The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-23
PnALEN PARK AGAIN
PRESIDENT WHEELOCK WANTS
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
TO PREPARE
ANOTHER ASSESSMENT FOR IT

Mr.. Pottgieser Says the Office Is Too
Busy With Other Work, Besides
He Isn't Certain That the Courts
Wouldn't Set 1t Aside as Before
Bids Opened for Some Paving
Estimates for Improvements.
PRESIDENT Wheelock, of the park board
was In consultation yesterday afternoon
with the board of public works over
the Phalen park matter. Over two
months ago the park board sent an or
der to the board of public works for the
condemnation of the land for PhaIen
park Owing to the last assessment for
this park having been set aside by the
oistrlct court and the ruling of Judge
BUM In the matter sustained by the
supreme court, no action has been taken
10 date by the board Of public works.
An effort was made at the last session
OF the legislature to fix up a law which
would allow the city council to purchase
lands for parks by placing $4,000 each
year In the tax estimate and the alter
native proposition that the council could
condemn lands for this purpose was
also embodied in the law.
The corporation attorney in an opinion
given the park board holds that the
purchase section Of the new law is good
but that the condemnation clause is so
vague that it will be of no account. It
was to start the board on the old plan
as outlined In the order of the park
board of March that President Vince
lock appeared before it yesterday after
noon.
President Pottgieser explained that the
office was crowded with work now from
the various improvements ordered and
the one abstract clerk had all he could
do to attend to the regular work In
order to prepare for the Phalen park
assessment it would require the service
or an additional abstract clerk for sixty
days or more. The board had no money
and unless 1t was possible to- secure 6
clerk by resolution of the council with
salary to be paid from the general fund,
the work Of preparing for the reassess-
ment Tor the park could not possibly be
handled.
President Fottgieser also expressed the
opinion that the reassessment, if made,
would probably be a whole lot of work
done for nothing, as the question Of
whether property benefited could be
found to pay for the park would be
raised with possibility that the courts
would set the assessment aside again.
President WheelOck, however, is quite
sanguine that the property owners who
have the land to be taken for the park
will be ready to sell for probably half
the figures they asked for a year or SO
ago, and with the $220 IN the park
board fund applicable to the purchase
the amount to be assessed will not ex-
coed $4,000.
This amount is about one-half of what
the expense was at the last assessment,
and it is expected that the property own
ers who will have to stand an assess
ment will not object to paying for the
park at these figures.
No action was taken by the board,
but If the services of an additional clerk
can be secured the abstract may be pre-
pared and the first steps in the reas-
sessment taken.
The board awarded contracts for paw
ing East Seventh street and Minnesota
street with brick to Fielding & Shepley.
Four bids were opened for the paving
with brick of East Seventh stree. between
the Great Northern bridge and Hope
street. The engineers estimate was SIS
40, and the bidders were: Nick Feyen,
SIS, 400; Cauney & Halves, $780, ]. Lind
Quist, s1S,960; Fielding and Shepley, slS.590.
There were the same number of bidders
for paving with brick Minnesota street,
from Third to Eighth. The engineers
estimate was $11,S47, and the bids were:
Nick Feyen, $13,500; Cauney & Halves, $12.-
500; John Lindquist $12,S4O; Fielding &
Shepley. 81, 965.
The city engineer reported plans and
estimates for the several improvements:
Sewers-Mt. Airy street, from L'Orie1t
to Broadway; estimate SAG, or 65 cents
per front foot to property owners; Mime
haha street, from Cypress, 100 fee cas-,
estimate, $211, or So cents per front foot
to property owners; Beech street, from
Cypress, 300 feet east, estimate, $50, or
62 cents per front foot to property own
ers; jerks from Edgerton to Jessie, esti-
mate, 1924, or 65 cents per front foot to
property owners.
Paving-Selby avenue with asphalt from
Summit to Victoria, estimate, $4S.710 or
$3.75 per front foot to property owners;
East Ninth with brick from Broadway to
Locust, estimate, $3.50, cost per front
foot to property owners, $495
Assessments were completed for a sewer
on Atwater from Rice to Sylvan; grading
alley in block twenty-five, Merriam
Park; sewer on Robe street from Bidwen
400 feet east; grading Hatch from Sylvan
to Park avenue; sewer on Beech from
Forest to Cypress, on Cypress from Beech
to Reaney, and on Minnehaha to Cypress.