The Detroit times., 1912-08-30
|wO PLANS FOR SETTLING
| SQUABBlE OVER CASS-AvE.
| CLOSING ARE PRESENTED
One Is To Delay Grade Separa-
tion. and Other Is To De-
press Street Deeply
-
"A ACTION IS DEFERRED
Committee Will Take Up Mat
) ter Again When Schemes
. Are Worked Out Definitely

Two new plans for getting arounc
the necessity OF closing Cass-ave.
and still meeting the requirements Of
the Cadillac Motor Car Co., for space
to handle their traffic were develop
ed In the public hearing before the
council committee on street openings
In the council chamber, Thursday
morning. The petition was laid ovei
until the plans can be further work
ed out for presentation In complets
form.
The most favored plan calls for q
depression OF the street when grade
separation takes place to greater
depth than has been planned, so thai
the tracks need not be raised more
than four feet above the present
level. which would enable the Cadil
lac company TO handle trafic on the
siding over a bridge built across the
street
The other plan is for the city tc
grant no rights in the street to the
Cadillac company. but to agree TO de
| lay the grade separation until the
growth of the district north Of the
Boulevard makes the separation
necessary. In the meantime, II Is ex
pected that the Cadillac company
will have outgrown Its present quar-
| ters and will have established It's
plant either in some other part oi
the city or somewhere else. II is un
derstood that the Cadillac company
does not intend to use the space now
given over to the street for building
its only object In asking for the clos
ing being TO prevent a grade separa
ton
James s. Holden appeared for the
Cadillac company, and explained thai
the company Is perfectly willing tc
give value for everything that II asks
and does not want the city 70 give uI
ANYTHING for nothing.
The grade separation at Cass-ave
will put the company out Of business
SO far as the present plants are con
ceyned, and our petition is primarily
for the purpose Of preventing the sep
aration OF the grades" he said. I'VE
Thought that the only way 1t could be
done was to close the street. but II
the company can be assured that moth
ing will be done In the matter OF grade
separation at that point for q period
OF years, until the city needs II, we
are perfectly willing that the city
should keep all It's rights in the street
The vital point Is the separation oi
n = - -. 4 -
He went on TO explain the proposi
tion OF the company In detail, showing
the value of the property that Is or
tered for the engine house property
and the other features OF the case.
c. M. Burton followed Mr.. Holden.
II am convinced that the Cadillac
company wants tc do what Is right
but there are many houses in the
North Woodward district now, and
there are going to be great many
more within few years" he said
1.-THE average automobile driver does
not want 10 drive on Woodward-ave.
anc IL he cannot get through Cass-ave
be has only one street which he car
use to get to points north OF the rail
road. II seems TO me that this diff
Guilty could be met by going back
farther with the depression OF the
street and enabling the Cadillac com
pany to cross the street at the rail-
road track with a bridge The city
can AFFORD to pay all the damages tha!
would be coming to the Cadillac com
pany for the separation OF the grades
for the convenience of the citizens
who will use Cass-ave."
Chairman Vernon, Of the council
committee, broke in at this point with
D petition In which an engineer, whose
name was withheld, stated that such
, plan as suggested by Mr.. Burton IL
Entirely feasible.
IN impassioned address on behalf oi
the citizens In the vicinity OF n
huette-ave., who. he said. have waited
patiently for years for the grade sep
Pration at the intersection OF Cass
hye. and the railroad tracks.
Several residents In the district thai
would be affected by the closing, In
tluding Deputy Controller Milton
Palmer, former Aid. Paul c. Renaud
fire Commissioners McGraw, and one
pr the four ladies who came down &c
listen to the proceedings, spoke
against the closing OF Cass-ave.
Frederick T. Bancroft, of the city
plan and improvement commission
laid that that body had the problem
Under consideration, but had not yet
bad time to work out solution which
would give the Cadillac company the
relief that II desires and still keeI
ne thoroughfare, which would certain
be needed in the future. IL II is no
"a