Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-15
PROPERTY ASSESSMENT
FOR PARKS IS OPPOSED
GaIIinger to Ask Change in Dis
trict Appropria-
ton Bill.

Senator Gallinger, chairman OF the sub
committee on District appropriations of
the Senate appropriations committee. an
nounced this afternoon that he would
move amendments to the District appro-
priation bill striking out those provisions
requiring an assessment against adjoin-
ing property for the establishment of
parks.
I'VE have not been accustomed to as
sess adjoining property for parks" Sen
ator Gallinger explained, and those pro-
visions for assessments got into the bill
without my noticing them. When the
bill comes up in the Senate L will move
amendments to change them
The question came up when 1t was
discovered that in the paragraph pro-
viding for the establishment of klingle
Valley Park and highway no provision
was made for assessments against ad-
joining property to pay the cost Of con-
demnation or part of it, while in those
paragraphs providing for other parks 1t
was specified that all or a part of the
cost of the land should be assessed as
benefits
Purchases Authorized.
Some of the persons who would be as
sessed under the bill couldn't see why the
owners of property around the proposed
klingle Valley Park should not also be
assessed. Senator Gallinger's attention
was called to 1t and he has determined
to ask the Senate to make changes in the
bill.
Besides Klingle Valley Park and high
way. the BILL as reported by the Senate
committee on appropriations. provides
for the purchase of Forts Davis and Du-
port and Mount Hamilton as parks.
In the case of fort property, it is speci-
fed that not less than one-third and all In
excess Of $21 1874 of the cost OF acquisition
shall be assessed against adjoining prop
erty owners as benefits; and in the
case of Mount Hamilton, 1t Is proposed
that not less than one-third and all
in excess of $4,000 of the cost Of
buying the land shall be assessed as
I. benefits against adjoining property.
For klingle valley. all of the $3.50, 00O,
estimated as the value Of the land, is
appropriated by the bill.
Plan Is Not New.
The plan of assessing a portion of the
cost of the opening up of parks against
the abutting property benefited is not q
new one to the District.
When Rock Creek valley was acquired,
the law authorizing the condemnation of
the property instructed the jury to find
benefits. The jury, however, failed to
find benefits, claiming that no benefits
could accrue until after the park has
been improved.
In the case of the opening up of Piney
Branch Park benefits were found by the
jury and a part OF the cost was assessed
against the abutting property declared to
have been benefited.
The District Commissioners. in including
in their estimates items for park ac-
quisitions base the percentage of cost to
be assessed against the abutting property
benefited on the value of land. This per-
centage varies considerably.
In the item, included in the estimates
for next fiscal year, for the condemna-
ton of Klingle Valley Park. the District
heads set aside 10000 for purposes of
condemnation and 81. 900 for roadway i'm
provements, stipulatng that one-fourth
OF the cost was to be assessed the abut-
ting property benefited.
The property to be acquired for the
Klingle Valley Park is owned largely by
the Chevy Chase Land Company.