The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-19
THE PROPERTY OWNERS MEET.
SUGGESTED AND WHAT 1T WILL
COST.
PEOPLE THINK CITY SHOULD PAY
At Least a Part of the Improvement,
Which VIII Cost About
$1,000.

nue. between Summit avenue and Como
park, to the number Of twenty, attend
ed an informal meeting Of the board Of
park commissioners last evening, and
formed a temporary organization I'M
der the name Of the Lexington Avenue
association. E. B. Smith was elected
temporary chairman, and Gustave T.
Schumacher secretary. A committee
consisting Of E. B. Smith, G. t. Schur-
meier, Patrick Keigher, Theodore
Schulze, @. r. Woods and Andrew
Brown was appointed to call on the
property owners and secure their CO.
operation with the movement, which
has for its object the Improvement Of
the avenue.
President WheeIock, in calling the
meeting to order, said the object was
to consider the question Of how Lex
ington avenue could be improved and
beautified. The avenue was the only
thoroughfare 80 feet wide, which was
suitable for an approach to Como park
in that section of the city It entered
the park near the eastern limits and
was the most convenient route to the
park from the hill district Dale street
the only other available street, was
too narrow and occupied with buildings
and stores built up to the street line.
For this reason it would be impossible
to lay out boulevards and otherwise
make the improvements, which would
make the street such a driveway as
was contemplated. Lexington avenue
was the best adapted for the driveway
by reason of it's position and width
The distance from Summit avenue to
the park was 1920 feet, and in order
to carry out the proposed improvement
that portion Of the avenue from Mime
haha street to the railroad bridge.
would have to be regarded The cost to
reconstruct the roadway without re-
grading in the same manner as Como
avenue, had been fixed between Dale
street and the park, would be 81, 500. The
estimate for building boulevards on
both sides of the avenue was 81. 900, and
the planting Of $50 trees was estimated
at $3.50, making a total cost of about
$4,000. The plan suggested by Park
superintendent Nusstaumer for the i'm
proYement Of the avenue, provided for
roadway thirty-two feet wide with a
SiX-fCOt sidewalk and tWelve-fCot bcue-
ward on one side of the roadway On
the other side a ten-foot boulevard
adjoining the roadway next to this an
eight-foot cycle path, then six-fcot
| boulevard and a six-foot sidewalk.
The. cheapest way the Improvement
could be made, Mr.. Wheelock said,
would be to form an association of
property owners and the cost per front
IOot would not be more than 20 cents,
along the entire avenue.
f. r. Peck, who represented about
1,4C0 feet expressed the opinion that
the city should pay for laying out and
making the driveway. The property
owners were in no shape to pay an
assessment for the work, no matter how
much it would improve the avenue
{. r. Woods, representing 1920 feet,
owned by Gideon S. Ives, said the prop
erty he represented had been taxed
to death and in the present condition
of finances the property could not stand
an assessment. He thought the i'm
provement would be of benefit to the
city at large, rather than the property,
and the city should stand the expense.
E. B. Smith, who owned $50 feet at
Lexington and University avenues,
thought portion Of the expense should
be paid by the city. The proposed
Improvement would be a good thing for
the city and the property owners, and
he was in favor Of it.
Mr.. Wheelock explained that the city
could not bear any part of the expense,
unless it was to pay for the resurfacing
of the street, the cost of which was
estimated a 81. 800, and he was not GER
, tain that even this could be done. I'm
! lsSS the property owners would cooper
ate the proposed improvement would
have to fall through. Lexington, he
continued, would never be anything but
a residence street, ard the plan con-
templated by the park board was to
make it a part of the system Of drive
ways from Como park to Summit ave-
rue, and out to the river bank to Min
neapols Whether this would be car
ried out remained with the property
owners.
G. f. Schurmeier suggested a commit
tee be appointed to confer with the
property owners and endeavor to get
their consent to the proposed improve
ment.
T. A. Schulze, who owned 500 feet on
the avenue and was interested in an
other 1000 feet, was in favor Of the
plan, and suggested that the trees
could be planted this fall.
After some further discussion in
which President Wheelock stated that
the park board would do all it could
to assist the property owners, the as
ISOLATION was formed as stated above,
and the meeting adjourned to meet at
the call of the chairman
A resolution was passed by the park
board requesting the city council to
appropriate an amount sufficient to put
the roadway Of the avenue in good con-
dition with the understanding that the
property owners would boulevard the
street and gay for the planting Of
trees. The park board will also request
the city railway company to remove its
tracks from the avenue and operate it's
line On Hamline avenue.