The bee., 1916-04-25
IMPROVING WESTMINSTER.
New Yorks Beautiful County Has a
Planning Commission.

Planning Commission.
A commission, the first body Of its
kind ever constituted by law Of the
United States, has been organized for
the development and identifying Of
Westchester county, N. Y. 1t is head
ed by James G. Cannon.
The appointment Of this commission
was largely due to the activities of the
Westchester county chamber of COM
1nerce, and the commissioners, who are
men Of wealth and deeply interested
in the development of the county, will
serve without salary. They were Sc
lected by the board Of supervisors and
have authority to employ landscape ar
chitects, surveyors, engineers and 9th
er experts.
They will submit to the supervisors
a survey of the county, with a map
showing the proposed improvements,
and they may recommend changes I'm
the width or route of highways, the
construction of new trunk line roads
and the acquisition of public lands for
parks and Fairgrounds. They may also
suggest the subdivision Of the county
into drainage areas and alterations in
the system of water supply.
Westchester's growth in the past few
years both in the matter of population
and of estates and country houses has
caused the leading citizens to take Sc
riOus thought as to the best manner
In which its natural beauties may be
preserved.
Several Of the towns" said Mr..
Cannon, "already have systems of
street planning and are seeking to
make their part of the county as pleas
ing to the eye as possible, and one of
the first things the commission will do
will be to take these efforts into ac-
count and to correlate them. 1t is nee
essary that the rapidly growing com
munities should have adequate park
space and that their streets and prln-
cipal highways should be considered
with reference to the appearance of
the entire county. Westminster is a
pioneer in this line.
"Then there are in the county many
reservoirs, and it is proposed that they
should be approached by suitable
roads and that picturesque and con-
venient paths be built about them.
The great Kensico reservoir is one of
the finest bodies of water in the coun-
try.
"The new Bronx River parkway, of
the cost Of which New York city pays
three-fourths and this county one
fourth, win naturally become part Of
the general plan. 1t runs for fifteen
miles on either side of the Bronx
river. '--'-.- '.------s~--~---,-
"The county also contains much for
est land, and the commission will con-
slider how its natural appearance may
be retained as much as possible, and
while there is yet time the provision
Of park spaces win be considered with
reference to those already existing.
"Such towns as DObbs Ferry and
White Plains have already done much
in laying out municipal parks and in
making their surroundings pleasing
To obtain the cooperation of every
town in the county is part Of the gen.
eral scheme"
Citizens of Westchester are enthusi-
astic over the project to make their
county garden Of the gods" Parks
and lawns win be established at the
railroad stations, steps win be taken
to destroy unsightly structures, and
the traveller will see about him every
where the natural beauties Of the
woods and the fields preserved by the
skill Of landscape architects.
There are many beautiful country
homes in the county, especially along
the Hudson. The commission hopes
that its efforts viii increase the pride
of all Westchester property owners I'm
the adOrnment Of their grounds and In
the appearance Of their homes.