The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-15
ASTORIA NEEDS
STREET GRADES
Now Is the Time to Establish Pcrma-
neat Grades for Business
Streets.
INVESTORS SCARED AWAY
Bssauss There Is No sSss'Aaes That. After
Substantial Buildings Are Erected 'Le
Grade oi ,ts stree IN Not
BE Lowered ~ Haised.

Considerable discussion II being had
Just now. amongst leading business men
and members OF the city council OF the
question OF raising the grade % CONNER
cial street two feet city Engineer Bell
II heartily In favor OF the move. as Is
every thinking business man. Tho his
tory Of the pas, few years OF this city.
shows that from time to time the base
OF grades Of city streets has been chang
cd with little or no warning. and often
times mistakes have occurred As mat
ters stand at present, tho city engineer
says that Il IL impossible for him to
give any definite assurance 10 prospective
builders aH TO just what the grade OF any
particular street viii DO. And In fact.
Il II dinicuh 10 tell Just what tbe grades
are at preAneJ Mr. BELL says that re-
Gently he has had applications from a
number of capitalists for II statement or
the exact grade ON prominent business
streets. and some assurance that Il
will remain as AZ present nGed lie has
been compelled TO nuply that he can give
no such assurance. Many OF these gen.
tlcmen have become diEguHt@d. and Il IL
well kn0sn amongst real estate men,
that a number have left the city refusing
60 invest on that ground aionc.
Astoria In a peculiarly situated city.
Almost it, entire business portion H.
over the tide lands, built ON piles, whine
itH residences arr situated. many OF them,
on hSsh hills and bluffs OF diticult acessA
Enormous sums OF money have been
spent Ia grading down some OF these
hills and grading sureats upon them.
With all this the grades arc % stncp
In many places that even a four -hors.
team can scarcely haul an Ordinary load
OF wood 10 thu top OF one of the hills
on the other hand. tAe business streets
are located % low otPr The water. that
thar IL no room fora basement In the
businrss blocks. aud Astoria can boast
scafcvly a building used for buziness pur-
roH,-s having a ocllar or nasmccnt OF
any n,ihU Modern heating apparatus
elevators. and such like couvenlencvs are
unknown In the city. Hotels AMI pub
lie buildings are run upon oii-fAshioncd
plans OF ntty years ago.
An up.to-datc business man. who has
only recently setticd In Astoria. when
interyiews'd uhay upon the subject
by an Astoflan representative stated.
4 can see, that the question ~ grndns
OF HtTuasl IN tho city Of Astoria has In
tho past been "a great draWba * u not a
complete obstacle 90 the erection OF sub
stantiAl business buildings. iVtm now
no one Is warranted In putting UP a
brick block or hRilding, for Il may be
but short tips before the grade is
changed and hin building len two or
three feet below the line 70 ruisa n
brick or stone structure can only be done
at large cApens1 There are but few
such buildings now In the city. and upon
the ovr OF a new growth. and In fact the
building OF n neE town here. this 10 the
time f1r the citizens TO wake up TO the
situation, establish pcrmanealt grade
for yuur business streets. and pave the
way for capitalists to come In ana put
up suuh structures ms will he monuments
OF beauty and utility. In my opinion,
and your city engineer. Mr.. Bell. agrees
with me, as 10 IAeo some of your local
capitalists, the grade OF Bond street
should BE- faiscd eight feet, and such leg
islatiun should hr enacted hy your city
council as would make that grade porma-
mont for az least tifty years An the
buildings which are nov standing In the
city, could bo easily raised, and with very
little expense. Bpom Bond street the
grades should be established hack tow
ards the hill ut q slight raise. and you
,',..h'. "nen r's n"' %, - 'uv & "'vnues 70 Lne
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