The San Francisco call., 1906-08-04
Discussion Of Burnham
Plans Leads to Yer
bal Warfare.
l"H city Engineer is TOO

Ject that We architects have
spent years upon. All z
cry Engineer knows is 10 square
blocks. and he ought 10 get out He
does rot approve OF this plan. and I
60 nor want IL in his hands for the
carrying out"
This is the hot shot that Architect
willis Polk hurled At City Engineer
woodward yesterday afternoon during
rae Inspection OF the Burnhzna plans
a conference IN the once OF the
Board Of Works supervisor Rea
cry Engineer Woodward Il z Law
~ j. 6Ert1e-t- = D Phelan, Architect
Polk sCd c. H Bennett. Buruhsm's
representsrive, were present Polk
grew Wrsthy when woodward dissp-
proved OF the proposed winding road
7egnning AZ Kearny and Clay
streets and extending BY easy grades
% Pacifc and Taylor streets
There was no running for fve-ouuce
gloves The battle was merely z
four round word affair
an not IN sympathy with anything
rlst IS iEpracucs retorred wood
ward, and rhis winding road Is Ger
-stl-E 1or feasible I claim that a road
which VIII have grade greater than
per cent IS not worth spending mil
hons on
That's IT,. said Polk. The city En-
s-eer IS roo pin-hezded 70 approve Of
q project that We architects have spent
years upon All = City Engineer knows
square blocks and he ought 70 get
o-L
Woodward objected 70 PoIks Ian
E-age and the members Of The commit
ger ct torry dtscIsined any responsible
t-T rc- PoLks urterznces- Polk there
upon apologtzed 70 Woodward and the
discussion became cal-er
Law explained that his committee on
street widening had sufficient funds 10
prepare the maps. which. however.
would Re done cscelsibly under the su-
perv-sLCl Of the City Engineer
" ood7z-d argued that the winding
rce1 could be eliminated and the same
results secured By using Montgomery
avenue 70 Pacific street
objection was made by J Park. rep
reseltIE z J. le Breton. 70 the pro-
pcse6 circular road in the block bound
- bv Pine. Bush. Dupont and stockton
streets 70 sUrmGUuE rLe high grades
O. the ground thar the block 70 the
north would be the more practicable
fo- use. Le Breton owns dfty-vsra
lot IA The first named block. Bennett
Insisted that The selection should not be
changed
During the discussion Polk took oc-
casio1 70 oppose The plan of the super
-1--scrs 20 restore the CITY Han for use,
claiming that II should be put in the
civic center AZ Market and Eleventh
streets. as planned by Burnham.
Bennett explained that the plans are
s1 such shape that they may be changed
= meet such suggestions as those pres
e-r desired 70 make or e large map Of
the city spread upon & table the pur-
posed changes IN the street system 10
he carried OuC a. once were shown by
blue lines The changes IS adopted by
the committee OF forty 10 be made in
--e years and others in ten years were
shown By black lire traciugs
Barrnerr suggested that Il would be
wise 70 eliminate for the present much
of The general plan and consider such
changes as are deemed necessary for
The construction Of IRE barriers. Bart
nett held that FIRE barriers are an alb
solure necessity He favored the i'm
mediate widening Of Pacific avenue and
Poison street. the extension OF Mont
Ecnery avenue 70 Folsom street and
the lowering OF RincOn Hiu so as TO
render that section available for com
UercisI uses
Rea stated that the Board OF Super
7fs0rs has already declared its approval
cf -he widening OF Montgomery street
and the extension Of Montgomery ave-
Bennett explained that IN addition to
the TWO improvements approved by the
Supervisors the plans 10 be immediate
l. carried out Included the following:
Widening Of Pacific avenue 70 100
feet. including Z bridge al Jones street
20 span the proposed reduced grade be-
rUee- Taylor and LeaveDVTorIh, widen
Ing u Commercial street 10 S5 feet:
widening of Golden Gate avenue 70 100
feet: continuation Of the Park Panhan-
die 20 the Mail dock continuation OF
Nau Ness avenue 20 Mission street:
widening OF Seventh street 70 135 feet:
widening OF Folsom street 70 80 feet
frcr1 Seventh street 70 the bay and
widening OF Dupont street
The City Hail site has always been
q stumbling block in the plans for E
civic center" said Polk 1t may not be
generally known that the Mayor is con-
sioering the advisabiuty OF appointing
q commission 70 take Up these pro-
posed changes fl the street system"
Il was decided that IS Bennett leaves
for The East today the work OF pre-
uzring the sectional maps OF the
changes be prepared BY his draughts-
nan. E. A Denicze. When the maps are
finished the Assessor viii be requested
10 write n the assessed value OF the
land 70 be condemned
The finance committee will meet at
the same place next Wednesday 20 in
spect the plans