The San Francisco call., 1908-07-07
BOARD MAPS VAST
WATER FRONT PLAN
Great Improvements for Oak
land Proposed in Scheme
of Commissioners
Project That Will Cost Many
Millions Presented to
City Council

ers OF the board or PUBIC WothS SUI
mitted to the city council tonight
complete report on the proposed plans
for the Improvement and development
Of the Oakland water front.
The principal features Of the report
are as follows:
First-That the desired development
will be more speedily obtained under
municipal control than under state au-
thority.
Second-That under no circumstances
should the city Of Oakland part with
the management and control Of her
water front. but should, on the other
hand. improve and extend her harbor
facilities as fast as circumstances and
the demands Of trade and commerce
warrant.
IN support Of this recommendation
City Attorney McElroy is quoted in an
opinion which clearly establishes the
city's jurisdiction and legal authority
over the water front within its boun-
dsries, except portion lying between
Webster street and the north arm or
the estuary and portion lying east OF
the north arm, which are relegated TO
the state by reason OF the fact that the
low tide line is westward Of the harbor
lines as established by the United
States government
BROWN FILES REPORT
Third-An elaborate report from As
sistant City Engineer P. F. Brown, COW
ering every feature Of the proposed de-
velopment of the harbor except the ac-
curing Of land, and including an esti-
mate Of the cost of the proposed i'm
provements, embracing piers, bulk
heads, dredging. street work and rail-
road connections, viaducts, pier sheds
and equipment and incidentals, aggre-
eating s25, 800, 600.
Fourth-That in considering the most
practicable and feasible methods Of i'm
provement it was deemed wise TO divide
the harbor front into five sections, as
the methods Of construction in some
parts must necessarily differ from those
in others.
Fifth-That the present demands Of
the shipping trade require that work
commence at once along the south
front adjacent TO the business center,
IN the district between Webster and
Linden streets. The commissioners
recommend that the Improvement of
this section be the first work under
taken by the city, and that proceedings
be Immediately begun so that an early
start can be made on actual construc-
tion-
sixth-That the United States gov
ernment be requested TO change the
harbor lines now extending up and
along the north arm OF the estuary
so that they will run across the mouth
Of the arm, thereby relinquishing this
large area for wharfing purposes. A
petition TO the United States govern
ment requesting that the desired
changes in the harbor lines be granted
accompanied the report.
The report submitted tonight has
been in course Of preparation for a
number OF months and was completed
with the aid Of expert engineers en-
ployed by the board at the direction
OF the city council. Its recommenda-
tiOns. il adopted, will mark the be-
ginning OF a new epoch in the devel-
Opment OF the city. Fourteen miles of
water front, hitherto practically unim-
proved, viii be converted, by the con-
struction OF Wharves. docks and piers,
over its entire extent into a CONNER
cisl center, which can not fail to at
tract millions of dollars in maritime
trade to the local business centers.
SCOPE OF PLANS BROAD
The plans submitted by the assist
ant city engineer are comprehensive
and thorough in every detail. The
scope Of his report is general It COW
ers the construction, location and size
OF piers, the distance between piers,
location Of bulkheads. and works for
the protection of dredged areas and
location OF streets along the water
front.
The water front improvements which
are provided for are wharves and piers,
at which vessels may discharge or re-
ceive freight; methods of asserting and
disposing OF freight from the vessel
and collecting freight for the vessel;
works for protection from tidal range
wave action, currents and the filling
UP OF dredging areas. Locks. it is
stated. are not required here, as the
maximum tidal range is about seven
feet.
The main difference between the sys-
TEN proposed for Oakland and the dock
system which is in vogue in many sea-
ports is that in the dock system the
water area is in excavated sections in
the land, while the local system pro-
poses 10 build wharf areas out into the
water space.
THREE CLASSES OF PIERS
The traffic Of this port, it is stated
will require three classes of piers
First, covered piers for handling mis-
ceIlaneous freight. requiring protec-
tion from the weather; second, open
piers for handling such freight as lum-
Der, machinery and other materials
which do not require protection, and
in handling which the use of cranes is
necessary; third, coal piers on which
special equipment for handling the
material is required. The ARRANGEMENT
OF these different piers has not vet
been determined, but must follow the
demands Of the traffic. The width Of ali
piers has been estimated as l25 feet
providing for a 80 foot depressed team
and track space in the center and a
4z5z foot platform space on each side
The width between the piers is esti-
mated at four times the width of the
largest vessel which the pier can ac-
commodate. The depth OF water in
contemplation is 25 feet at low tide
but slips for the accommodation OF
very large ships viii be dredged deeper
The present map of soundings along
the east shore OF the bay shows thai
the present line OF 25 foot depth Is
about two miles from the shore line. II
is proposed 10 dredge basins into the
beach and these basins must be pro.
tected against the action OF current,
carrying silt by the construction o.
bulkheads and retaining walls.
DIVIDED INTO SECTIONS
The water front has been divided into
five sections which wiki be improved
separately. Section No. i is the area
~f1