New-York tribune., 1905-01-04
FOR BEAUTY AND UTILITY.

The report Of the Improvement Commission
of which Colonel Lamont is chairman contains
many judicious reflections. The commission
was requested by the Mayor to consider ways
In which the development of the city might
be so directed as 10 enhance its beauty The
trouble has been heretofore that public i'm
provements have been TO a great extent treat
ed as isolated undertakings having no relation
to one another. whereas they should. so far
as circumstances permit be carried out as in
diVidual parts of a general scheme prudently
devised in advance. One of the commissions
recommendations clearly illustrates in these
words the short views and detective methods
from which the city has suffered in the past
and the policy which 1t ought TO pursue within
appropriate limits hereafter: THE City Hall
''is one of the few good monuments possessed
'by the city, and it would seem plainly advisa-
''ble that this locality should be definitely set
tiled upon as the civic centre, and that all
administration buildings of the greater city as
"a whole should be grouped around this park"
This proposition must commend itself to every
citizen Of cultivated intelligence and yet the
fact remains that not only has nothing been
done toward fulhlment of that conception, but
that the plan for a huge Brooklyn Bridge ter
minal station is apparently about TO be put
into execution without the slightest reference
to the City Hall and It's future environment.
A large part of the commissions report re-
Iates TO the possible undertakings of distant
years. which it may be wise to bear in mind
while planning for more immediate necessities;
but some of its recommendations might advan-
tageously be applied at once. The city's natu-
raj waterfront was beautiful, but most of its
attractions have been destroyed by human
hands. The commission says:
Improvements on the piers have heretofore
been built for the most part by the lessees of the
S
orally deem fit. If this policy were changed and
all future improvements on the piers owned by
the city were made either by the city itself or
by its lessees according to certain general lines
determined upon in advance suiting the same
TO the uses contemplated by the lessees and with
view to appropriate and harmonious architect
ural effect, uniformity of construction
would ultimately be secured. and in that the
waterfront of the city would present an archi-
tecturRl appearance worthy of the city and in
great contrast to the medley of different forms
of construction existing as the result of the
system of allowing each individual lessee to
build along lines of his own individual choosing
without reference to the surroundings.
OF course absolute uniformity of pier struct-
ures is not practicable, nor. indeed, is it to be
desired but "a general harmonious and sym
"metrical appearance could probably be Sc
cured without any substantial sacrifice of ma
'terial interests" Such a transformation would
take many years. but the process of harmonic
ing distressing variety of discordant objects
might begin almost at once and continue with
out long Interruptions. Perhaps there is no
other point within the whole range of muulc-
pal supervision at which a beginning of good
works along the lines suggested by the COM
mission could be readily made.
year ago last May Mr.. Cantor. then Presi-
dent of the Borough Of Manhattan, suddenly an
nounced that it had been practically deter
mined" to depress the surface of Forty-second-
ST. for several hundred feet east and west of
Fifth-ave, so that traffic might pass under the
avenue and the congestion at that corner be
relieved. We said at the time that no such
thing could have been practically decided on,
though the proposal. originally made by the
architects of the Public Library, had been often
heard. From that day to this the scheme has
been in retirement but II has now been re-
viyed by the Improvement Commission in a
modified form which may be worthy of consid-
Grafton. It's suggestion is that part of Forty
second-st should be so depressed preferably
the centre, along which the car tracks run, leav-
ing a roadway on either side for general use.
Such a plan might conceivably be executed
without serious detriment TO the appearance of
! the street or the avenue and serve the public
! convenience. Another interesting suggestion
is that an arcade for pedestrians, with a sub
way for the streetcars, should be run through
the blocks between Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth SITS.
| east OF Fifth-ave, to connect with the Black
wells Island Bridge plaza. Numerous efforts
TO solve the perplexing Fifty-ninth-st problem
| have been made. AS an alternative to the cost
| ly operation of widening that street, the COM
missions scheme is well worth thinking about
Apart from strictly practical considerations It
might, If skllfully worked out. prove pleasing
variation from New-York's stereotyped street
plan.