The Saint Paul globe., 1897-11-16
CARS TO COMO PARK
VARIOUS ROUTES INFORMALLY
TALKED OVER BY THE COM
MISSIONERS.
TALK OF CHARTER CHANGES.
MEMBERS OF THE PARK BOARD
THINK THEY NEED MORE
MONEY.
DRAFT OF SOME AMENDMENTS
which Are Regarded as Necessary
VIII Be Submitted to the
Charter Framers.
TALK OF CHARTER CHANGES.
RAFT OF SOME AMENDMENTS

posed routes, by which lines of street
cars could be run through Como park.
The most feasible plan, and one which
would work the least injury to the
park and the driveways leading to
and in the park, in the opinion of the
superintendent, was the route which
might not be acceptable to the street
railway company, Starting from the
present station in the park, the pro-
posed line would run on Lexington
avenue to Cross street and then west
in almost a direct line south of the
workhouse to Breda street, which is
one street south of Langford avenue
The line would run through natural
raVine, and the company could go un-
der the driveWays, which would have
to be bridged at the expense Of the
company. With the route suggested
by the superintendent, there would
be no grade crossings or cuts, and the
highest grade would be a per cent
one. The superintendent stated that,
While he had not talked with the Of
ficials Of the street railway, he thought
the idea of the company was TO run a
line directly west from the present
station on Langford avenue. If this
line was constructed and operated, it
would make grade crossings at nearly
all of the park driveways, and would
also necessitate a number Of cuts and
fills, which would destroy the appear
ance of the park.
President Wheelock said the street
1,oi Oh
the park driveways at grade. The
park board or the company should see
that this was not done, even if con-
siderable expense was necessary to
prevent it. AS to the plan proposed by
Supt. Nussbaumer, by which a portion
of Lexington avenue was to be used,
Mr.. Wheelock objected. The avenue
was to be the finest approach to the
park, and the tracks would spoil it.
Mr.. Aberle suggested that the tracks
could be laid in the park just to the
west of Lexington avenue, and this
would not interfere with the driVewa>
as the line would turn on Cross street
before the entrance to the park was
reached. The board decided that the
was an evil, but the thing to be done
was to figure out a route which would
do the least damage.
Supt. Nussbaumer called attention to
the fact that the forty acres, through
which the proposed line would run, was
now nOminally iG the control of the
Worl1hOuse commissioners, and posi-
bly, the consent of this body would
have to be secured before anything
could be done. He advised that the
board should be thoroughly acquaint-
ed with the matter, and also the lay
of the land, and the members decided
that an inspection of the routes pro-
posed would be necessary and advisa
BILE. The plans were accepted and laid
over for further discussion.
The question of what, if any, amend
ments to the park law should be sug
gested to the charter commission was
discussed at length by the board. Presi-
dent Wheelock said he had conversed
with two of the members of the COM
mission as to changes which should be
made in the law and called for suggeS-
tions. Mr.. Aberle thought the most
important change needed was to have
a levy of from three-fourths to one
mill placed in the tax levy each year
for the park fund. AS it was now the
board was obliged to restrict it's ex-
penses to the amount allowed by the
conference committee and the council
each year This had been on an aver
age about $4,000 year. There was a
probability that the Phalen park ques-
ton would be settled by the courts
within the next year, and the board
would need a considerable sum to take
care of the new park. A levy of three
fourths of a mill would give the board
about $70, 900, which would be none too
much.
Supt. Nussbaumer, who was asked for
an estimate of the cost of dredging
Phalen lake and constructing a boule-
ward around the lake and Lake Ger
vais, figured that the total expense
would be in the neighborhood of $36, 900.
Based on the work of dredging which
had been done at Como, the work naces-
sary at Phalen would cost $4,000, and
the boulevarding of Phalen and Lake
Gervais would cost $4,000 and $4,000
respectively. This, Mr.. Aberle contin-
ued showed that the board would need
the amount which would be raised by a
levy of at least three-fourthS of a mill.
The figures as to the cost of improving
Phalen park, Mr.. Aberle thought, were,
if anything, too low.
President WheelOck was of the Opin-
ion that the new charter should have
incorporated under the park law pro-
vision of the state law of 1895, which
gave park boards charge of the plant
ing of trees on boulevards. The pro-
vision, in order to prevent the charge
of arbitrary action on the part of the
board, Mr. Wheelock said, could pro-
vide that after the property OWNERS had
been notified the work could be pushed
forward, unless protest signed by a
MA jOrity Of. the property owners was
handed in. He also favored the new
charter containing & provision which
would extend the powers of the board
so as to give it charge of the cutting
of the grass on the boulevards at the
expense of the owners of the property
During the past season the grass had
been cut on the boulevards on Summit
avenue, between Dale street and Day
ton avenue, at a cost not to exceed one
half a cent per front foot. Another
suggestion made was to have the char
ter provide for five members of the
board instead of four as now constitut-
ed. 1t was also deemed advisable that
the city should pay a portion of the
expense for beautifying parkways as
designated by the board, or the streets
leading to the parks. This would, the
board claimed, result in much improve
ments being made along this line as,
at present, the property owners OBJ
jected to standing the expense of i'm
provements which We're a benefit to
the entire city. President Wheelock
was authorized to consult with the
corporation attorney and have prepar-
cd a draft of the amendments consider
ed advisable to be incorporated in the
new charter.
The question of having the board
take charge of the boulevard in the
center Of Summit avenue from Lexing-
ton avenue to the river, was discussed.
1t was stated that the expense of hav-