The San Francisco call., 1896-10-22
The System Governing Golden
Gate Park to Be Closely
Followed.
NEED OF a BOND ELECTION,
The Engineer Says That o kland Can
Easily Have Beautiful
BoulevardS.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,

OAhLAND DAN II BANCICOO NALjtl
90S Broadway, Oct. 81.
1t now seems probable that this city will
have some public parks. The efforts of
the Board OF Trade and the City Council
were shown to-day in the report OF the
joint committee.
The report recommends that bonds be
issued to acquire by purchase or condem-
nation the necessary realty. 1t proceeds:
We also recommend that the entire care,
control and management of said park or parks
be vested in a Board of Park Commissioners of
five in number (whose services shall be rem
dered gratutously), the first commission to be
nominated or chosen in the manner deemed
expedient by you.
We would also suggest that we avail our
selves of the forms and plans adopted by the
Golden Gate Park Commission, so far they
may seem to meet our requirements and con-
diutions.
Colonel Bridges report was also made
public to-day. The Colonel is the con-
sulting engineer of the Board of Trade
and he has made thorough study of con-
ditions and localities. He says that Oak
land admits of a system OF boulevards s
and parks that can be located more ad-
Vantageously than in any other city in
America.
Colonel Bridges says that the most de-
sirable and the easiest obtained localities
would be as follows:
1. The Occidental Park, near sixteenth-street
station, West Oakland, with 100 acres east of
the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks (and fifty
acres on the west of the Southern Pacific Rail-
road tracks now belonging to the city,
2. Central Park-The most central and avail
able location (after the Occidental Park, on
the west bay shorel for public park is un-
doubtedly at the head of Lake Merritt, known
as the Sather, Merritt and Crocker tracts, ex-
tending from Lake Merritt boulevard along
Excelsior avenue to the junction OF Fourteenth
avenue and MoragA Valley road at Milbury
street; thence along said county road until
Lake avenue extended would reach said
county road; thence by Lake avenue to head
of Lake Merritt. This would include Indian
Gulch, Trestle Glen, all of the Sather and Mer-
rift hill and valley lands and small portion
OF the Croeker lands making gem OF nat
ural park OF about 400 acres that would attract
all citizens AID visitors.
East Oakland boulevards and drives-From
a junction with Lake Merritt, Fourth
avenue and Seventh street to Fourteen tn
avenue, with bridge over Commerce avenue
to Fifteenth avenue to and along Sixteenth
street, passing independence Square to
crossing Fruitvale avenue 10 High street and
Prescott street to Central avenue. Also along
Park street from Sixteenth street to the Ala
media city steel bridge, and on High street
from Prescott street to the Alameda
city line. East Oakland would nave
an admirable system of drives to what is much
needed to that wel-settled part OF the city,
viz. q public park.
The Fremont Park-Located on the north of
Sixteenth street and Prescott street, on the
east of Redwood county rad south OF Vernon
avenue, continued to Central ayenve and west
of Central avenue containing about 500 acres,
or the tract bounded by Prescott street, Red
wood county road, Vernon avenue and High
street, containing about 800 acres of high
rolling ground well covered " ith forest, shade
trees, etc, we'll adapted for pubic park.
The Pacific Park the grand park of the fu-
ture, not only Tor this city and vicinity, but
for the Pacific Coast, OF not less than 1000
acres, can and should be secured along the
hills and dales OF Temescal Creek Qne Guiding
Little Chabot Lake, where nature has done so
much. There is no natural park that can ex-
Gel it, and now is the time to secure these
provements are not made until other parks
are completed.
With boundaries commencing at Broadway
and College avenue, College avenue 10 Clare
mont avenue TO the Ballard tract, Russell
street from College avenue, crossing Clare
mont avenue, continuing 10 the Gwin estate
tract to the northwest corner of the Gwin and
the A. Kohler tract to tract "a, to ]. Dingee
tract including the ed" Dingee tract. along
the west side of the cemeteries TO and along
Clifton street TO the junction of Broadway and
College avenue
The system of drives and boulevards in con-
nection with present and proposed parks is
now authorized by State laws OF 1889, and only
need to be dedicated and set apart for present
and future uses. | know OF no city where
streets can be so easily and economically con-
verted into excellent drives and bouleYards,
and with few links OF new roads or streets all
of your parks will be connected with them.
l respectfully recommend that your commit
tee submit list of streets to the City Councils
and Board OF Supervisors that may be set apart
for drives and bouevards without delay, and
that an act may be prepared and passed by the