New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-08
SEASIDE VALUES INCREASE
City Could Have Cot RoCkaWay
Tracts Cheap Eleven Years Ago.
PRICE MORE THAN DOUBLES
Commissioner Lederle Favors
Use of Waterfront Parks
for City Children.

A Chronological sketch Of the city's ef-
forts 10 obtain an adequate ocean park be-
gins back in 1901. eleven years ago. when
the late F. p Hatch and the late c. ?.
Huntington acquired certain tracts Of land
AZ Rockaway. Mr. Hatch in that year
bought some go acres there. or l2oh In
oar feet of ocean beach at judicial sale
for $4,000 His land comprised what were
known as the Hatch Tract and the
Belle Harbor Tract adjoining pieces of
property.
About the same time Mr. Huntington
bought. also AT judicial sale. what Is sun
known as the Hartman Tract, compris-
ing the westerly remainder Of Rockaway
| Beach His holding was slightly larger
| than Mr.. Hatchs.
| Now that the Aldermen have put squarely
III to the Board Of Estimate and Appor-
tionment the question of acquiring for an
, ocean park the burned area at Coney Island,
brief history of that other ocean park
project. involving the Hatch and Hunting
ION properties al Rockaway, should prove
enlightening.
| To begin with the city had in 1876 the
opportunity Of acquiring both these mold
ings for a total outlay of 100000. The queS-
tion was squarely before the Board of Es-
innate then. too. but delay after delay en-
erad complicated by an alleged insecurity
NJ title. until the Hatch tract was bought
bv nr,vate interests. which now want &
ndo ooo for a half Of what Mr.. Hatch would
have sold for 10000. and until the price
of the Hartman tract advanced from ~
0o0 0no 70 $500 coo the present figure
In the mean time the dispute over the
title 10 the property. claimed ny the hl'eh
states government, has been settled IN the
! courts in favor of the private owners OK
con, for very narrow strip running across
the peninsula from beach 10 beach ana ~
v,dine the Hatch from the Hartman tract
And even now n committee Of the Board
~ Estimate. consisting Of Controller Prem
derqast President Mitchell Of the Board OF
Aldermen and Borough President Nc
Anenv. appointed over a year ago has the
,,,rchsse cf Rockaway site under CON
| sideration. at least nominaly. This com
mi,tee has never made report.
r Schorer secretary of the Parks and
plaverounds Association. said yesterday
thu, the realty development on all OF tn"
old Hatch property practically eliminated
&, from consideration for seaside park pur-
noses and that Of the RockawaN lana
available for a park only the hartman
tract remained. Though his association mas
heen DESTROYS all along that the city avail
itself of the opportunity at Rocka"ay. II
&c NOW firmly supporting the movement for
q thorough investigation Of the opportu-
ni,v presented the city by the Coney Island
fire and for the acquisition of the burned
| area. If II can be bought a reasonable
| price.
| 10 this end Mr.. Schorer Is himself care
| fuIlv investigating the proposition from
every angle. and expects to report in few
DAYS 10 the directors of the association.
when the Board of Estimate takes mp con
sideration Of the Coney Island project the
! Parks and Fairgrounds Association VIII
make "A recommendation backed by figures
charts and all necdful paraphernalia.
| The assessed valuation of the entire
nroperty burned over in the recent fire is
81 s73.775. That part of IL owned by Dream
land is assessed for only $3.50. There
oro nine owners I'm all Drcamland. the
Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad
Company. the Brighton Carousal Company
| Albert Chambers, Catherine Balmer. the
Observation Signal Company, Eliza \. SKIN
ner John Scheidt and the Ocean Nayisa-
ton Company.
| Health Commissioner Lederle said yester-
day that he hoped the city would acquire
as much waterfront property for park pur-
poses as II could get.
More and more every year. said the
Health Commissioner. the beaches are
being bought up II IS condition which
viii soon preclude the establishment OF any
more seaside parks, and therefore ! am