The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-06
Says Light Co. Is mot
DESTROYS" of Meeting
His Architectural
Requirements
ORDINANCE NOT
BINDING ENOUGH
City s Landscape Expert Calls on Pub
lie Opinion to Sustain Him in His
Demand That Island improvements
Be Made According to His Views

That Warren H. Manning, of Boston,
Harrisburg s landscape architect, now
regards the ordinance recently passed
by the City Commissioner, giving the
Harrisburg Light and Power Company
the right to build a coal wharf on the
main island, opposite the city, as not
sufficiently specific in the restrictions
imposed on the light company in erect
ing the wharf, was revealed in an open
letter addressed to-day by Mr.. Manning
to the Harrisburg newspapers.
Mr. Manning who, before the ordi-
nance was passed, approved uhe general
proposition to give the light company
the rights on the island, in his letter to-
day says that he finds that "in the
structure under way, essential features
of the plans he had in mind for making
the wharf architecturally attractive
"have been omitted'' He adds:
Furthermore a representative of the
parent company has written that it is
proposed to build the structure and
add the ornaments afterwards, pro-
cess that anyone conversant with good
design, knows cannot be done success
fully
Mr. Manning appeals to "the force
of public opinion - to compel the com
pany to have the structure made at
tractive in accordance with his views.
1t is recalled that Mr.. Manning's orig.
inal approval of the general project to
lease a part of the island for a coal
wharf was vigorously criticized by
former Mayor Vance G. Mccormick and
Others who contended it would mar the
outlook from the Harrisburg river front.
Mr.. Manning's Letter
Mr.. Manning's letter follows:
"I was asked to consider the oues-
tion of establishing a coal handling
plant on the Island at an earlier visit.
At this conference the engineers of the
company asking for the privilege and
the engineer of the Department of
Parks and Public Property, agreed that
conditions made it impracticable to es-
tablish plant on the opposite side of
the Island, or at its upper end.
81 was then, and am now, of the
opinion that such a plant would better
be on the Island where public utility
structures are already established, than
on the city shore.
"The location of this structure at
the point in question, in my mind
hinged largely upon the practicability
of making it so architecturally attrac-
tive as to be worthy object in the
view from the shore and the basin.
believed then, and l now believe, that
this can be done.
cit was my understanding that the
company had given assurance that they
would go to very considerable ex-
pense to accomplish this purpose.
''Acting for and through the Depart
ment of Parks and Public Property, |
arranged with a competent firm of
architects to prepare plans, which were
transmitted to the company, with the
expectation that there would be confer.
ences to adapt plants to meet both the
practically and architectural require
ments.
g now find that in the structures
under way, essential features of this
plan have been omitted. Furthermore
a representative of the parent company
has written that it is proposed to build
the structure and add the ornaments
afterwards, process that anyone con.
versant with good design, knows can
not be done successfully.
Appeals to Public Opinion
AT conference during this visit |
with the representatives of the COM
pany and of the Department of Parks
and Public Property, it is made clear
that the company was not desirous of |
making any important concessions. if |
any at all, in utilitarian requirements
to meet architectural requirements, or
that would involve changes in plans
that they had made or material that |
they had ordered. | find that the or
dinance providing for the use of the
site does not require the company to
make any such concessions.
81 find that the trees that thew
were required to save have been filed
over and welled many feet deep,-
not transplanted to the new surface as
l would have advised had 1 been con-
suited
Without the compulsion of an ordi-
nance or stronger evidence of a real
desire to make the structure an at
tractive one on the part of the COM
pany, ! believe that my most effective
recourse is an appeal to the force of
public opinion.
If the proposed structure at this
point is to be built and then ornament
ed afterwards, then in my opinion it
would be better to at once call halt,
arrange for the city to acquire the !
dock under construction for a public
boat landing, for which it could be
well arranged, and require the CON-
pany to handle its coal by purely
utilitarian floating structure, which