The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-14
HOW TO BUILD IT.
". N. Fitahugh Gives Some Interesting Sug-
gestiOns,

W, NJ Eltzhugh Gives Some interesting Sug-
gestions.
The boulevard now being planned to run
south of the park to the county line by
some desirable route has many considera-
tions in its favor. 1t would run on the
natural course of highway between San
Jose and this city. For several miles south
of the park 1t would run across the pre-
vailing course of the wind, and for that
reason would invite driving upon it. Its
rare scenic attractions along every part
would aid in making it one Of the most
popular drives about the city. From the
plateaus over which it would pass there
would be presented beautiful prospects in
various directions. A magnificent view of
the ocean would be offered from the West,
with Golden Gate Park stretching in the
fore ground. In another direction would
be seen the spreading bay with the shores
OF several counties about it. A large part
of the CITY, the Golden Gate, the
mountains beyond to the north and
the lakes in the nearer landscape
would be features of scene hardly
surpassed in the world. If the driveway
were made broad, ornamented and shell
tered with trees and provided with paths
for pedestrians and bicycles it would pro-
vide the city with one of its most delight
full and convenient opportunities for recre-
alton, and with the park drives would
afford a pleasing choice of routes. The
construction of the boulevard along the
ocean front, with which it would naturally
be connected near the county line, is
another consideration which makes its
building timely now.
Along with this boulevard there should
be built one from the north end of Van
Ness avenue, probably along Chestnut or
LON bard streets to the Preside Reserva-
ton, through which fine drives are already
constructed. Another boulevard should
connect the Preside and the park, and for
this First avenue, which is now 100 feet
wide, would be appropriate. These two
driveways would be each but few blocks
long and would give the north end OF the
city an outlet to the Presidio and the park,
and afford drive of three or four miles not
exceeded in beauty anywhere. Several
streets offer a route between Van Ness
avenue and the Preside and in some man.
ner the street selected should be protected
for all time from the encroachments of
streetcar lines, as should all other streets
which it would be wise to reserve for boul-
evards. The cost of illuminating and
otherwise improving some of the streets
mentioned would be paid many times over
by the increase in the value of the property,
and | have no doubt that large majority
OF the property-owners interested would
gladly encourage the improvement.
Regarding the proposed boulevard from
the park southwark to the county line l
am confident from careful study of the
situation that there will not be any diff
Guilty in arranging and carrying out the
project. [ have taken considerable pains
to find out the sentiment of the people who
would have to pay for it, and / am conf
dent that the boulevard can be laid out
and built within year. 1t will have to be
done by establishing an assessment dis
trlct and the increase in property values
that would result would be so large that
the property-owners concerned are almost
unanimous in favor of the improvement.
have made rough preliminary esti-
mate OF what the boulevard should cost,
and conclude that it can be built for $50, 200
a mile for the seven miles. A new route
Will be necessary much of the distance,
but as the section of the city through
which 1t would run is almost wholly unim-
proved, route conforming in an ideal
way to the topography of the region may
be selected and rights of way can be easily
secured.
Let US figure out what boulevard cost
ing $4,000 mile would mean to the
property along it. Along both
would be total frontage of 10000 feet and
over. Twenty thousand dollars would
therefore mean less than So a front foot if
the whole expense were borne simply by
the land fronting on the road. But of
course the land adjacent is also benefited.
the benefit varying with the distance and
from the roadway. Hence the
Immediately fronting on the road
should not pay the whole cost, and the
resolves itself in one of say
81 a front foot along the route, with a tax
on adjacent property, ranging down
ward to a few cents a front foot a
quarter of a mile away. If the property
directly fronting on the route should pay
the entire expense, the increase in the
value of the property would pay. the tax
ten or twenty times over, and the same