The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-30
REJECT PLAN FOR
BRIDGE APPROACH
Finance Committee of Council
Recommends Dismissal of
Commissions Report.
SAYS IT IS ExoRB'TANT
Now Necessary to Take Up Other
Propositions for Reaching
New Mayo Bridge.

The Finance Committee last night
unanimously passed n resolution rec
ommending that the City Council dis
miss the report OF the sncciaI con
oemnation commission appointed to as
sess damages to abuttinE property
owners by the widening of Fifteenth
street. between Dock and Main Streets
by the findings of the commission. It
would have cost the city s241.30O TO
acquire the property needed to convert
the street into an eighty foot thor
oughfarc. over which 1t was proposed
10 divert all traffic to the new MAYO
Bridge. This amount was declared TO
be eXorbitant and unreasonable.
City Engineer Boiling was called be-
iore the committee last night, and was
closely questioned by the members on
various proposed approaches to the
bridge and their practicability. AS Is
customary, the session was made an
executive one, and more than two hours
were spent behind closed doors on the
discussion of the several protects re
Gently suggested.
by the rejection of the condemna-
ton commissions report the matter Is
Just where 1t stood when the new
| bridge was started. The structure is
now about ready to be turned over to
the city. but as yet there is no provi-
sion for the car line which Is to use II
Fourteenth Street is too narrow to
permit double tracking. while at pres
eht the congestion is great that it
would be difficult problem to use a
single track shuttle service.
Richardson Appointed Communication.
The proposition to widen Fifteenth
Street from the dock to Main Street
was introduced in the Council. and
Judge ID. G. Richardson, OF the Hust-
ings Court, was requested to appoint n
commission to assess the value of the
property needed for the Improvement
L. ID. Newell, f. a. Saunders, Jr, S. T.
Beveridge and " r. Savage were
named on the commission, and put in
several weeks hearing the property
owners and their representatives. They
finally agreed on S241.30O as the value
or the property Several property own
ers were prepared to contest the mat
ter. claiming that the valuation was
based on the cost OF the ground, and
had not taken into consideration it's
increase in value in the past year
After the recommendation OF the
Finance Committee there is nothing
for the City Council to do except re-
ject the report and take up some other
plan. The Administrative Board has
already submitted proposition to
Mayor Ainslie. with the request that
1t be presented to the Council. The
board recommends that Fourteenth
Street be widened from Main Street
is to remove the granite curb and side
walk and have the grade line estab-
llshcd from the property line on the
east TO the property line to the west.
Mny Urc Fourteenth street.
The roadbed then would be approxi-
inatcly forty-iive feet from Main to
Cary and about nifty feet from Cary
Street to the bridge. The whole
would be paved with vitrihed brick,
and the total cost would be in the
neighborhood of 10000 Nothing is
said about the use of the street by the
car line. Under this plan. 1t is
thought that a loop service. with both
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets be-
ing utilized. is contemplated
Councilman Umlauf last night asked
City Engineer Boiling about the rout-
Ing of cars over a viaduct from the
bridge, cutting over the Southern
Hallway yards and hitting Main street
in the vicinity OF Twelfth or Thir-
teenth. Mr.. Boiling was unpreparcd to
make a specific reply to the question.
5. T. Atkinson. manager OF the Rich
mond Hotel. was before the committee
with n proposition TO smooth pave
Ninth street from Franklin to Broad
Streets This would be great con-
venience. he said, to the patrons of
the hotel, and would make continued
smooth paved street to either Broad
or Capitol Streets. both of which are
of asphalt block. The matter was
tabled until the next regular meeting.
DR.. w. =. Oppenhimer. president of
the Board Of Health. recommended
that the salary OF DR.. L. C. Levy.
chief health officer, be increased from
$1,000 to $500 a year. DR.. Levy, he
said. had been doing excellent work,
and had received no increase for near
~ three years. He started at salary
of $4,000. but was later advanced TO
the present amount. No action was
taken.