The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-14
OBSCURE TITLES
DELAY BIC WORK
City Engineer Reports Difficulty
in Making Estimate on
Shockoc Boulevard.
OWNERSHIP HARD TO FIX
Examiners Find Valley Holdings
Poorly Defined and Records
Much Involved.

/ Uuexpo ctcd difficulties in establish
I ing :hc ownership. as we'll ms the metcs
and bounds. of properties abutting on
! ShoClloc Crccli, City Engineer Boiling
reported TO the Council Street Commit
tee yesterday, will indefinitely delay
/ his report on the projected siXty-foot
driveway along the bed OF Shocioe
I Valley. Under directions from tho
! Council Air. Boiling has for several
/ weeks been engaged in the task OF
making up an cstimate OF tho cost OF
( The property that will have 10 be ac-
Qujrcd by the city To put through the
valley boulevard project.
"Wc have been working steadily and
! constantly on this plan. which requires
. the ascertaining Of all property own
crs along the line Of the route for y
distance of over three miles" reported
Mr. Hollh= ny authority OF the Ad-
ministrdtiVc Board have now at work
on the titles Mr.. Arden Howell. but
owing 10 the complications ana imper-
feet descriptions OF the property along
( this route il has been q hard matter 10
get the proper owners, and II has taken
longer than ! had anticipated
Ownership Obscure.
Not only the names of tho property
owners, but the mctcs and bounds OF
their respective properties. are obscure
anG require alrRc amount Of research
into records to determine what they
are
1T is one Of the most difficult un-
dertaliings l have ever tackled, ana
ana require large amount Of research
viii De completed ] Will submit q re-
port 20 this committee as soon as can
possibly do so"
The proposed valley boulevard is to
c%t"ud from Broad Street. on the east,
westward TO tn" hermitage Road ami
VIII, when completed. redeem for man
ufacturing ara business purposes a
large tract which is now conlparativc-
~ Naiuel.Ss. II present plans carry.
the driveway viii be constructed on
TOP Of the present open sewer the wall.
ing In and covering over Of which Is
ON" OF the immediate big improvements
contemplated by the Council
An appropriation of $330.p0O has been
expressly set aside from the proceeds
Of the recent Sl,j0o.0o0 bond issue. for
thu covering Of Shockoc valleys nno,
sever. Work is already under way on
INC extreme western section OF thi.
IMPROVEMENT on lands which are nov
tn" property Of the city. Instead of
proceeding 10 acquire q right of wa.
or the sewer alone through the rest OF
the valley. the Council has ur.fcrrnd
upon lhe advice OF the City Engineer.
TO hold up the rest of the work until
the approximate cost OF n sixty-root
right Of way can be asccrtaincd
south lsichmond improvements
inc street Committee held an cx-
teHdcd session yesterday afternoon
passing upon several measures relating
10 IN" opening OF alleys and other
surface improvements. It rcco,ninend
cd - the Council for passaEc a rcsoIi,
ton directing the City Attorney to ec-
- IA /.
nc!"nt land for hroading Twelfth
street South Richmond. between
.'"HmcS and Railroad Streets TO n uni
form width OF thlrty-threc feet.
communication WAS presented from
the Administrative Board recornm.pd-
inS N" opcnins Of Fifteenth street
from Broad 20 Marshall Streets. TIC
"nen!ng OF this street between tn.
points named would require a tunnel
iHc communication was referred for
report 10 tn" subcommittee on Mayo
-irlH-c approach. which has al n,.g
cnt under consideration a plan rnr
me widening Of Fifteenth street south
ward 20 the new bridge
lE"lIstcrn CluimS Sidewalk
., H"!istern, owner Of "a plot at tho
sou lHc7st corner Of Marshall street
hnG frork Avenue. Submitted q NOT
non IN which he lays claim as part az
ms property to AN irregular picco os
%'oGhh Tor q number OF years occupind
pF tiic CITY as :. sidewalk at that nom,
According TO the petition Mir Hon
storms property extends to the curt,
INC nj the intersection of Marsb,ll
tree, and Brook Avenue. which ,nnct
~ an acute angle. The CITY. 81 ~
ciNmcd, has. without dedication on tj,.
part OF the owner, used the dispu,nd
/ section OF the property as :. sidcwail,
/ IL ~ the purpose of the owner. the No.
/ u'nh states, to erect on the plot So
CA! new buildings, ana dcrnand T.,
mace upon tn" city for The surrcnd.,
81 Il portion Of the section now uGc1
4 'pr sidewalk purposes.
/ MI. i"Iistcrn petitions the civ IN
: 'StttbIish II permanent propcrtv I'M
ana offers to dedicate to the civ, rur
/ HitcH"a!k purposes an Irregular snc-io,,
% 'ht corner tip east Of the DrooIr
-iE"'Ne curb line, bounded by rour
lines, respectively. 3.l5. 735. 1l.a ana
20" rect in length. This would al
low a sidewalk fronting the pl,.p
/ crty about seven feet wide Com
pared with this. the sidewalk on Mar
snail street is twelve feet wide and
tho sidewalk on Brook Avenue. e,y
/ feet
The committee recommended tina; an
/ ordinance be drawn up establishing the
truc property line as laid down in the
, pm accompanying Mr.. Hcllstcrn's ne
tliipn and that II be recommended "a
IN" council for passage The ordI
nance Is 10 contain Il condition barrin.
any claim 20! back faxes nm tho ,,,,.