New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-07
ALDERMEN AGREE TO PARK
r.vcr Purchase Of Burned Area
at Coney Island by City.
wolIlD RECLAIM 35 ACRES
Former Park Commissioner
thinks Property Can Be Had
for s1,300,00o.

,.a If Aldermen adopted yester-
Inc -o,o-, 81 its Committee on Parks
.,,,rr a sweeping recommendation Of
en'a .,sc, advocated by The Tribune
te 80 inv acquire the burned area at
tna' r.i.,d and add II 70 Seaside Park
CoH'' or+ also favored the reclamation
-. thirty-five acres of city land at the
- which Chairman Drescher. on his
-, v,sit. found had been washed away
b. the tides c..,. = tho ,.-r.s,
-. N the world" said the report. 'it
- undoubtedly g smaller area OF seaside
han anv other OF the large cities
vo-s has only one park on the ocean
-, and that is Seaside Park. which was
.~n,rsd by Kings County over thirty years
for the sum OF s25.ST7." And. II con-
rnued
r.ss than two years ago the public de-
- FOR a seaside park where the poor OF
nANc .,,v could enjoy the advantages Of
n...,ns etc. was so great that the mem
ss,s Of the Board OF Estimate ana APP
pssr.,onrnent were on the verge Of APP
polu.sa,ing about 5000 600 10 acquire a
sleb' a. R0ckaway Beach. This appropria-
r.. rad the hearty approval OF practically
w re charitable societies I'm the city. ana
= ros also Endorsed by AL public spirited
H,So-s II II was not for the cloud then
ct7 ~ tile ~ this proposed Rockaway
81 p.scb mark. the United States government
Earning the property. the city would prop
90 now be enjoying The Dement'S or
'srcs seaside park.
:, re citv IS about 2750 feet, the addition
:, ms proposed park area adjoining thls
~, property covers about Low teeJ OF
49, .SSre front. which together make nearly
laa feet that could be developer INTO
ave seaside park.
ne would therefore. respectfully recon-
rs,S the acquisition Of this area south or
s~rf avenue and extending from West 5th
s,-ast 70 West 10th street which contains
.5ou, twerty-four acres.
Ws would also suggest that the Board on
,,ss--,en recommend 70 the Board Of Esu-
-,,ts and Apportionmen. that an engineer
- s-,rloved 70 draw up plans and report
49, the best method and the approximate
-, fo- recIai-1ing the city land which has
s.s- washed away by the tides. II the en-
-,s- reports that desirable results may
Z sStained al an expenditure that VIII not
y ,-oblh{tive steps should be taken 20
,.clair, and develop this land and n &C
syire the new proposed lands as well.
W Drescher's committee said that the
assessed valuation Of the coveted twenty
asbou, 10000" Henry Smith. former
PARK Commissioner for Manhattan. said he
thought this figure must be mistake.
81, is nv recollection" said Mr.. Smith
v.s,srdav. that that property was ap-
raised n g 10000. and II IS my conviction
TIA, the city can get II for that unless
there Is an African IN the woodpile some
where"
VI Smith was very much in favor Of
TIE proposed park acquisition
There are very few large pieces Of land
~, around New York" said he. and
vh.u q piece Ike this comes on the mar
let a. a reasonable price the CITY ought
nc, % let the opportunity Il acquiring II
.sp The city % Seattle has acquired
,oueh property 20 give II a park COM
,s,ely surrounding the city and facing the
water They didn't wait out there until
II. city filed VI. and made the land
yohibitively dear
Tn heartily N favor Of all the play
rrnds N. city can afford But I am also
materially opposed 70 making parks into
plsyrrounds The two won't combine, and
~ can't have too many Of either.
'Ths trouble with most city improve
r.nts "a that this city waits until II simply
hss to have them. and then they come
high. This seaside park situation IS just
Ike he water situation. Mcclellan was
damned U and down for his Ashokan Dam
project Now look az II. One more sea
son such as we have been having for the
!as, three or four years and without re-
lt from the new water supply. the city
would be absolutely without water
With this striking example Of the value
o. foresight II is hard 70 see how those
Il authority can hesitate to snap up this
beach property. always provided II can he
otta.ned at a reasonable price.
NJ Smith considered that g oc9 oN0. the
.rurs az which ex-senator Reynolds
thought the city could acquire the entire
tract much TOO high