Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-27
FAV OR THE BILL
CONTINUED from Third Page.)

is some twenty or thirty feet higher than
the land to the north. and possesses Pc
culfar natural advantages which make pos
sible the unique combination of ele-
waited railway with. station at grade.
The station building VIII be set back from
street. affording a broad plaza in front.
Its main floor will be on the grade of C
street, so that passengers will not have to
climb steps or use elevators. Along the
street in front run the principal street
lines of the District. 1t is bounded on the
east by a street 10 feet wide and on the
west by one 100 feet in width, which af-
ford ample room for the traffic incident to
a railway station. The location of the sta
ton upon this site will permit also the re-
movai of tracks from North Capitol street
and the full restoration of this grand ave-
nue. to the uses of the public.
The Fast Freight Station.
The company proposes to locate its depot
for fast and perishable freight to the east
of North Capitol street between d and F
streets, The station will be set back
good distance from the street, and an am
pie yard will be provided, so arranged that
no business attaching to it will be trans
acted in the street, the freight yard hay
ing ample facilities within its own limits
fhe site Is a most excellent one for the
purposes, being centrally located and easy
OF access.
Eekington Yard and Freight Station.
The bill provides for the location of a
railroad yard and freight station on the
east side of the Metropolitan branch be-
tween Florida avenue and T street.
The members of the lexington Citizens
Association object most strenuously to
the location of yard and freight sta
ton in this territory. Their grounds
of objection are that such an estab-
lishment would affect most injuriously
the value of the contiguous property;
that the closure of the streets neces-
STATED thereby would cut off all travel be-
tween their section and the east from New
York avenue to T street; that a large num-
Der OF residents in the county whose access
TO the city is by way of the streets to be
closed would be seriously .inconvenienced.
To obviate these objections they recon-
mend that the Metropolitan branch leave
the main stem of the road at 9th street
east instead of at I'd street east as at pres
ent, thence run northerly. connecting with
the present Metropolitan branch in the
vicinity of Indianapolis street. Brookand.
Under this plan the Y would be located
about a half mile further out, in the vicin-
ity of the subdivision of Fairview, and the
yard and station would be situated on a
part of the old Ivy City race course about
mile further from the center of the city
than the site proposed in the bill
To these recommendations the company
replies that to place the yard and station
so far out would make it impossible to
carry on the business of the company or TO
handle the freight with convenience to itself
or to the Washington public; that the land
L
useless by the heavy grades: that most Of
the street spaces proposed to be taken have
never been opened or improved, and that
all of them are bounded by property which
Is owned by the company.
IN this connection the Commissioners
would state that the site proposed by the
bill for the yard and freight station would
close all the streets of lexington east OF
the Metropolitan branch except the follow
ing. which would be kept open: T street,
9th street north of the south. line of s
street s, Seaton, T and Thomas streets
east of 9th street
The portions of r and S streets and 9Th
street between street and the Brentwood
road proposed to be closed are improved
streets. having been paved with asphalt
some years ago at private expense. The
other streets proposed to be closed are not
improved. South of r street the territory
involved is traversed by the low bed of
small stream. 1t is vacant ground. gener-
ally from ten to fifteen feet below grade,
and is used as a public dump for refuse
material: in the natural course of events
years will elapse before it will be brought
to grade and made serviceable. The streets
plated 10 pass through the section are not
established upon the ground nor improved
in any way. they are not decided to the Dis
trict outright the public being granted a
right of way over them and If this right of
way is not accepted. or is accepted and
then abandoned, the street spaces would be
subject TO reversion to the owner of the
abuttng property, who In this case is the
right of way of the Metropolitan branch is
owned in fee simple by the railroad COM
pany north of Florida avenue. The COM
pauy has permitted the streets to be car
ried across without compensation. but these
crossings are the property of the company
which has not waived It's right to close
them when desired.
The streets of lexington do not run fur
Their east than the Brentwood road. The
average distance of the Brentwood road
from the Metropolitan branch is about 600
feet. So that the closing of the streets east
OF the right of way would result simply III
the line Of subdvided property being moved
about ~" feet west of its present limit.
The streets in question were dedicated by
private party, and so far they have
been improved 1t has been done at private
expense. Practically speaking, the govern
ment has not incurred any expense for
their opening or improvement. And the
company purchased the abutting land from
the party who dedicated and improved the
Streets.
As the company owns the property in the
section to be occupied and as the streets
are not opened to the east, the question, of
caring for the local street traffic is an i'm
material one, and as the local traffic in the
SECTION will be in connection with railroad
business the company doubtless will pro-
vide ample facilities for it.
The through traffic from Brentwood road
and Patterson avenue, however. will have
To be cared for. This can be done conven-
iently and at small expense by diverting it
admirable line of access to the city could
be furnished also by way of 7th street and
New York avenue, as laid out on the high
way extension plan. This would involve
the extension of 18th street from Brentwood
road to the line of New York avenue, a
distance of about 1000 feet, and of New
York avenue from its present terminus east
to 9TH street, a distance of about 400 feet.
If the yard Is to be located, proposed,
provision should be made for opening these
streets.
Several years ago when a plan for
changes in the Baltimore and Ohio termi-
nal. virtually in accord with the PROPOSE
tons contained in the bill, tentatively
agreed upon by the Commissioners and the
railroad company, the company took i'm
mediate steps to acquire the property in
lexington, where 1t now proposes to locate
its yard and station and with that avowed
purpose. As soon as this tentative agree
ment had been reached as to the change of
system above referred to the plans were
made public and no serious opposition was
developed to them at that time. and there
after the company completed the purchase
Of the tract which it now owns.
The street extension plans for this sec
ton now duly adopted and recorded in ac-
cordance with law were also laid out with
this plan of railway treatment in view. An