
sons encroached- upon highways In more
than a dozen cases recorded areas OF lots
were found incorrect by 1000 square feet
and even 10000 square feet; several SMALL
er errors were discovered. On one set Of
photolithographed copies Of the large scale
maps buildings were located from surveys
and shown by color. whether or masonry
construction or frame, and notation made
of the assessed values OF improvements.
AS the work Of the plans progressed sew
eral special maps, tracings and sketches
We're made before the maps Tor record
could be drawn.
PrOvisiOns OF the Law.
.rrhe highway act lays down certain
tIa MIA
the system or plan prepared by the Com
missiorers shall be as nearly in conformity
with the street plan of Washington as they
deem advisable and practicable, and fur
tier directs that the intention and pro-
visions of the act and the necessity OF har-
monizing, as far possible, the public
convenience with economy of expenditure
be kept in view. The act also says that
existing highways may be widened up to
1G0 feet but not be narrowed: that new
Highways shall not be less than 90 feet nor
more than 16O feet in width; that certain
asphalted streets shall not be altered. al
fected OF interfered with by the plans, ana
that the map showing the plan adopted by
the Commissioners shall eXhipit certain oe-
tailed data. The act authorizes the Com
missioners to lay out reservations at the
intersections of the principal streets and
avenues corresponding In number ana oi-
mensions with such reservations In WASH
irgton.
I'm addition to these requirements and
authorities. and not in conflict with Them,
other rules were followed for securing sys-
tenn and uniformity, and for keeping In
view the need of coed grades. of driving
and street car routes to the main parks,
and locations for streets along the park
and District boundaries. and for trunk
sewers.
For the plans themselves an early step
was to lay down on District map main
avenues or driveways connecting the large
parks or distant points. SO that conform
able provision might be made for the por-
tions falling within the first section. A
fIling. in on the general working map by
nrincipal streets connections of subdi-
visions and the harmonizing Of irregular
ones followed. Transfers were then made
n, the detail sheets and house maps for
close study, to secure acceptable locations
for streets without causing excessive or
undue damages to improvements or lots.
THE general map or a tracing Of II, each