Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-30
.BRAMBLEToN CITIZENS
Protest Against the Action Of the
Local Board Of That Ward.
Residents on Important Streets Are signing
Petitions in tho Matter of Paving They
sayprcsent Procee dings Arc Equivalent
to Confiscation of Their Property.

Petitions are being circulated and
signed by residents of the following
streets in Brambleton: Reservoir ave-
nue., Willoughby avenue, Levitt ave-
nue., Highland avenue and Windsor
avenue. The petitions are as follows:
I'VE, the undersigned. owners of prop
erty on .............. avenue, Bramble-
ton Ward, do hereby enter our earnest
protest against having any of the ex-
pense whatsoever, in connection with
the paving. curbing and guttering of
said avenue assessed against our
property. We hold that this is pub
lie Improvement and as such should
be charged against the ward, and not
10 the property holders. We beg to re-
mind YOU that Park and Brambleton
avenues are being improved at the eX-
pense of the ward, and we claim the
right to demand that Reservoir ave-
nue. be improved in the same manner.
AS taxpayers we are taxed our pro-
portionate part of the expense incur
red in improving the avenues just
mentioned, and we hold that it is I'M
just and altogether wrong in principle
to tax us for improvements in other
streets, and then assess us for one
half the entire cost of improving Res
ervoir avenue. We further beg to pro-
test against the narrowing of Reservoir
avenue as being unnecessary, and cal
culated to lessen the value OF our
property. The lines of said roadway
have already been defined by the City
Engineer, and many of us have laid
our sidewalks in accordance threwith
We trust you will give this protest
your favorable consideration"
Petitions like this have been, it is
said. signed by 80 per cent. of the
property holders on the five streets
named. The property holders interest
ed have held a series of meetings to
consider this matter, and the best way
to obtain what they believe to be mere
ly justice in the matter of the assess
ment of the cost of the proposed street
improvements.
These petitions will be presented to
the meeting OF the Special Street Com
mittee of the Councils. which will meet
Saturday, at 4:30 p. m, at the City
Treasurer's office.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE.
clear understanding of the case
cannot be had without some reference
to what led UP to present conditions.
Park avenue and Brambleton avenue
are now being paved with asphalt at
the expense of Brambleton Ward gen
errally. at u cost of between 100000 and
$4,000. All of the streets of Bramble-
ton have been improved heretofore at
the expense of the ward. The petit
TONERS urge that they. in general with
the other taxpayers OF the ward. have
borne thir share in the expense of i'm
proving all the streets of the ward.
and that it is unjust to saddle the ex-
pense OF the proposed improvements
on the owners of abutting property on
the streets mentioned.
They further state that fund was
provided for street improvements by
raising the rate of taxation of the
ward from S1.00 to SLIGO per $4,000, and
that this raised rate was agreed to by
the voters in the district understanding
that street and sewer improvements
were to be paid for out of this fund.
VIRTUAL CONFISCATION.
Aside from the injustice of the ap-
portionment of the proposed expense
many Of. the property owners on these