Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-20
s STREET EXTENSION
UNFAVoRABLE REPORT MADE ON
PENDING BILL.
Estimated Cost Of the Improvement
$45, OOO-Comments by the
Commissioners.

The attitude of the Commissioners toward
the objects of the bill for the extension of
5 street northeast is unfavorable according
to a report submitted by them to Congress
today The estimated cost of the improve
ment is $4,000, the nature of the ground
being such that large amount of grading
would be necessary in the event of the ex-
tension being made.
The Commissioners state with regard ia
the matter:
The subdivision through which the street
would pass is called McLaughlin's stbdi-
vision, and was laid out number of years
ago with the streets narrow and not con-
Meeting at either end with any projected
system of street extension. The conse-
quence is that lexington and the country
to the north, lying to the east of I'd street.
is deprived of adequate facilities for reach
ing the city lying to the southwest This
has become more especially since the
adoption of the plans for the elimination of
grade crossings, which cut off access from
lexington to the south except along r street.
The stree. cars at the corner of r and I'd
streets make a curve which is rather dam
gerous, so that street such as is proposed
in the bill is very desirable for the subdi-
vision of lexington.
THE opening of L street, which has been
reported upon and which is much more i'm
portant, will relieve the situation some-
what, but will not adequately help the Sec
ton between and 7 streets. where the ex-
tension is asked for. street is not a
through street III any sense In this section,
as ii extends but two blocks to the east of
I'd street and only two or three blocks to
the west of Lincoln avenue. The street if
opened, therefore. would not be thorough
fare, but would give lexington access to
Lincoln avenue and North Capitol street.
Effect of Opening the Street.
There are in McLaughlin's subdivision
two existing streets, Heating and Prospect
but they are not yet cut through to the
east, and there is large amount of cut
ting to be done on them as all of the land
Immediately west of I'd street lies some
twenty feet higher than the street grade.
If street is opened these two streets
would be entirely abandoned, or used as
alleys, and would revert to the abutting
property, so that nothing would be gained
to the District by their abandonment and
the whole cost of extension would, there
fore. have. to be borne On account of the
land being subdivided it would be difficult
if not impossible, to make exchanges of
land
"A more economical. way the Commits
sioners state, would evidently be to ex-
tend Keating and Prospect streets to I'd
street. While this would not, of course,
give as satisfactory communication as the
extension of S street. the Commissioners
are of the opinion that OH account of the
large cost of the former extension the latter
would be preferable These streets Heating
and Prospect although but fifty feet in
width, could, by action on the part of the
property owners in establishing building
restriction lines. be made of greater width.
The Commissioners believe that. on ac-
count of the railroad work authorized by
Congress. the property owners of lexington
are entitled to special consideration. If
the finances of the District permitted they
would recommend the extension of at least
| far the most important and should be first
considered