Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-19
OPENING OF AN ALLEY
HEARING TODAY BEFORE DIS
TRICT COMMISSIONERS.

| hearing was given by the Commission
ers of the District of Columbia yesterday on
| the proposed plan for the opening of an
alley in block 80, Columbia Heights bound
! ed by Girard. Harvard, 18th and 18th
streets. The plan proposed is for central
alley running through the block 10 feet
| wide in the western half of the block and
| II feet wide in the eastern portion of the
block, taking all the land along the 12-foot
alley from lots facing on Harvard street
with 19-foot entrance from Harvard
street.
The hearing was opened by a statement
by Mr.. Chas. E. Kern, who voiced the senti-
ments Of owners Of lots facing Harvard
| street which are to have under the plan a
| 12-foot alley taken Immediately from their
| property. He claimed that in the regular
development Of the city such alley OPEN
| ings should be uniform in width, and with
| out the crooked features involved in the
plan, saying that it is not equitable to de-
prive the owners on Harvard street of IL
| feet of ground and exempt owners of abut-
| ting property on Girard street.
| He asked the Commissioners to return to
| the plan approved until the recent change,
| saying that the expected saving of 81, 500
IN a block worth $4,000, or one-half of 1
| per cent of the value of the whole, is too
| small to necessitate the proposed change
| 1t was added that the owners of property
| represented by the speaker are willing to
abide by the legal proceedings which would
| fix their portion of the cost, even If the
! larger part of the additional expense is
borne by them He did not think that the
| case is one that should be determined en-
| t1rely by a majority vote, because ma
| jority of the property owners under the
| proposed plan will in any event have either
| a 19-foot or a 16-foot alley, and in other
| cases the claim is put forward that no alley
at all is desired in that portion of the block.
Insists on Adherence.
| Mr.. Frederick L. Siddons, representing
| the Belle Court Seminary, and also speak
| ing in behalf of Mr. Lambert representing
Mr.. Louis P. Shoemaker insisted upon an
adherence to the plan determined upon by
| the engineer department, to wniol objec-
tons had just been made. He said that as
far as the Belle Court property is con-
cerned, there is no need of alley and
heavy damages would result from an effort
| to take their ground. He said that the
owners of property along the twelve-foot
stretch of alley had been using the alley
aEi 1t was now simply proposed to adopt
| what existed.
Mr.. Amos Hadley, speaking in behalf of a
straight alley, said that it is not equitable
to take all the land from the Harvard
street lots, and that the plats of the Dis
trict would show that it was contemplated
to put sixteen-foot alley through the en-
tire block and that every one purchased
his holdings while the plats showed that
lat was to be the plan.
Mr.. William G. Henderson stated that he
was merely present to listen to what was
being said as chairman Of the committee
on streets and avenues of the Board of
Trade, and only suggested that the straight
alley Is always desirable when it is posi-
BILE to get it within reasonable limitations
and that deviations should be made only
for important reasons; also that in the
opening of an alley care should be taken to
permit the alley to be opened Of width
sufficient to give uniform advantages to all
owners as far as possible.
Property Facing Girard Street.
Mr.. Albert Gage appeared for Mr.. Stock
ing, owner Of property facing on Girard
street. and said that the structures on the
rear of his property could not be moved
closer to the buildings because of the fire
regulations, and that SO far as his property
is concerned there is no need of an alley.
Speaking in behalf of owners of property
facing on the 16-foot alley, it was urged by
others that they should not be required to
bear any part of the expense involved in
making 16-foot alley in the other end of
the square. as they already enjoy a wide
alley, and have interest in the straight
extension 10 feet wide.
Commissioner Morrow explained that the
plan adopted is to prevent tearing down a
one-story brick stable and several frame
structures, and that in other cases of alley
openings expensive stables have not been
interfered with, but the alleys had been de-
waited In order to prevent sach destruction
The Commissioners took the matter under
Amusement.