Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-27
BOARD DIVIDED ON
Street WIDENING
Members of BeIIevilIe Body Un-
able to Agree on I'M
provement.

N~N.' A7ApiiAAS VI Wl0CtllilE5 w dSil-
ington avenue five feet on either side
was argued at length by the MEM
bers Of the Belleville Board of Trade
last night without a decision being
reached. An attempt will be made to
settle the matter at the next meet
ing.
The discussion arose after Free
holders Seymour P. Gilbert and John
IL. Waters had requested the board
to advise the property owners in
Washington avenue to arrive at some
final determination as to their wishes
In this respect. Mr.. Gilbert advised
the board that the county and State
officials were ready to proceed with
the work of paving the street and
would start Immediately with the
centre of the road. He said it was
their intention to pave Washington
avenue in the centre of the road
way between the tracks with granite
blocks from the city line to Rutgers
street, and with asphalt block from
Rutgers street to the Nutley line.
The contract, he said, for fixing the
space between the tracks and the
curbs was made separate and was
made contingent on the final de-
termination of the property owners.
The county and State officials would
not interfere in this respect, he con-
tinued, and 1t rests with the mayor
and town council alone to arrive at
some decision.
Freebooter Waters spoke along the
same lines and advised the board to
~ tp do
cision.
In an effort to obtain the opinion
of the members in this respect
Charles E. Crisp, secretary of the
board, presented a resolution request
ing the Board of Trade to go on record
as favoring the widening of the. ave-
nue. five feet on either side. Objec-
tons were made to this procedure by
DIR. Joseph C. Winans, DR.. Herbert
p. Vail and Charles H. II. Smith.
DR.. Winans contended that the con-
templated change would not beautify
the avenue, as it was not the street,
but the residences and lawns beyond
the sidewalk that were responsible
for its attractiveness. AS to its USE
fulness, he argued, 1t would not
benefit the residential section. Re-
garding the business section, he cited
the fact that a business man using
horses and wagons along that Sec
ton daily was opposed to 1t.
DIR. Vail upheld DR.. Winans in this
respect, and declared that it would
not only mar the beauty of the thor
oughfare in many sections, but he
did not believe Belleville should go
to that expense to oblige the Public
Service Corporation ana foreign busi-
ness houses. Mr.. Smith objected on
the same grounds and told the board
he had built $50 feet of sidewalk at
an approximate cost of $500 along that
street.
Mr. Smith asked Mr.. Gilbert if it
was not true that the freeholders
were responsible for the trolley tracks
having been placed at the side of the
avenue.
Mr.. Gilbert responded that he was
not q member of the board at that
time and Was not familiar with the
conditions.
Dr. Z. o. Cyphers, however, upheld
Mr.. Smith and advised the board that
at that time Belleville agreed to pay
third of the cost, the Public Serv-
Ace one-third, but the county refused
TO pay the balance. -
School Commissioner Alfred o.
Cooper and Frank ID. Chairman, how
ever, were in favor of the resolution.
8 Mr. Cooper said he would like to see
the thoroughfare widened and was
perfectly willing to give eight feet, IL
necessary. Mr. Chairman argued that
although some sections of the thor
oughfare could not be improved, other
sections were Objectionable. He
thought the widening of the street
would make q more uniform condi-
ton and rebound to the credit of the
town.
When told by Mayor C. Lyman Den
ison that the Town Council had agreed
to widen the avenue eighteen inches
on either side to make room for the
sewage pipes between the tracks and
the curb, Mr.. Chairman thought the
project q good one, but said that IL
eighteen inches would interfere with
the trees, he thought five feet could
40 no more damage.
At this point Mr.. Gilbert advised
the board that other municipalities
were installing their sewage pipes be-
tween the sidewalk and property line
at a great saving to the public. The
resolution of Mr.. Crisp, however, was
voted down by tie meeting for further
consideration.
Andrew l.. Boylan suggested that
every precaution should be taken by
the board to be prepared for the first
determined move on the part of the
municipalities favoring the installing
of the Imhoff sewage disposal plant III
Belleville. He Vas advised BY Mayor
Denison that they were prepared. On
the suggestion of DR.. e. 0. Cyphers
the board decided to invite Osborne
Conkling, consulting sanitary engi-
neer of New York, to address the pub
lie. The Bloomfield and Nutley
Boards of Trade will be invited to the
x,,aatinOs