New-York tribune., 1897-02-24
TO GET UNPAVED STREETS PAVED.

STEPS WHICH MUs- BE TAKEN-E. p. NORTH 8
REPLY TO MR. THAYERs LETTER
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir knowledge of the steps necessary to have
an unpaved street paved may be OF interest 10
your readers. This only be done through the
Joint action OF the Board of Aldermen and the
Mayor. the Aldermen takrg the initiative. The
pavement is paid for by assessment OF the
cost Immediately adjacent property unless the
street or road is mile long, when a part
of the cost, may be spread a larger area.
The Board OF Aldermen are almost Invariably In
cited to action by the member representing the
district In which the street TO be paved lies. That
Alderman introduces resolution and ordinance
TO have such unpaved street in his district paved
as he thinks best. When he is convinced that
he is right and not till them he calls the ordi-
nance up for enactment. But this cannot be done
before one week has passed since the introduction
OF the resolution and ordinance. during which
time the fact OF It's introduction is published In
The City Record" All parties Interested have an
opportunity during this time protest their own
Alderman, other Aldermen and to His Honor. the
Mayor. Many ordinances drawn by the Alder
men who present them. Others drawn In the
Office OF the Water Purveyor All OF the last IL
forwarded TO the Board of Aldermen. are forwarded
by the Commissioner OF Public Works. The Alder
men may pass an ordinance promptly may hold
1t up as has been done In the Of One-hundred-
and sxth-st.. between the Boulevard and Riverside
Drive and One-hundred- nd thirt y-seventh-st be-
tween Seventh and Eighth aves. Objections are
sometimes urged against the proposed Improvement
by parties who are not yet ready TO sell or I'm
prove. On the other hand denunciation and even
tears have been drawn from those who mad COM
menced building operations before the Commits
soner or Public Works was empowered 10 pave the
street as 1t proved difficult impossible to bor-
row money on the Buildings, or rent them before
the street was paved. Under this mode OF pro-
cedure l74.J2 square yards OF new pavement were
laid In 1885, or in ether words an addition of near
" per cent was made TO the paved area of the
The resolution and ordinance for macadam,z,ng
the boulevard Lafayette and for asphating Kings
bridge Road and Dyckman-st. were drawn in the
office OF the Water Purveyor, and forwarded
through the Commissioner OF Public Works 10 the
Board OF Aldermen. The first was signed by His
Honor. the Mayor. forty-fve days after its Intro
duction: the second, thrty-hve days and the third
sos days. IL has been said to me that Mr. Thayer
the fact that a m0cadam pavement would he
cheaper than asphalt that is about 81 90 per
square yard for the first and s. for the second:
but 1t was decided by these property owners 10
pay the larger assessment for the better pavement
resolution and ordinance for macadamzing
Kngsbridge Road was passed November 90 iS4
Company proposed laying track through the
length Of that road. Mr.. Brookfeld and General
Coils decided that. instead of macadam asphalt
should be laid at about twice the cost as the
maintenance OF macadam would probably require
expenditure OF 30 ~ cents each year per
square yard. whereas the maintenance OF the
asphalt would cost nothing for the first five years
after It's acceptance and probably 10 or u cents
per yard per apnum for the next ten years
There is substantial agreement with Mr.. Thayer
that the location and construction OF the Boulevard
Lafayette were laundering mistakes as far as the
interest OF property-owners along the line is con-
cerned: but the Views from that boulevard are