Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-16
SUBURBAN IMPROVEMENTS
Providing for the Widening of Nineteenth
Street.
Advantages of the Proposed Action
New Hampshire Avenue.


tended northwest, now established, to a
width of ninety feet from Florida avenue to
Columbia road, and to connect Wyoming
avenue with Columbia road.
THE Commissioners shall, within thirty
days from the date of the passage of this
act, institute by petition a proceeding in
rem in the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia, holding District Court of the
United States for said District, for the con-
demnation of strip of land forty feet wide
lying on the west side of said 10th street ex-
tended to make said street ninety feet wide
between Florida avenue and Columbia road.
and for the condemnation of the remainder
of lots l and . and 50 much of lots 3 and
10 as is required to properly connect and
make continuous line and roadway OIL
Wyoming avenue across Columbia road
and said proceedings shall be prosecuted
under and in accordance with the provis-
ions of sections 257 to 267, both inclusive
of the Revised Statutes of the United
States relating to the District of Columbia
concerning the condemnation of lands in
said District for the public highways
Sec. .. That payment of the sum or
sums of money adjudged to be due and pay
able for lands taken under its provisions
shall be made by the treasurer of the United
States, eX-officio commissioner of the sink
ing fund of the District of Columbia, upon
the warrant of said Commissioners. out Of
the revenues of the District of Columbia;
and sufficient sum TO pay such Judgments
and awards is hereby appropriated out of
the revenues of the District.
Sec. 3. That of the amount found due
and awarded as damages for and in respect
of the land condemned under this act for
the widening of said street, one-half there
of shall be assessed by the jury in said
proceedings against the pieces and parcels
of ground situate and lying on each side of
said 10Th street extended between Florida
avenue and Columbia road, and also on all
IN any n MI or
which will be benefited by the widening of
10Th street as herein provided.
Sec. 1. That the sums to be assessed
against each lot and piece and parcel of
ground shall be determined and designated
by the jury, and in determining what
amount shall be assessed against any par
ttcular piece or parcel of ground, the jury
Shall take into consideration the situation
of said lots, and the benefits that they may
severally receive from the widening of said
street and highway.
Sec. .. That when confirmed by the
court, the assessments shall severally be a
lien upon the land assessed. and shall be
collected as special Improvement taxes in
the District of Columbia and shall be pay
able in five equal instailments with interest
at the rate of per centum per annum I'M
til paid.
Sec. 6. That payment of the awards
made in respect of the property condemned
shall not be made until the assessments
herein provided for shall have been made
against the aforesaid property and duly
confirmed.'
Reasons for the improvements.
The report on the bill says:
The portion of 10Th street proposed to
be widened is that part lying between Flor
ida avenue and Columbia road, a distance
Of less than 100 feet. Many years ago
this part of 10Th street was opened, its
present width of 30 feet all being taken
from the east side, so that the east line of
this portion of the street is parallel with
the east line OF 10th street below the boun-
dairy For several years there has been
an act of Congress prohibiting the opening
of new streets less than 90 feet wide 1t
IS now proposed to widen this portion of
18th street - feet additional by condemna-
ton of land on the west side. Under the
highway act jury assessed the damages
for widening this street at $4S, 100. BY gen.
eral consent this Judgment was set aside
awaiting the action of Congress upon the
highway act, which act has since been re-
peaied. The land at the intersection of
18th street and Columbia road, and which
IS the most valuable part, was wiIled by
Maria T. Stoddard to the Humane Society,
so that this institution would receive
large portion of any award of damages 1t
is believed that another jury will find the
damages considerably less than the former
assessment.
Nineteenth street offers one of the few
opportunities for driving Into the suburbs
beyond Florida avenue. Fifteenth and 10th
streets are not improved. Eighteenth street
way, as is Columbia road. Twentieth and
21st streets are not opened. The land owned
on the east side of the portion of this street
proposed to be widened has been subdivided
into lots, and Is now paying very cOnsid-
cradle amount of taxes to the District.
"A number of houses have already been
built and others projected on the east side
of this street; while on the west side there
are no houses, except one small building at
the intersection of 10Th street and Columbia
road, and which the jury already referred
to assessed at less than $500. The substi-
tute proposed by the committee provides
that one-half of the damages of condemna-
ton shall be paid by owners of the ada
cent property. which is to be assessed for
benefits, the assessment being a lien upon
the property and collected the same as
taxes after the assessment is confirmed by
the court. The remaining half is to be paid
from the revenues of the District but not
until the award Of assessment against the
adjacent property for benefits has been
duly confirmed by the court
Extending New Hampshire Avenue.
The bill for extending New Hampshire
avenue provides that the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia be authorized and
directed to extend and open New Hamp-
shire avenue from the intersection of Whit
ney and Sherman avenues to the west line
Of Brightwood avenue at its intersection
with Rock Creek Church road the same
same width Of said avenue as now estab-
lished in the subdivision of Petworth, and
TO fix and establish the grades of the ex-
tension herein provided for within sixty
days from the date of the approval of this
act.
The remaining features of the bill are
similar TO those of the 18th street bill. The
report says:
The extension proposed lies between
Whitney avenue and Brghtwood avenue or
1th street road, and is to connect an al
ready completed section of New Hampshire
avenue, several squares of which are COW
cred with asphalt pavement, with the thor
oughfares leading from what is now known
as Columbia Heights. The length of the
extension is only LOO feet, and involves
the taking of property mostly unimproved
and Of comparatively small value There
are practically no improvements in the line
of the avenue, although it is probable that
in the near future many will be made. as
the city is growing very rapidly in that d.
rection.
The proposed extension will afford a
much safer and pleasanter drive from the
city to the northern entrance Of the Sol
diers' Home grounds than that which Is
used at present. and relieve Whitney ave-
nue. from the pressure upon it when pleas