The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-27
GENERAL PLAN TO
IMPROVE PARKS
City Engineer Recommends
Many Items Which Would
Be Helpful to Public.
NEED LANDSCAPE ARTIST
Bryan Park Property Admirably
Suited for Pleasure
Seekers.
NEED LANDSCAPE ARTIST

City Engineer Boiling presented to
| the Council Committee on Finance last
night list of the needs Of the various
city parks for tho year. The time had
come, he said. for completing the Cut
shaw lake in the Shicids's Grove adj
dition to the William Byrd Park. which
will double the area of that most pop
| uiar OF all the resorts. For the past
three years there has been no appro-
priation for work in the new part OF
! the park, but tho hands of the Street
Department have been hauling away
| gravel for the Improvement of streets,
ana at the same time eXcavatins for
the proposed lake. Now the available
| gravel has been exhausted, and the
time has come to complete it,
| Mr.. Boiling recommended that topo-
graphical surveys be made both OF the
entire Reservoir Park and of tho new
Joseph Bryan Memorial Park. When
these maps and elevations have been
completed, he suggested the employ
nent OF n competent landscape engt-
neer to advise as to the best methods
OF laying out the two parks on COM
prehensive scale. Such a man, he
said, should not be employed until the
surveys are ready for his examination.
and 1t would then only be necessary
for him to spend a short time in CIV
ing his views as to the best arrange
ments, thus practically passing on or
criticizing sketches already made.
TO Open New Driveyvnys.
The total cost. Mr.. Boiling said, both
OF the surveys and OF the employment
OF consulting engineer. would not
exceed $500. Mr. Boiling said he
would also advocate tho acquisition OF
q tract OF property adjoining the pros
ent William Byrd Park on the east,
which would round off the city's prop.
erty and open the way for driveways
through to the new part and around
the new lake. He also recommended
granolithic curb and gutter on the
present roadway to Shields's bottom, to
cost $500. The property suggested
for enlargement of the park 1T is esti-
mated will cost s5e5oo. as follows:
Dooley property, $4,000; Pollard tracs.
$4,000; property south OF Ashland
Street. between Cedar and Sycamore
Streets, $4,000; between Strawberry
and Elm Streets. $4,000; between
Strawberry and Sycamore streets, 5000.
For general maintenance and improve
r1ents at William Byrd Park, including
new park house. sranoiithic euro
and guttering, and other Improvements
the engineer asks s23,027.
To open the Joseph Bryan Memorial
Park for general use, the estimate Is
s30,4SO. Mr.. Boiling said that his pre-
Ilminary examination showed that 1t
was admirably adapted, and that every
effort should be made to preserve its
natural beauty.
The whole tract is 262 acres. HIS
itemized budget is as follows: Fencing.
1872 feet, with gates. to be proof
against both trespassers and animals,
$1,000; memorial gate, $4,000: pavilion,
$4,000; repairs to present houses and
painting. $500; opening UP roads and
crawling, $4,000. boat house. $500: six
boats. $500; 100 park benches. $3.50.
Keepers salary, 5000; one extra la
borer, $3.50; one foot bridge over dam,
$1,000: drainage piping, $1,000.
/ At most of the other parks In the
city the items We're as usual for main
tenance, and continuation of the im-
provements now being made. AT the
new Taylor's Park, in the East End, he
proposes grading the bluff on Twenty
Broad. and building a retaining wall
to cost $4,000. At Candles Hill 1t Is
proposed 10 erect a retaining wall
SO as to open a driveway from the
park into the lower end of South Fifth
Street. AT Riverside Park, one of the
most generally frequented small parks
in the city, the Engineer recommends
the expenditure of $4,000 for acuuisi-
tion OF several lots to enlarge the park
area The total request for appropria-
dition to which four Fairgrounds are
ditto nto which four Fairgrounds are
proposed, at an estimated cost of So