The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-10-10

erty to curb line, roadvays Of 80 feet
and 10 foot space for single street
railway track, then the broad area IN
the center 70 feet wide, and again the
street railway, street, and sidewalk
spaces on the opposite side. With
reference to the car tracks, it is pos
sible when the vehicle travel on these
80 foot roadways becomes sufficiently
great to warrant expansion, then the
area occupied by the street railway,
which it is now proposed to keep IN
grass. can, without disturbing these
tracks, be paved and thereby securing
40 feet Of roadway on each side OF the
central parkway, still leaving as a
most important feature the central
park.
AS to the alternative which you
originally faced, of leaving the double
track street railway In the center Of
this ground space, it Is true that the
double track, all but the rail covered
with Bermuda, and a broad grass
space on each side of car tracks and
covering the entire central area be-
tween the roads. would have been
great Improvement over the present
unfortunate condition. and just as
every bit Of successful Improvement
in appearance is good and much bet
ter than that which prevailed before,
so such an Improvement with the
trees planted on the sides and the
ground surface generally smoothed
over and with pavement on both
sides, the whole of 1t would have
looked well. but If you had done so
YOU would have found that you had
lost every possibility Of usefulness in
any Of that area except for the bust
ness traffic on the streets and SIDE
walks, and IL would have been not
only a serious loss TO your whole pub
lie but a waste of a fine opportunity
which would in time react against the
whole city which you consider the
really beautiful thing which can be
accomplished on that central space
and without detriment to the traffic
needs and the plans presented. In
order to segregate pedestrian travel
from the street railways, the plan
suggests a hedge Of EuonymuS. rms
will give an absolutely tight dark
green hedge, evergreen, and OF COM
paratively rapid growth, and 1t can De
held down IN trimming to approx
mately three or four feet IN height, SO
as not to become a barrier to the eye
and a detriment to the good appear
ance OF the whole area. In the north
and the south blocks the broad, cen
trail path will give ample opportunity
fof direct passage through, ana hneo
with seats, make pleasant resJlng
place. Very naturally, however, IN
less properly policed and carefully
governed, il will become loanns
Mace for undesirable citizens rms
would, happen, however. anywhere
! among pretty places ana is oniy r,. a
matter of police regulation. The
suggestion for gravel on these pains
is based upon economy When you
| find Yourselves able to pave this area
with some permanent materials the
| hest probably is cement. In planning
for shade. the plan suggests trees OF
| certain kinds along the hedge on the
! interior space and on the sidewalk
spaces between sidewalk and curDlns:
For the general good appearance OF
! the broad central parking, It would De
better not to have trees lined up along
| the central path, yet approaching the
! vaI,,e Of shade, there would be no
serious objection in the good appear
ance of the property to establishing
I formal lines of trees similar 10 those
used in the same blocks. placed say
feet out from the edge OF the cen
| trail pathway of the north ana souCh
| blocks. and in time securing a com
! nIete shade over these paths Inc
same result might be had with
greater obstruction by building per
goIa over the central path on the
greater part of its length in each
/ block and covering the roofs with
/ hardy vines that would give complete
shade very many years earlier tnan
| the planting Of trees. In the central
block ii seems desirable to vary the
| DossibIe monotony by placing grass
space and opportunity for fine moral
| embellishments in the center. leaving
/ the walks against the double heGge
| and tree line of the sidewalks Inc
| same exactly may be done on tpese
paths in planting trees on the sides
Plant Palm Trees.
The planting plans cover the sug-
| gestiOns for this entire Improvement,
/ and il may be worth while calling at
/ tentiOn to the fact that some use is
made Of some of the palms. both ma
| tive and exotic. While the native
( palm, or rather the palm native to
/ the peninsula of Florida, is in no sense
/ a shade tree. yet along the gull coast
4 there is no reason why you should not
| somewhat emphasize the sub-tropical
l~character Of your climate and show
/ some of the forms Of the tropics.