The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-10
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
Sidewalk and Building Lines
To the Editor of The Journal.

To the Editor of The Journal.
In recent number of IT b Jour
a !, a correspondent complains OF the
action OF the council in ordering the
sidewalk on Lake street moved near
the line of the lots. One of the rea-
residents on the street to the change in
the location of the walk is that many
of them have their steps, porticoes and
terraces on the inside boulevard. Now,
all this is true, but what right had
these people, or the people on any other
street in the city, to appropriate three
or five feet Of the public highway? In
the strip of street inside the cement
walk occupied by steps, porticoes and
verandas, and there are many instances
where this strip has been fenced or
walled in. In nearly every instance of
this kind, it is done by selfish individ-
uals who build, their houses on the lot
line without regard to the location of
the houses of their neighbors.
know. Of no other city that permits
of its public streets, and it is about
time the practice was stopped in Min
| neapolis. There should be an established
building line, such avs is in force in
many eastern cities, so that a man who
is about to build a house may feel
sure that someone will not build beside
him and place his house ten or twenty
feet nearer the sidewalk and inigre his
property, Obstruct his view and destroy
the beauty of the whole street. Even
| on Park avenue there is an example of
this unneighborly act. .sz
| It was great misfortune when the
so-called boulevard system was adopted
in Minneapolis, and regret to say
that I strongly advocated it, but neither
|, nor the other gentlemen who favored
the change, ever dreamed that the city
side strips to be used for private pur-
poses. The appearance of many Of our
best streets has been marred by the
broken line of houses fronting them.
There is. but one place for the walk,
and that is next the lot line, and all the
planting space should be on the outside
of the walk. Especially is this neces-
sary on streets! that are but sixty feet
wide, as there is not room for the trees
on the space now allowed. When the
boulevard system was adopted, nearly
all the streets were eighty feet wide.
It is time we beganto protect the ma
iority of our citizens, who believe in
making Minneapolis more beautiful
from the selfish few who build houses
on line in front of their neighbors
by enacting an ordinance controlling
i following is copied from an ordinance
in force in an eastern city.
Definition Of Building Line.
con streets where there are mower
anda lines established, a building linz
is a line in front of which no part of {
building, not even the steps of tn,
porch or veranda, shall project.
J, Definition Of a Veranda Line.
IA veranda line is line in front O.
which no part of a porch or veranda, 0.
steps thereto, shall be constructed. Yer
anda lines are established either coin
cident with street or building lines, O.
at certain distances back Of and paral
4 distances in front of building lines.
, Definition Of a veranda.
uVeranda means an open gallery
one or more stories, with or withou
Iroofs, and no portion Of the sides o
which, on streets where veranda line
are, established, shall be enclosed be
yond the building line, except as ma
l be hereinafter provided: Storm porche
!. may be placed and maintained on yer
andas, on streets where veranda line
are established. and such verandas ma.
. be enclosed with sash and glass betweel
: the 1st of December and The LIST O
!, April the year following, special permi
having been obtained from the inspec
tor, but if in the Judgment of the in
spector, such storm porch or Enclosure j
Y or may be a matter of obstruction t
II the view Of adjoining proprietors, b
! shall so modify the plans of the appli
cant as he may deem best, or refuse t
!, grant permit therefor
H such an ordinance had been i
force in Minneapolis when the hou1e
t ward ordinance was adopted. the friend
: of the measure would not now be- re
GREETING their advocacy Of IS.
Il g. nc. Lorin9.