The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-29
RIPARIAN LEASES
State Board Abandons Policy
Of Making Absolute
Grants.
TWENTY YEAR TERM HEREAFTER
Municipalities Will Be Treat
ed the Same as Individuals
or Private Corporations.

At ameting of the State Board of RI
parsan Commissioners. held yesterday
afternoon in the Commissioners office IN
the Fuller Building. the policy of dispos-
ing OF riparian lands by absolute grant
or lease in perpetuity was abandoned ana
new form of lease for twenty-yeaf
terms. with the privilege of renewal on
new appraisement of valuation, was
adopted.
All the members were present, and
Governor Voorhees, presided when the
question came up on the application Oh
f. J. White for forty-foot grant on the
Bavonne shore of the Kill Won Kull. The
applicant already holds forty feet on the
old form of perpetual lease, which con-
tains provision authorizing Its convet-
sion into an absolute grant on appliea-
tion OF the owner All the outstanding
leases contain this provision, ana pney
were granted on the following conol-
tion:-The applicant on accepting tne
nriee fixed for the land by the riparian
Board. would pay an annual rental equiv
alent to seven per cent of the price SO
fixed until such time as he desired oon-
version Of his lease into grant, Wien
he would become owner in fee OF the laii'i
at the price originally fixed me Naius
of the property held by Mr.. White on
lease had been fixed at $50 foot OF d
total of s., co., and on that valuatlo tie
holder paid an annual rental OF sl40
vear. This, Mr.. White said ne eois'o-
cred too high, because OF the presshe Sel..
dition of the property ana ne asAeu -.
a lower rate on the additional grant lot
which he applied ..4oa
IN response to a query, ne lhlii.'a's1
that a valuation Of s25 a 1901 "ouio y
1,;oh ana added that he would be pleased
to surrender his old lease and accept
revaluation of the entire front at rate OF
ss5 foot. On final consideration II was
suggested that the better plan weuia pe
TO accept Mr.. Whites surrender OF ms
old lease and make a new one on me me
the board has had under consideration
for some time.
This was agreed to. and plan adopteo
by which all laases are TO be made Ior a
term of twenty years. with a privilege Oh
renewal The valuation Will be deter
mined upon as at present, and during the
faafs he rental VIII pc an
amount equal to seven per een,. per an
mum on the total valuation. At the end
of twenty years a revaluation IS 70 pc
made by arbitrators, and the rental fixed
on that valuation will he the then pre-
vailing legal rate of interest. The same
rule will prevail at each subsequent
twenty-year period.
1t was decided on this basis to fix the
valuation of the property now held by
Mr.. White and the additional lease which
he seeks at a valuation of SS5 foot. or a
4otaI' of 50 se0 on which he would nav an
amman rental Of S1es a wear for twenty
Years The same rule was adonted in ref
arenca - al tbe other annlieatjons con-
,sidered evcent one where fhe annlieafion
was for a quit claim title to a strip of
land ON fsooner,s Creek held ,1nder fee on
on old freeboidar,s ricense$ II was also
decided to apply the rule to municipalities
seeking grants which have heretofore
been made for a nominal consideration.
Camden was the first to come under the
new rule on two applications for grants
made to the Board in June. One was
for a grant on the Delaware River about
three-fourths of a mile in length, and the
other for a grant about 400 feet long near
the intersection Of cooper's Creek and
the Delaware River. The latter is a piece
Of land bought In by the city for nom
payment of taxes and leased to the vul-
eanite Paving Company Of Philadelphia
for $3.50 a year. As the city derives a
revenue from the land, it was held that
the State should also. The former appli-
cation was for the land in front Of the
new Camden water works. 1t is regarded
as of little value at present, but being
close to Philadelphia. it was held the
value might rapidly increase, and the
State should have the benefit. For TINS
reason it was decided to make the grants
on the twenty=year iease system tne
same as to individual apphcants' anu II
is expected the same rule VIII Apply -
all municipal grants.
Along with making several grants on
the new lease system the Doara oel'eu
the application OF the Auoleoriuih
Amusement Pier company OF Atiaiie.c
City Tor an extension Oh ehe oeaee -. ~
parian land at that point from Wv 70 i'V'O
feet The grant OF the applieatioh was
urged by X. e Burgeols' representing