The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-16
PLANS FOR IMPROVING
CHE[AN COUNTY ROADS
County Engineer Berry Works Out Plan
---Would Divide County Into Local
Districts---Main Expense on Adjacent
Owners---General Bond Fund


doubtedly been the source of more
disputes, arguments and strife than
any other subject in ordinarily peace
full times
We all want the roads improved,
but we each have our own ideas as
to how they should be improved. The
great majority, it is safe to say, think
that the powers that be do not make
the most of the funds available and
that large percentage of the mon
ey spent could be used to better ad-
vantage at some other point. The
point that most of us overlook is the
fact that it takes money, and lots of
it, to handle dirt and rock.
The funds which the different
county and state authorities have,
each year to work with. is woefully
inadequate to permanently improve
any highways. 1t is thus seen that
some other method must be used to
get more money than that raised
each year by ordinary taxation for
road purposes. Improvement dis
tricts (similar to municipal improve
ment districts) and bonding, are two
of the most common means.
Instance of Wenatchee Flat.
Chelan county roads at first sight
seem to be a big problem, and they
are a big problem, with 5000 square
miles of territory and over 600 miles
of county roads. Let us not look at
the county as while and go ahead
building roads here and there with
no definite plan. Suppose we spec
ialize and segregate the county into
districts which have practically one
class of road and organize each sec
ton, so divided into an Improvement
district. For instance, take the We
natchee Flat, one district, with boup-
dar;es approximately as follows: The
Columbia river on the east, a line
running east and west at the south
end of the Wenatchee river bridge
on the north, the line of the foot
hills on the west, and the Squillchuck
on the south.
This would include 80 miles of
roadway which is nearly all on level
or practically level ground. The
grading would be a very small per-
centage of the cost. The surfacing
could be made of materials suitable
to the Importance of the highway.
Macadam with asphaltum binder,
macadam water-bound, and gravel
would probably be the range of the
surfacing materials. The needs or
each road would have to be studied,
and then an improvement decided
on, one not an extreme either in eX-
cessive expense, or in not spending
money where money is needed. We
natchee Ave. North and South, Okla
hogan avenue, Miller street, Western
avenue, and possibly two or three
of the connecting roads between
these highways would be justified in
using the asphaltum binder for the
macadam.
Confine Expense to Adjacent Owners
Regarding the money necessary to
do this work. The only falr way
would be to have by far the greater
percentage of this money raised by
the territory Immediately adjacent
TO the improvement and by the city
or town included in, or directly ad-
iacent to, the district. Land is of
such value and the holdings gener-
ally are of such small acreage that
this form of assessment would be
Unsuitable. Throwing the burden OF
improving Miller street Tin the We
natchee Valley, or of Pioneer avenue
lin the Cashmere Valley proportion
ately upon the residents of Leaven-
worth or Chelan would be unjusti-
fable.
Other Districts.
Another district could be the Cash
mere Flat, containing s miles OF
roadways. 1t could be treated SINH
lar to the Wenatchee Flat, studying
the needs of each road and solving
each particular problem as it came
up.
Peshastin Flat, with miles OF
roadway, the land adjacent to
Leavenworth, Dryden Flat. Monitor
Flat, Warner Flat, Sunnyslope. and
the country around Malaga, could all
be made into separate districts with
local organizations, formed to fur
Their good roads in that particular
district.
County Bonding System for Trunk
Lines.
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