Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-24
AWARD Of BOARD
RATED AMAZING
District Heads to Set Aside
Selection of Eastern High
School Site.
OBJECT TO THE AMOUNT
ALLOWED FOR PROPERTY
Valued at Nearly Three Times More
Than Official Assessment,
It Is Declared.

| SCnOOl Will not be erected on the
site proposed for it at 18TH, 10Th
East Capitol and A streets north.
east.
Expressing dissatisfaction will
the award by the condemnation
commissioners-Col. Myron NJ
Parker, Thomas Gordon and Au.
! lick Palmer-the District Com.
missioners today ordered the Dis.
trict corporation counsel to take
the necessary steps to dismiss the
whole proceedings for the &C.
QUESTION of this property.
The Commissioners action is sx-
planned in a long statement in which
the award of the condemnation boar
Is characterized as disclosing ''some
amazing facts" among them that the
award is nearly three times as great as
the valuation placed upon the property
by the District assessor.
Boards Award Stated.
The boards award for the four
squares comprising the site in ques-
tion was s133,423.S3. whereas the same
four squares are assessed on the basis
of valuation of but s52,02s.
While the site has been rejected plans
for a new high school in that section
may not be delayed appreciably. The
Commissioners have $150,000 available
for the purchase of a site and will en-
deavor at once to find new location.
If oha G
made at the District building this
afternoon, that an appropriation for
starting work on the school building
will be included in the forthcoming
estimates of the District. The struc-
ture is expected to cost between half
million and three-quarters of million
dollars.
The condemnation commissioner rs
whose award has been rejected were
appointed by Justice Anderson of the
District Supreme Court March II, this
year. Their award was returnad Au-
gust 20.
Explanation by Commissioners.
The District Commissioners expla-
nation of their rejection Of the award,
which has been recorded as part of
their minutes, is as follows:
Examination of the award of the
condemnation commissioners in the
matter of the condemnation of squares
1904, 1905, HOS and 11O9 for site for
the new Eastern High School discloses
some amazing facts.
THE condemnation board awards for
the whole of the four squares total
of S133. 1913
"'These same four squares are as
sessed on the basis Of valuation OF
s52 .O29.
; Not only is the award nearly three
times as great as the valuation placed
upon the land by the assessor but
there is nothing in the report. and
nothing in the testimony taken by the
commissioners. to justify SO high a
figure.
Estimates of Witnesses.
"Of the witnesses who appeared be-
fore the condemnation commissioners,
six qualified as experts and testified
as to the value of all the lands in the
four squares.
Harold E. Doyle in his testimony
set the total value of all four squares
at $S2.695.60; William &. Turpin. at
s17.40s.7S. and John C. Weldon, at
S16,Ss252 These three men appeared
as witnesses for the government. Their
appraisals included all the land and
all the improvements thereon.
Charles II. Jerman placed the total
valuation at s107 .8SS.52: l.. o. Mallery,
IL
son. at sI14,270.S0. These three ap-
peared as witnesses for the property
owners. Their appraisals were as to
the land values. as they did not include
any allowances for the improvements.
Some of the witnesses for the property
owners admitted that the values Of the
improvements were Of no considerable
weight, but later said that something
should be awarded for them.
"A valuation of the improvements
g.. <l,o
property owners, ]. c. Yost, who placed
them at something over $27.000. In ad-
dition to this the property owners
claimed $35,0O0 for the value of the
clay and gravel in the four squares.
1t seems that their contention was
that the clay and gravel did not be-
long to the land, but should be sep
arated as sort of mineral right.
Average Valuation of Squares.
THE average valuation placed on the
four squares, including improvements,
by the three witnesses who appeared
for the government was $7s.995.63.
THE average valuation placed upon
all four squares by all of the witnesses
appearing for the property owners. ex-
cluding improvements. was 3.397. 70.
This was raised to s151,1S2.06 by Mr.
improvements. and this in turn was
raised to $1s5,s91.05 by the addition of
the value of mineral rights in clay and
gravel.
nesses who appeared for the property
owners placed total valuation on the
whole site at more than $117,125.05
Thus the award appears to be more
than $4,000 in excess of the highest
valuation of any of the property own
ers' own experts who testified as to the
value of the whole tract.
Upon the basis of the average price
| four squares, the condemnation COM
| a square foot.
THE three expert witnesses for the
government placed the average al
| 20. 19 and 1s, respectively, while the
experts appearing for the property
| owners placed the average at 26, 29
| and % cents a square foot.
The average assessment of this prop
| erty is 8 cents per square foot; this
| being two-thirds of valuation of /:
cents square foot.
Indication Of Market Price.
| An indication of the market value OF
| the land in this vicinity is afforded in
| the appeal from the assessment upon
| three corner lots in square I110. direct
| ly across East Capitol street, south
| from square 1109 in the. condemned
tract. Last year the owner of these
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