The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-01
Boulevards and Grass Hills Dis.
cusSed Before the Su.
perviSorS.
CONTRACTORS IN TROUBLE.
Street Work Found So Poor That Mayor
Sutro Vetoes Payment of
the Bills.

Propositions to gridiron the peninsula
with handsome boulevards and to plant
grass on the sand dunes south of Golden
Gate Park were discussed before the
Street Committee of the Board of Super
vlsors yesterday. Chairman Spreckels
and Supervisors DunKer, Hughes, Benja-
min and Morgenstern nodded approvingly
at some OF the suggestions offered, and
that is as far as the matter went. Com
mittees of citizens ale working on the
matter, and the work performed eventu-
ally depends on them. The Street Com
mittee worked all day and cleared away
mass of accumulated business.
The plan to plant the sand dunes to
grass came up on the Old proposition Of
spending $4,000 to survey part of the hills
south of the park and begin street i'm
provements there. A committee of prop
erty-owners were present to urge the
survey. They were opposed by Mayor
Sutro and a number of other owners of
big holdings.
''It's waste of tim lie and money" argued
the Mayor, "to expend $4,000 on survey
OF portion of the land. Why not wait
till the City has grown little larger and
then have all the territory surveyed right
sewerage system can be laid out for the
whole district. AS it is if you erect sur
yey monuments in those dunes the drifting
sands will quickly bury them out of sight
Plant the whole district with grass first.
1t can be done at a cost of 81 lot.
Chairman Spreckels called attention to
the fact that there was no money in the
treasury for surveys. After some discus
sion the whole matter was referred to q
JOINT committee made up of the Commit
tee on Streets aud the Finance Committee
Representatives of the San Francisco
Boulevard Drivers Association asked the
cooperation of the committee in the mat
ter OF securing boulevard or ocean beach
driveway. 1t was stated that the associa-
ton was working in the interest of good
streets and improvements in general. One
OF the projects is to widen the roadway to
the Cliff House and ocean beach
and also, the roadway to IngIeside
the county line. Yesterday e.. G. Bemis,
president of the association, John McCord,
Colonel Little, Con O'Uonnor and Major
Hammond did the talking.
Mayor Sutro said the association would
find one big obstacle in the way-the
Spring Valley Water Company. They
have pipes laid on number of the drive
ways proposed" he explained, land can
not change them without a change of
grade. AS for the boulevard to the Cliff
House | am willing to give up fifteen feet
on each side of the proposed roadway
wherever l own the land. / think the
other property-owners along the way
ought to do as much.''
The association mem bers were instructed
to prepare petition to the board setting
forth their various propositions so as to
properly initiate the business in the board.
They went away very well satisfied with
the start they had made.
At the request of the Merchants Asso-
citation it was decided to postpone action
in the matter of the construction of a
bridge across the railroad track on the
Paramount tract.
After months of actions and counter
actions before the committee by interested
parties Birch avenue, between Van Ness
avenue and Polk street, was ordered an
open street. man named Hooker had it
closed on the claim that it was private
property.
The following protests were recon-
mended: Against the paving of the cross
ing of Sacramento and Laurel streets !;
against the paving of the crossing of Sac
ramento and Spruce streets.
The committee reported the following
recommendations: That the grade on
Alameda street, at the easterly and west
erly lines of Hampshire and York streets,
be changed; in favor of stopping proceed
| lngs of advertising for the construction of
a reservoir on Holly Park as the ground
| is unfit for the purpose,
| The matter of setting aside First avenue,
| from the Preside to the park as a boule-
| ward was put over till the grade is changed.
Special Expert George W. Elder handed
| IN the following recommendations: That
| Van Ness avenue be improved from Bay
street to Gree nwich; that Hill street be
paved from Valencia to Guerrero; that
| sidewalks be laid on the unimproyed places
on Market street, from Valencia to Seven
teenth; that the paving of Valencia street,
from Sixteenth to Seventeenth. be not ac-
cepted till put In proper condition; that
bad sidewalks be repaired on Fell street,
between Scott and Devisadero.
The following blocks..of street work were
reported not up to specifications
Pine street, between Fillmore and Webster.
Contractors Finn and Treacy Upon examina,
ton find that they omitted 10 put in the one
inch OF cement mortar beneath the gutter as
and Octavia, Contractor ]. J. Flynn, ex-County
Clerk. Upon examination l find that no ce-
ment mortar has been used, otherwise these
blocks are fairly well based with one execution
the concrete under the blocks on Pine street is
not first class. This defect exists in nearly
every block that has recently been paved. Not
oelng able to tear up the streets, these the
hrst examinations have made of the cutters
IN basalt block pavements.
also md that some pipe-dealers have on
hand quite a lot of unsaltglazed pine
which is contrary to the specifications. | have
condemned quite number of pieces of pipe of
dlferent jobs within the past week | also
found yesterday some very poor brick about to
pc used In the construction of the cesspool.
OBJECTED to 1t, and the contractor promised me
the brick would not be used. l also found in
one instance number of secondhand brick
ABOUT TO be used in the construction of a cess
pool. entered an objection to this and the
inspector promised the material should not be
usec Most OF the bituminous rock work now
going on is being done in a tirst-class manner.
On the report of Expert Elder and his
own secretary. Mr. Gaden, Mayor Sutro has
vetoed the order of the board authorizing
Contractors James ]. Flynn and Finn &
Pine-street and O'Farrell-street Jobs. The
ground of complaint is that the work is
not up to the specifications in the con-
frao