Evening star., 1899-02-03
A NEW PUBLIC PARK
Bill to Establish One at Columbia
Road and 18th Street.
HEARING HELD this MORNING
Need of a Breathing Place in That
Section Shown.
CITIZE s. RESS ES

The House committee on public buildings
and grounds today gave a hearing on House
bill 1889, 20 establish a park at the corner
of Columbia road and 14th street north
west. The bill provides that the Commis-
sioners of the District of Columbia be
thorfzed and directed to select from the
tract of land lying at the northwest corner
of Columbia road and 14th street, in the
District of Columbia, such lots and parts
of lots not exceeding three acres of ground,
to include the grove of oak trees now
standing at and near the corner, to be
condemned and set apart for the public use
as a public park.
The Commissioners shall. without delay,
cause to be made a careful map of the land
selected by them showing the location and
area of each lot and part of lot to be taken
for such purpose, with the names of the
respective owners inscribed thereon, and
the said map shall be flied and recorded in
the public land records OF the District of
Columbia. and from and after that date
the several lots and parcels of land
embraced in such park shall be
| held as condemned for public uses,
subject to the payment of just compensa-
ton. to be determined by said Commission
els anu stIDNtu DN the fFtSluelJ OF the
United States. provided that such COM
pensation be accepted by the owner or own
ers of the several parcels of land.
If the Commissioners shall be unable to
purchase any portion of the land so
lected and condemned within thirty days
after condemnation by agreement with the
respective owners at the price approved by
the President of the United States, they
shall at the expiration of such period of
thirty days. make application to the Su-
preme Court of the District of Columbia. by
petition, at a special term thereof. for an
| assessment of the value of such land, and
the petition shall contain particular de-
SCriptiOn of the property selected and con-
demned. with the name of the owner or
owners of each lot and part Of lot thereof,
and his, her or their residences. as far as
the same may be asceTtained, together with
a copy of the recorded map of the park:
and the court is hereby authorized and re-
quired, upon such application, without de-
lay, to notify the owners and occupants of
the land and to ascertain and assess the
value of the land so selected and con-
demned by appointing three commissioners
to appraise the value or values thereof,
and to return the appraiSement to the
court. And when the values of such land
are thus ascertained and the President shall
deem the same reasonable the values shall
he paid to the owner or owners, and the
United States shall be deemed to have a
valid title to the lands.
The sum of 5000 900, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is appropriated. one
Ian 10 bt Ditlt out OF any money IN the
treasury of the United States not otherwise
appropriated, and the other half out of the
revenues of the District of Columbia to de-
Tray the costs and charges of the proceed
lngs for the selection condemnation and
purchase of the park
A committee representing the Columbia
Heights Citizens Association attended the
hearing, consisting of c. S. Bundy chair
man; DIR. Benz. F. Gibbs Jno. s. McAlmont
Chas. NJ. Campbell. Ellis Spear. Gilbert NJ
Hustled, Robt. V. Page and II. L. West
Mr.. Bundy's Address.
Mr. c. S. Bundy addressed the committee.
reviewing the history of the establishment
of the capital of the nation upon its present
site.
The old city of Washington alone is not
the capital of the United States" said Mr.
Bundy. The District of Columbia. with its
the United States"
Mr. Bundy then detailed the laying out of
the Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights
subdivisions.
In all this great section" said Mr.. Bun
dy, there is not a single park or reserva-
ton, and the object of this meeting is to
call attention to that fact
Mr. Bundy then read a paper which had
been prepared for and approved by the Co
lumbia Heights Citizens Association. set
ting forth the reasons why park should be
established at the place named in the bill
MI Bundy said there are 301 parks in the
city, covering 405 acres. All of them lie
south of Florida avenue. so that great area
of land, sufficient to have 200 1000 people
lying north of Florida avenue has no pub-
lie park or reservation.
THE inhabitants of Washington north of
Florida avenue, said Mr. Bundy. ARE
equally entitled to parks with the inhabit-
ants of the city south OF that avenue"
He said that if the parks were distrib-
uted equally over the city there would be
ten and thrce-quarters acres of parking
to each square mile.
Mr.. West
Mr.. Henry L. West then addressed the
committee. He said that north of Florida
avenue there is now a population large in
numbers and of a most desirable class be-
ing permanent in character and including a
large proportion of home owners. Within
the area occupied by this population there
is no public park, while the need of such a
breathing place. is every year becoming
more apparent.
He said there TO insistance upon the
particular site named The people want a
park, and they don't care what site is Sc
lected. The taxpayers on Columbia Heights
viii ingly pay their share of taxes for the
improvement of other sections of the city,
and think that they should have some
share in the parks.
Mr.. john S. McAlmont briefly addressed
the committee He thought the site men,
toned in the bill was a proper one and
urged the committee to act favorably on
the bill.