The San Francisco call., 1910-07-08
RAILROAD TO PAY
FOR WHARF SPACE
Southern Pacific VIII Apply for
Franchise, Recognizing the
City'S HarbOr Control

O4hLAND, July - lle SUI thSi IL
Pacific company probably viii apply
10 the city council next Monday even
ing for a franchise TO wharf space in
the western water front between the
Key Route pier and the Western Pa
cIhc mole The space viii incl ude the
existing Oakland mole and lands south
The ordinance to grant the franchise
viii be framed with the memorandum
of agreement between the company
and city officials as a basis.
The negotiations which resulted in
the memorandum OF agreement We're
resumed by the board of public works
and by r. +. Calvin, vice president,
and ". r. Scott, general manager of
the Southern Pacific company, yesCer-
day. The ordinance which the COM
psny had framed several months go
embodying the provisions of the MEM
orandum OF agreement was taken up
and the attorneys of both the city and
the company now have IL under con-
sideratiOn. If the measure can be COM
pleted it viii be submitted to the city
council next Monday evening.
RENTAL Is FIXED
Three important matters bearing on
the water front policy Of the city were
the subjects Of discussion at the con-
ference. The amount of rental to be
paid for the franchise, which viii be
for 30 years, was established on the
basis Of the Western Pacific rental
That line pays $1,000 a year for %
years. and $4,000 a year for the next
IS years. The Southern Pacific COM
psny occupies or will apply for more
space, and il is likely that the rental
viii be Sl.500 a year for % years and
$4,000 a year during the rest of the
franchise period.
A-7s. Tfac1- e. LIZ
ing Of the lines OF the strip of water
front for use Of which the company
VIII apply. In computing the space
for rental City Engineer Turner had
surveyed the lard involved al the
shore. The railroad engineers had sur
Neyed the water extremity of the space
and as the proposed grant is on a con
verging line the company estimate of
annual rental WIS less than the citys
Turner's survey will FIX a basis for the
rental and provision viii be made i'm
the franchise c rdinance
80 FOOT CHANNEL
Minor matters taken up were tie
changing Of tie bulkhead line between
Sessions basi.l and the Sunset lumber
company pro perty and the extension
OF Fifth avenue TO the low tide line Il
sessions basin. IN both matters Tur-
ner was ASKED TO make surveys. 1t
was agreed that the channel from the
estuary 10 Lake Merritt should be kent
IS feet wiee instead Of 25 feet. as was
suggested before.
The city officials submitted to the
company the proposal to exchange /
property n the western low tide lands /
for railroad holdings south Of the /
Eighth street bridge. The West Oak /
land land was bought by the city as I
site for I'm incinerator. but that project |
was abandoned as unfeasible. The city 1
can not wen use the land, but the COM /
pany csln, as IL ad3oins the Oakland /
mole approach. The railroad property
south Of the Eighth street bridge lies I
contig nous TO the marsh, which is
being made into PeraIta park The
company viii, IL is thought, make the /
exchfinge-
WORDING MADE SATISFACTORY
-1l.e conference yesterday" said /
Mayor Mott, was held to resume con- 1
sideration of the memorandum of 4
agreement The company is anxious 1
to be granted franchise for the water /
front il is now using and for that /
v Mich it wishes TO add south of the 1
Oakland mole for piers, and the city
officials are equally anxious to put all i
railroad companies on the same basis.
While We have had an ordinance on
the matter under consideration for
some time. we were not satisfied with
the wording, and at last City Attorney
oletsOn mas arranged that Satlsfac-
torily. In particular we wished to be I
careful with that clause relating to
the tearing down of the long wharf in
eight years Some criticism of the
wording in the memorandum agree
ment was made a short time ago. and
we wished to have no doubt of the
meaning in the franchise.
READY MONDAY EVENING
Because the company is anxious to
get the matter done with il probably
viii have theSordinance ready TO sub
nit to the council next Monday even
ing. The city's interests viii be well
protected in the ordinance"
The company viii ask a franchise for
the present Oakland mole and for 500
feet south Of il. The additional space
is for piers for ocean vessels The
application for franchises Will be
recognition of the city's control over
wharhng out rights. which were re-
stored to Oakland by a decision Of the
United States circuit court a few years
ago. The Southern Pacific agrees by
the terms suggested in the memoran-
dunn Of agreement not 10 seek a rever-
sal Of that decision in the higher
courts. This leaves the city IN absolute
control of its water front.