The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-20
CITY AND MGR. TO
CLASH OVER PLANS
FOR DEPOT
Ordinance Being Drafted Proposes 70
Put Entire Grade Separation Cost
ON Railway, Contrary To Agree
ment Now Existing.
Property Owners Affected By Rosd's
Program Make Loud Protest Be-
fore Council Committee.

A situation in which the city and the
Michigan Central railroad are likely
10 come into opposition over the ques-
ton OF grade separation damages In
connection with the building OF q new
union passenger station will deyelop
when Corporation Counsel Hally An
ishes the draft OF an ordinance which
the council will submit to the company
for acceptance.
some details OF the ordinance came
out In the hearing held Tuesday morn.
ing at which residents In the district
surrounding the proposed station site
were given an opportunity to voice
their objections to the railroad s. plans.
BY the ordinance, the city will put
the entire cost of grade separation
upon the railroad company, II the lat
ter accepts. The present agreement
covering all street crossings from Six
teenth-st. TO Livernois-ave. provides
that the city pay all abuttal damages.
while the company does the work Of
separation. The new ordinance IL In
tended To change this SO far as Seven
teenth. Eighteenth, Nineteenth. Twen-
teth and Newark-sts. are concerned,
placing the whole cost upon the rail-
road.
The attitude OF the company Of
ficials present indicates that the Michi-
gan Central will not accept this, and
deadlock will occur.
THE present agreement provides
that the city pay its share in the
claims for damages from change Of
street grades incident to crossing
SanQrQfInng - Dell
for the railroad. Since the company
present tracks, this reduces the city's
cost for damages by one-half. We ex-
pect that this will be paid according
to the agreement"
The council chamber was crowded
at the hearing, nearly 200 people be-
Ing present. Chairman Burton, OF the
street opening committee, had great
difficulty in maintaining order and tho
meeting resolved itself toward the end
into rapid-fre debate between rep
resentatives of the railroad company
and the residents In which the lam
guage was sometimes very tart.
|, Engineer George II. Webb, of the
Michigan Central, first explained the
plans Of the railroad for building q
$6,000,000 terminal station between
Fifteenth and Eighteenth-sts. He
showed where subways were TO be con.
structed at Eighteenth and Twentieth
sts., and bridge at Fifteenth-st., In
addition to footway under the tracks
at Seveuteenth-st In response to
queries by Attorney Elmer w. Null
ford. representing property owners, he
explained why the railroad could not
construct subways for all the streets
In that section.
Some of the residents wanted to
know what guarantee the city had
that any station would be built.
"A sufficient bond will be required"
asserted Aid. Burton.
How big bond?" shrilled one wo-
man In the audience.
Ernest Knoch. who owns property
on Elghteenth-st.. had a great many
questions to ask.
rs there any good reason why you
he finally asked
NO" retOrted Engineer Webb, wear.
ily I'VE could run our trains through
at three OF four miles an hour and let
people jump of and on"
There would be no street car SER
vice to this placer" insisted Knoch.
THE ordinance will provide for
that" said Burton.
He referred to a plan being worked
out to have one OF the street railway
CONTINUED on Page Nine.)