Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-09-09
COST OF STREETS.
Estimates Showing the Assess
ments That Will be Made.
hr. Gale, of Bramblcton Local Board of
Improvement, Corrects Impressions and
Gives Figures Showing That a5-foot's
Quota WIN BIO ss4.

Brambleton lots are as interesting
ms valuable. Despite some rash threats
and wagers with strings to them. the
residents there are not parting with
Brambleton lots without a considera
tion that is valuable and enhancing.
That is practically what a reporter of
the Virginian-Pi learned from an in
terview with Mr.. f. II. Gale, a mem
Der of the Local Board of Improve
ment, yesterday.
AS basis for the talk the reporter
went, first, to a practical payer and
asked him what the asphalt paving
of the avenues of Brambleton would
cost. He said that paving in Newport
News costs $3.50 n square yard, that
other contracts have been made ut va
rious prices as high as $3.50 square
yard. Asphalt paving has been done
here by the lump, so that he could not
tell the price by the square yard. But
taking 1t at IS for the 27-foot road
ways of Brambleton Ward the cost
for a 40-fOot lot would be $500, so that
the one-fourth OF the expense to be
paid by the abutting property owner,
say of Reservoir avenue, would be $40.
The expense of n 25-foot lot, estimated
the same way. would be S56.25.
Mr.. Gale, however estimating differ
emily, arrives at n similar result
He assumes that the cost OF paving
by the linear foot is 1888. A 25-foot
lot would amount to $1SS.25, one-fourth
of which is-S47.06. But from that there
Is to be q rebate for the value of the
improvements which have been made
on all the avenues of Brambleton
Ward that are under discussion now.
He estimates the curblng. gutternG
and Smelling at about $3.50, which
from SAT leaves S34.50 net as the assess
ment for n 25-foot lot.
i H1,ar-f r,t1, Co. 80
posed assessment which Mr.. Gale says
are not we'll understood. One of these
that when q lot fronts on two ave-
nues the same assessment will not he
made for both. The lot will probably
be assessed in full value on one ave
In such case. he explained. there
can be no such calamity as n confis-
cation OF the property. 1t is unconsti-
tutional to assess property for q great
er amount than the benefit received.
That might be possible with lots lying
remote from the building sections and
worth, perhaps, S150, which were abut-
ting on two paved streets. But there
are no such lots. The lots at the eX-
IRENE limits of some of the streets pro-
posed for paving are worth 500. But
putting their value at the low esti-
mate of $500 the owners would still be
benefited by the improvements.
The last assessment shows that while
Atlantic City Ward increased In taxa
BILE valuation S1.250,000 Brambleton
Wards increase was but $4,000. With
the new issue of bonds Brambleton
Ward will come within $4,000 OF ex-
hausting' her credit. That is, money
will have been borrowed up to the
legal limit but forsabout $4,000. There
will be no margin on which to borrow
more.
If the citizens should refuse to ac-
cept the offers of the. City Councils
to issue bonds for improvements now
it is not likely that the citizens of the
other wards will be willing to pledge
their property for the improvements
in that ward.
The roadways proposed are pot mar
row. They are q foot wider than is
Freemason street. They will be wide
enough for any traffic there. But still
another feature, not heretofore men
toned, is that these grass plotted
streets are safer for children. The
children who get tired of the house
can go outside without going into
roadways. The paved streets will be
beautiful, too an ornament to the
city, and. IL trees are planted in the
grass plots. they will have n sanitary
effect on the whole ward.