Evening journal., 1911-01-20
FOR
PARK BOARD
William P. Bancroft Sends
Letter to officials Regard
ing Extension Project
HOW SOME OF MONEY
SHOULD BE SPENT

William p. Bancroft, president OF the
Park Commission. has sent letter 70
the members of Council aud of the
Park Commission discussing the plans
for park extensions and betterments
for which purpose the Legislature Will
be asked to sanction bond issue OF
S200,O0O
Mr.. Bancroft's letter. which he sets
forth is not sent in his official capacity
is as follows:
by making the proposed addition
TO Delamore Park, the bed of Beech
street between Broome and Connell
can be thrown into the park. II that
portion of Beech street were opened IL
would be of exceedingly steep grade
and 10 make the street. cutting
through rock, would cost nearly as
much as to pay for the land the pur-
chase Of which is recommended.
"The price mentioned for No 8 isl
about what ] understand is asked for
it. AS there Is other playground land
i'm that neighborhood | think the city
would better do without it rather than
pay so much.
Items and are very rough esti-
mates based principally on the as
sessments; and IL will perhaps be a
long time before all the properties de-
sired can be acquired.
II think il is very much to be de-
sired that Wilmington should, with. as
! little delay as practicable, obtain a
large amount of the wooded and rough
land near the sOuth-westerly corner
of the city. Perhaps one corner of the
! tract should be at the corner of Clay
! ton and Oak streets, and one at the
/ woods where the gypsies camp, on the
! road TO Elsmere, and perhaps it should
/ extend westerly 10 Little Mill Creek
! do not see how much IL would be
! desirable to obtain there; perhaps as
/ little as 60 acres. perhaps fully twice
that much. Il will depend very much
on the terms upon which it can be OBJ
tanned
bath houses may be considered as
not properly park work, but we seem
1 TO have settled down to the policy OF
! their being under the Park Depart
ment. / think we ought to have at least
one OF more in addition 10 lhosc we
have. The one built last cost Sftuo.
no doubt there viii be other plots o
grouud that IL viii be desirable ~
take.
ana much more viii be needed If The
broposed purchases shall be made.
II do not believe that the amount Il
has been proposed to ask S25O,OOO, is
too much.
"Whatever amount we may get au-
, thoritv to borrow, ] would say borrow
IL i'm instalments only as we can see
. y,,,,- T., t,co il prODorIN. o
civilian p. Bancroft
! Wilmington, Del, lst Mo-, l9th. 1911
1T is proposed that the Legislature
! shall be asked TO authorize Whining
to to borrow a large amount OF money
: for the purchase and improvement ol
park and playground land.
p 81 wish to make personal state
ment of thoughts as to how such money
should be used if it should be obtain
ed. While I do not make this state
meut as a Park Commissioner or al
Chairman of the Park Board, ! woul1
say that in those positions Wiii en-
i deavor to promote the economical us'
: of any funds that the city may nave
, for those purposes.
, Among the objects for which ] sup
! pose it may be used are the follow
e ing:
! First. To reimburse to the
t City Treasury amounts lately
e spent for the lots between
r Fifth and Sixth streets, near.
! the western boundary Of the
e city, S2O,OOO.OO, and for those
e near Tenth and Scott streets,
S21 10000. together ........S 4lOOl
Second For. hope, the
lot bounded by Rowland, Lin
Z coin. Ninth and Scott streets,
] saw ....r....... ....... 7,0oC
Third For the land bound
, ed by Second, DUPONT, Third
/, and Clayton streets, say. lS,OO'
. . amore Suisa Park. say ......e.... $500
q Fifth Perhaps 100 feet in
Z depth on the westerly side of
+ Grant avenue. extending from
10 Third street to Fourth street 4,50(
- sixth. Portions of the
blocks bounded by Second,
e Jackson. Third and Adams
streets, and perhaps the lot at
i the southeasterly corner OF
y Third and Adams streets,
e about 1 SIS acres. say ..... s4,OOI
+ Seventh. Additions to the
e pine street playground. say 22.OO
y Eighth. In the Prices Run
= district north of Vandever
: avenue where any amount OF
n land desirable TO be taken. not
v exceeding 25 acres, can be had
n at the rate of $4,000 an acre,
, say 20 acres ................ 1000