The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-16
WANT TO CLEAR AWAY ST0OPS.
THEY ARE BECOMING a BARRIER
TO INCREASING TRAFFIC.


street and Lane Committee Thinks n
Determined stand should BE
Taken Against Further Obstruc-
tIOns, and This VIII Eventually
See Ali stoOps RemOVed-No Prne-
ticabIe plan of Clearing Them
Away Has Been suggeSted-Plan
Now in Force south OF Anderson
Street Might he Applied TO North
ern section.
The attention The street and lane com
mittee of Council is giving 10 Sidewalk
cncroa chrnents may result IN legislation
Of some kind to regulate oostructiohs
hereafter. The move 20 prevent the cree
ton of Stops comes with that 10 have
wider and better sidewalks, which is an
imFossibIity in some parts OF the city,
owing to distractions that take up the
larger part of the walks.
The difficulty in sowing the problem
north Of anderson street is that the cree
ton of Stops has been allowed 50 long,
and they have been built up so generally
throughout the ciiy, that il is impracuca-
bic TO decide when or where to begin the
crusade against them. Il is stated that
according to a city ordinance Council Is
bound 10 issue permit to build stoops IN
blocks where two-thirls of the property
owners have them. The spirit of the ordi-
nance seems 10 be that where the block
has already been INSTRUCTED, the good
work had as well be allowed to continue.
There are reasons for believing that
action Will be taken by Council IN Inc
near future against the continued erection
OF stoops, said Alderman Dixon. Il ne
custom of allowing them has been one OF
such long standing that IL Is difficult 10
set down on them at present without STIR
ring up too much dissatisfaction among
the people, There is a time coming when
a peg will have to be driven, and IL seems
to me the earlier il IS done the better II
Will be for the city. The Instructions not
only detract from the appearance of
street, but they interfere with traffic,
which win become the more SO as the
city grows, and the demand for wider
walks becomes greater.
1T is not practicable to think of passing
a sweeping ordinance requiring the re-
moval of all stoops in Savannah" ne con-
tinued, but stake may be driven down,
and the city say, thus far and no fur
Their. With the right sort of legislation,
the stoops would soon clear away of their
own accord, as some would rot down,
ana others wuld be removed for various
purposes. 1t will take a determined Coun-
Gil 10 stop the erection of stoops, even
gradually as any move in this direction
- sure to be bitterly opposed for a time.
All property owners desire to get the full
worth of their money by building out to
the street and getting into their houses
BY means of Stops, and the only appar-
ent way to clear them away is to stop
erecting them. A law Of this kind, strict
ly enforced, VIII clear away nearly all the
Objectionable stoops within the next TWEEN
~ years"
Director Gadsden said ne thought the
time would come when stoops win be
cleared away but he thinks il will have
20 be done gradually. The question seems
| TO be one that few Councils have cared TO
! tackle in a firm way, as the number OF
enemies the party would make would mean
its death.
In some parts of the city the authori-
| ties have already set down on further OBJ
structions. On Whitaker street. within a
! block of where stoops take up two-thirds
OF the sidewalk, large brick store and
dwelling have been recently erected and
while the building extends to the property
line stoops have been dispensed with for
small vestibules, which make more de-
sirable entrance, and add materially to the
street appearance of the property.
Stool's are not known south of Anderson
street as the city fathers tackled the OBJ
structions in their infancy. 1T shall be
unlawful to build any portico, stoop or
other Obstructure," the ordinance saws
within the lines of any street or lane
south of Anderson street, and any person
violating this provision of this ordinance
shall on conviction thereof in the Police
Court of Savannah, be fined for each Of
Tense in such sum no greater than 800
as the offense pending in the Police Court
shall determine or be imprisoned not more
than thirty days, either or both. as the
officer presiding in said court shall de
termine.'
The solution of the stoop question in the
thickly populated section of the city is
far off, and while there are several mem
hers of Council who are giving the matter
thought, none have suggested any defni e
plan OF abating them. II remains for some
of the aldermen 10 thoroughly identity
themselves with city improvements by
suggesting plan and outlining he way
to put 1t into execution. There Is no doubt
but the public is anxious 10 see the cree
ton of stoops and other distinctions in
the streets stopped. and when ii is under
| taken the chences are that the plan Wsll
be heartily endorsed by everybody.