Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-30
ROAD JURY AWARDS
IN THE NORTHEAST
DISTRICT OF CITY
Kensington and Lehigh Ave
nue. Changes of Grade Due
to Abolition of Railroad
Crossings.

In a report filed this month Horace
Yardlcy, William r. Dougherty and James
johnson, viewers, awarded damages
caused by the change Of grade In the
abolition of grade crossings on line Oh
the Philadelphia and Reading Railway
Company, Richmond Branch, as affecting
the following streets:
Kenslngton avenue, between Harold ana
Boudinot streets; Lehigh avenue. between
Jasper and A streets, Oakdale and AL
bert streets, between Kensington avenue
and Jasper street: Tusculum street, be-
tween Kensington avenue and Ruth
street, and Potter street. between Lehish
avenue and Huntingdon street.
The change Of grade of Kensington ave-
nue. at Lehigh avenue was approximately
eight feet six inches on the south SIDE
and ten feet on the north side; the grades
Of all intersecting streets being ADJUSTED
to conform to this grade. 1t ran out at
260S Kenslngton avenue to the south and
at 2745 Kensington avenue to the north
DAMAGES CAREFULLY CoNs1D-
Erred.
The viewers in making awards took
into consideration that the physical work
was begun during the years 1912 and 1913,
and the delay incident thereto. also that
In making excavations rock was found
in many instances and had not been pro-
yided for in owners testimony. This, of
course, doubled the cost of excavating in
adjusting the properties to new condi-
tions.
AWARDS ON KENsINGToN AVENUE
20 properties OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES S2oi o52 90
i do tenants ciain).
LEHIGH AVENUE
a. properties NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. so, 4BS.OO
ALBERT STREET
1 property ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 5oOo
OAKDALE STREET
8 properties ....................... 2,o33.Vo
2 no damage.
TuscULUM STREET
IS properties Observation-Disclosures. ll,Ao'VO
POTTER STREET
II properties NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 4,o26. %
One hundred and ffty-six properties
were considered. and the total award
was 2T1,674,5O Taken as a whole, the
award seems as fair to both sides as
may be, when 1t Is considered that loss
of rental and loss of business cannot
be regarded as such.
| In the cases where no damage was
in change of grade from one-eighth OF
! an inch on one line to zero on the other
| to one and seven-eighths inches on one
| line to zero on the other. One claim
| was that of a tenant who had yearly
lease, and the case of the Episcopal Hos
pltal, where only the adjustment Of the
| stone wall and iron fence on same, to-
Eether with relaying pavements and re-
! setting curb, was asked. This has beer
done in the best way possible by the
! city.
DAMAGE IN SMALL GRADES.
In regard to the properties mentioned
with less than two inches OF grade, the
viewers have usually given something
and 1t would seem that owners shoulc
recover. Real estate men. except in I
few instances, are united in the belle
that there are damages even beyond th'
grade to point fixed by a weil-knowr
broker. who testlfes in a large proper
| ton of cases "a point where, standing
| on the front steps the grade is plainl.
visible" In Tioga and other section!
heavy loss of rental, both during the worl
| and a long time after, and the fact tina
| old rents do not IS rule come bacl
within a short time,' as alleged by ex
perts called for the city, clearly goes t.
|
| titled to damage.
CONDITIONS BETTER.
| Where a row of properties are in on
ownership and are adjusted together I
decidedly better condition is immediatel.
manifest. as can be seen in propertie
covered by this award, 26Os to $3.50, in
elusive, Kensington avenue. These prop
critics have been adjusted at one tim
| by the Handy estates and look extremel.
well. In a scattered ownership and
sharp drop at the end OF the street, will
some owners making the change evel
! before the award is paid, and others al
lowing the unsightly temporary woodel
steps to stand for a long time, so tina
an unsettled condition spoils the street
buyers and renters are not keen TO ge
| into the locality.
This is very apparent on Frankfor
avenue. north and south OF Lehigh ave
nue., and will also be seen in the section
under consideration.
ANOTHER REPORT SOON.
Testimony has been heard by this jur,
also on C street, Tusculum street
sterner street. and on the Bromle
Mill, corner OF Lehigh avenue and ]
street. Awards will be embodied in tn
next report
The city Of Philadelphia and the Phil
adelpha and Reading Railway Com
pany have agreed to waive an appeal o
the properties contained in this repor
and up TO this date only one appeal ha
been entered by an owner. on Octobe
s. being 80 days after filing the repor
said awards may be confirmed absc
lutely by the Court OF Common Plea
No. 4.
NOTES OF THE STREET.
The transfers thus far for the wee
show most activity in West Philadelphia
and in the northwest section.
In the Sheriff's sales advertised Z,
October s. West Philadelphia and n
southwest section have one-third MOI
properties than the rest of the list, whic