The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-26
BUYING PALISADES.
Interstate Park Commission
Formulates Plans for
Getting Control.

ers met yesterday afternoon to plan the
work made possible by New York's $780,
600 appropriation. The Commissioners are
George W. Perkins, Abram S. Hewitt, Ed
win A. Stevens, d.. McNeely Stauffer
FRANKLIN w. Hopkins, Ralph Trautmann
William A. Linn, Abram De Ronde, Ma
than F. Barrett and J. Du Pratt White.
| Mr.. White, the secretary of the COM
| mission, when he was asked what the
Commissioners proposed to do now that
they had the money for which they had
asked, said
our plans have been pretty well for
mulated in a general way during rne pas,
year. Put briefly, what he have to do now
| is to acquire title to all the land between
the top of the Palisades and the waters
edge from Fort Lee Landing to Piermont
Creek and then to build boulevard along
the base of the cliffs The face Of the
Palisades is in most cases to be given 10
the Commission by the property owners
and the land to be bought is about 1,116
acres at an average price of $500 an acre.
1t lies in a strip whose length is roughly
fifteen miles and whose mean width is
$50 feet. There are between 275 and 300
titles to be passed and the work of
searching and closing these will take our
time for a good while to come. These pa
pers that l have here now relate to titles
to be acquired
Condemnation proceedings will have to
be instituted in some cases. AS for the
boulevard, when we get to that, we ex-
pect to connect it with the east side of
the river by numerous ferries and with
the top of the cliffs at favorable inter-
walls by roadways. There are country
roads now running along the river an
eighth of a mile or so back of the cliffs
and these side roadways can connect the
boulevard with them. Of course, we
could not build a road on top of the cliffs
for that would destroy too many valua-
Bile property rights. We think the boule-
ward proposed may be built for $4,000 a
mile.
Our assets in the way of appropria-
tions and contributions should cover ali
the expenses of acquisition. We decided
to devote the 5000 appropriated by New
Jersey year ago to searches of titles
and maps of property and the $4,000 New
York appropriation of 1900 was used in
acquiring options on the quarries where
blasting was going on. We stopped the
blasting from last Christmas Eve to june
next. A number of men of New York
City subscribed $1225OO to buy those quar-
ries in order that the option might moi
be lost, the only condition being that the
two States interested should appropriate
enough money to carry the work of ac-
QUESTION to completion. IT, condition
has been satisfied by New Jerseys appro-
priation of $4,000 and New York's OF
s40o, 900. might say, by way of reminder
that New Jersey has also ceded its RI
parian rights in the property involved
rights valued at $1,000, 900. The Commits
sion has spent some of the money received
| for office rent, clerk hire or incidental ex-
penses. Title to the land will be vested
in l.4e respective States in which the par
GELS lie.'
By pursuing a conciliatory policy in
stead of emphasizing its power to obtain
land by condemnation the Commission
believes that it has saved considerable
| money. There is still some opposition on
the part of property owners, but not
enough to give trouble In general, prop
| erty owners along or near the proposed
/ reservation are alive to the boom in real
estate which will follow the construction
of the park, and where sentimental con-
| siderations do not avail the argument of
enhanced values is sufficiently convincing.
The Commission holds its meetings in
Mr. Perkinss office at No. 346 Broadway.
1t is said that to Mr.. Perkins, more than
to any other one man, the progress and
| success of the project for the preserva-
| ton of the Palisades is due