The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-01
CITY ENGINEER
WILL PUSH WORK
Broad Street Paving Delay
Brings Violent Protest From
Council Committee.
MUST KNOW EXACT CAUSE
Powers Raps Railway Company
for "Its Lame Excuse About
Not Getting Cable.

: Without awaiting report OF a SUI
committee on the reasons for delay IL
compietllg certain paving contracts
the Council Committee on Streets yes
,erday afternoon adopted unanimous
~ a motion offered by Alderman
POWERS directing the Clty Engineer
To lush forward at once the work OF
repaving Broad Street, and to report
/, to the next meeting OF the committee
] who has caused the great delay In exc
| cutting the work ana who Is to blame
for its having stood untouched Tor
. more than two weeks.
| Mr. Powers said he could hardly
credit the lame excuse put forward
before the subcommittee by the Nir-
! ginia Railway and Power Company
that it had not been able to get the
cable for the new conduits.
| They knew from the day the budget
was signed last March that this street
, was to be reIaved." said Mr.. Powers
i They are not waiting for cable on
Robinson Street. or on other streets
where city paving is not being done
The contractor is not held up by the
street car company on LOoSe Street.
. There are no .onduits to go in West
Broad Street where they have had the
street open all summer"
No Robinson Street Paving.
Chairman Vonderlehr. of the sub
committee made a verbal statement OF
the evidence in regard to paving de-
lays. stating that the street car COM
pany had admitted that 1t would be
utterly unable to replace its tracks
on Robinson Street this year. because
Of other work on hand. With this
information in hand. the committee is
sued orders to the company to repair
and put in proper order the present
track at Grove Avenue and Robinson
| Street. and Mr.. Gunst gave notice that
at the next meeting he would move
to rescind the award Of contract for
paving the citys portion OF Robinson
Street. and that the Lee Ward dele
cation would urge that the money set
apart for that contract be used for
the grading of Park Avenue. 1t was
brought before the committee that the
Assessor of Damages had reported GER
tain awards for damages to abutting
property by reason Of grading Park
money had been laid over to
the property-owners. The COM
mittee now has no funds to do
the grading. and II any Of the property
changes hands, new damages may be
charged against the city whenever the
grading is done. On application of cit.
liens owning property on Leonard
Street. a small amount of grading wa.
| ordered done by the city hands ant
carts to enable them to use garage:
already erected
May Not Finish Broad Street.
II having taken two months alread,
to prepare the ground for the pavins
Of the northern half Of the first three
blocks OF Broad Stretches than one.
fourth OF the present contract-mem.
bers OF the committee admitted that /,
the work was to be continued up t.
Third Street. Broad Street would b,
/ open all winter. and 1t is now yer,
| DOUBTFUL whether the appropriation Of
! $4,000. made in the budget for thi.
year for that purpose, can be ex
, pended before the end Of the year
/, when any balance reverts to the treas
! ury.
. on application Of Davis Bottom an(
! others the committee recommended I,
! the Council a special appropriation o
! $500 for smooth paving on AIbemarl,
! Street. between Pine and Laurel Streets
! On motion of Captain Mills tn
| building line heretofore established OF
| the south side Of Franklin Street be
! tween Laurel and Shafer Street was re
| scinded, and all property owners OIL
| the block were notified to appear a
meeting on the afternoon Of Octobe
! Is, when a new building line will b.
1 fixed. The Monroe Terrace Apartment
! Company proposes the erection OF
f, large apartment house. and does no
! wish to be set back twenty-five fee
from the street. when many Of tn
/ present houses within the block ar
i not half that distance from the proper
/ ~ line.