The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-05-11
Plans of Board to Macadam-
ize Road and for Cement
Walks Termed Ridiculous
by Property Owners.
DEMANDS ARE TAKEN
UNDER AMUSEMENT
"Those Who Pay" Think
Gravel Road and Six Foot
Walks Sufficient for Unim-
proved Property.

The primary hearing on the i'm
provement OF West Main street, from
Fifth street, to the corporation line.
which includes cement sidewalk. eight
feet in width. curb and gutter on both
sides of the street, and the grading
and macadamizing the roadway.
brought a storm Of protest at the meet.
ing of the board OF works on Thursday
morning. Thursday was set as time
for the property owners to petition
changes In the Improvement. A peti.
tion signed by practically all property
owners asks the beard to alter the
resolution to read gravel roadway. Six
foot walks instead OF eight are de-
manded. The board took the resolu-
tion under advisement until next
Thursday.
Levi Peacock, the heaviest property
holder. on the West Side, excepting
Richard Sedgwick. presented the peti.
tion to change the resolution from
macadam to gravel. He first intended
to petition for gravel only west OF
Eighth street, but the first signer de-
manded that the roadway be graveled
along the entire length OF the improve
ment. II Is claimed the additional
costs OF macadam Is not warranted on
West Main street.
"The public r. howling at the ex..
pensc of the National road" said Pea
cock. Part OF that is paid by the
township. Now the cost of the Main
street improvement Is heavier than
that of the National road-all being
heaped on the property owners. West
of Eighth street the country Is farm
land"
Maeadam Useless Expense.
I'VE don't have gas, water or sew.
or pipes on West Main street. There
10 no street car line. Most OF the lots
west of Eighth street are not built
up. Now where do you suppose your
macadam street would be after we
put In all those improvements and
every lot takes two or three taps?'
Peacock quoted the statutes to the
effect that no street or other munich
nal Improvement can be made on
which the value of the Improvement
is worth more than so per cent, of the
value Of the property exclusive of the
buildings. He was told this applied
to third class cities. Though OF more
than 10000 population, Richmond will
not be In the third class until the ex-
piration OF the term OF the present ad.
ministration.
Walk Would Look Ridiculous.
Prot. Cleveland Chase, another
property owner on West Main street.
stated he believed an eight-foot side
walk would look ridiculous cutting
through farm. He said gravel was
the proper roadway. Again on the
walk question the professor said that
In Walnut Hills, an aristocratic suburb
Of Cincinnati. the walks are only four
feet wide He said that he believed
Richmond did not need wider side
walks than Cincinnati. He asked
that the roadway be made along Its
present lines. Emmett Grove. who has
built a large home at the corner of
Fifth and Main streets, also spoke
against the wide walks.
Following the statements Of the
property owners. the board Of works
took the matter under advisement.
City Attorney A. NJ. Gardner said that
he thought that gravel for the road.
way would be satisfactory for several
years. He favors brick as a pavement
when the street Is permanently made
the street car tracks that are antici.
pated laid. and sewer. and gas and
water mains placed In the ground.