Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-25
DISTRICT BUSINESS
Bill to Extend Certain Streets Passed
by the Senate.
AMENDMENTS TO TIE HOUSE BILL
Provision for Opening Roads in the
Suburbs.
A COMPREHENSIVE MEASURE

The Senate today devoted an hour to the
| consideration of District of Columbia bills
that have been passed by the House of
! Representatives and were on the calendar
of the Senate.
The first measure taken up was House
| bill 11629 to extend Pennsylvania avenue
| southeast. The report on this bill says the
bill as it came from the House proposed to
| open Pennsylvania avenue at the eastern
end thereof at a cost of $S75 to the District
Of Columbia and like amount to the prop
erty owners along the said extension. The
| report continues:
| Suburban Street Extension.
! THE first amendment relates to the ex-
tension of Staughton street westward,
| through one block on the Meridian Hill
subdivision to Columbia avenue. At pres
! ent Staughton street comes to an abrupt
| end against a single lot of land. 1t would
| be no advantage to the owner of this land
| to open a street, because he owns little or
no abutting property.
| The second amendment provides for the
widening of lexington place between Q
| street and Florida avenue. The lexington
| street railway bought and dedicated to the
| District the land over which its tracks run
on the line of lexington PLACE, but there
| is no thoroughfare, owing to the fact that
| the remainder of the land between the
! street lines has never been acquired by the
District of Columbia. AS a consequence,
| very large proportion of the children who
| attend the new public school in lexington
are forced to go many blocks out of their
| way to reach the school by way of North
| Capitol street. The extension will cost the
| District of Columbia not to exceed 81, 900.
| "A third amendment is to open and widen
| sherman avenue from Florida avenue to
| whitney avenue. glance at the map of
| the District will show the necessity of an
! hatr -,l,
| streets. The grade of 18th street is too
great for traffic, and loaded teams now
| take Sherman avenue, narrow and poorly
| improved as it is. because it offers grade
| OF only l.1o per cent, as against and ~
| per cent on 18th and 14th streets respec-
| lively. AS a choice between opening 11th
| street at cost of s129, 13S to the District
| and opening and widening Sherman avenue
| at cost of $4,000, the committee believes
| that the best results will be obtained with
| the least expense by the Sherman avenue
| Improvement
''The extension of Goth street to Columbia
road was contemplated in the highway
plans. The amendment proposes to cut off
| the apex of triangle formed by Columbia
| road and Wyoming avenue. Unless this
| snail be done now there is a strong prob
| ability that the ground will be built upon
| The cost to the District of this improve
ment Will not exceed 81 80
THE extension of 5th street is racon,
! mended for the reason that the street &c
now opened in front Of the Freedmen's
| Hospital and then comes to an abrupt sion
at the southeast corner Of the old base ball
| GROUNDS. The street should be opened in
ORDER to make a thoroughfare II is nro-
v1ded that certain lots shall be donated be-
| lore the opening takes place The cost
| Will be S,145 to the District
The Bill as Passed.
| The bill was passed as reported from the
District committee and provides as follows:
That the Commissioners of the District
OF Columbia be, and they are hereby, au-
thorized and directed to extend and open
PENNSYLVANIA avenue southeast to the Dis
| trict line, the same to be on straight extern
sion and of the same width of said avenue
as now established, and to fix and establish
the grades of the extension herein provided
lor WITHIN sixty days from the approval of
this act.
Sec. 2. That said Commissioners shall,
within thirty days from the date on which
the grades on the extension herein provided
for have been fixed and established accord
| ing to the requirements of this act institute
| by petition proceeding in rem in the Su-
preme Court of the District Of Columbia
| holding district court of the United States
| for said District, for the condemnation of a
permanent right of way for the public over
all the land lying within the limits of the
aforesaid extension not already owned by
| the United States or the District of Column
bia, excepting also all lands that may be
dedicated to the public for the said
highway and the extension thereof. And
said proceeding shall be prosecuted under
| and in accordance with the provisions of
sections PSI to 267, both inclusive, of the
Revised Statutes of the United States re-
1ating to the District Of Columbia concern
ing the condemnation of lands in the said
District for public highways.
THAT of the amount found due and
awarded damages for and in respect of
the land condemned under this section for
the opening and extending of said street,
| one-half thereof shall be assessed by the
jury in said proceedings against the pieces
and parcels of land situate and lying upon
each side of said Pennsylvania avenue ex-
tended, and also on any or all adjacent
pieces or parcels of land which will be
benefited by the said extension as herein
provided.
StaughtOn Street.
Sec. 3. That within ninety days after the
approval of this act the Commissioners of
| tha District of Columbia be, and they are
hereby, authorized and directed to begin
suit for the condemnation of the land re-
qured for the extension of Staughton street
from its present terminus westward through
block one of the Meridian Hill subdivision
| to Columbia avenue with uniform width
of siXty-five feet.
THAT of the amount found due and
awarded damages for and in respect of
the land condemned under this act for the
extension of said street., one-half thereof
shall be assessed by said jury in said pro-
ceedings against those pieces or parcels Of
ground abutting on both sides of Staughton
street and the extension thereof as hsrein
provided.
lexington Place.
Sec. 4. That within ninety days after the
passage of this act the Commissioners of
the District Of Columbia are hereby author
lied and dirscted to begin suit for .he con-
demnation of the land required for the ex-
tension Of lexington place, between @
street and Florida avenue to full width
of sixty feet, by acquiring the NECESSARY
land below Q street on the west side of
said lexington place.
THAT of the amount found due and award
ed as damages for and in respect of the
land condemned under this act for the wild
ening of the said lexington place. one-half
thereof shall be assessed by said Jury in
said proceedings against those pieces or
parcels of ground abutting that portion
| of the street to be opened and extending to
depth of 200 feet from the westerly build
ing line of said lexington place.
Sherman Avenue