The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-17
RIVERSIDE PARK.
The West side Associations View OF
the Merit Of the Present Plans for
Dealing with the Central's Tracks.

To EDITOR or THE s~uN-Sr: The
beauty and usefulness of Riverside Park
will be destroyed II the plans for the
extension OF the New York Centrars
tracks proposed in The reports OF the
Port and Terminal Committee to the
Board OF Estimate and Apportionment
are executed.
This Is the firm conviction OF the
West End Association. whose MEMBER
ship includes about 500 property owners
and residents In the Riverside PARK
one. 1t Is a matter OF record that this
association for more than a generation
has been vitality concerned In the ex-
tension and preservation OF Riverside
Park as a beneht to all the people OF
New York. Thu officers. committees
and members of this association have
made a careful study OF every move
ment having even a suspicion OF en-
croachment on the park. the Know
their subject and they are entitled to be
heard with the respect due any special
list. not only by the city administrator
but by every citizen who regards New
FORK as something more than merely q
place to gain a livelihood.
The president Of the West End Assoc
citation. the chairman Of its committee
on legislation and other members have
appeared before the Board OF Estimate
H1u NOlCeu vnelT DToltStS " pVF'''''
terms. Tho immediate results. aside
from certain discourteous treatment ac-
corded to these gentlemen. were a slight
gain Of time and the submission to the
board by the Port and Terminal Com
mlttee OF a second report which In eff
feet IL a duplicate OF their original re-
port on which the primary criticisms
were based. :
The value Of the Port and Terminal
~~..-~s. .v-. IN 0ot,Dod Nhcn
II Is asserted hat in many important
respects Its statements are wholly nj
variance with the actual provisions and
requirements OF the plans for track ex-
tension now before the Board OF Esti-
mate and Apportionment.
II these plans are not defeated some
Of the results certain to occur are
During the construction period. which
| may be from one to Ave years. practi-
cally the whole Of Riverside Park will
he torn up and will resemble a quarry
or gigantic excavation. Neither the city
nor the railroad Is required. under the
| plans. to provide grass, shrubs or trees
on the westerly. or water. side after
construction II finished.
Some residents OF Riverside Drive will
have to look out of their third story
windows II they wish to see the Hudson
River.
Al the beginning OF the park. at
Seventy-second street. a huge dixie thirty
Ave feet high will shut off the view OF
the river and the Jersey shore.
The minimum width OF the steel deck
| over the tracks. one hundred feet. IL 20
have a covering. between : venty-sec-
ond and Seventy-sixth streets. OF only
six inches. which precludes the POSSIBLE
ity OF growing grass and makes neces-
sary a covering OF asphalt.
IL wOuli rpuuirp "a mage Of LIE SIN
Ia publish n complete criticism OF these
plans. The examples quoted should be
sufficient to arouse the opposition OF
every citizen who cares whether or no,
Riverside Park is TO be devastated.
The residents OF the central West
side have been suffering a little bad luck
lately. At the last session OF the Lcgis-
lature the so-called BELL consent bills,
requiring the consent OF 30 per cent. in
value OF the real estate on amy proposed
stage route in New York city, remained
buried in committee largely owing &c
the mastery inactivity Of their intro
Queer. A~sssWhlyman Bell.
The "Giiiroy acid fumes BILL" put &c
sleep IN the Senate Judiciary Committee
was revived Trough the efforts of the
West End Association, amended in com.
mittee. passed 10y the Senate with the
concurrence ~ the Assembly. only to be
vetoed the other day by Governor Whit
man. This bill gave the Governor au,
thority TO revok the license or charter
to do business In this state Of n com,
pany maintaining a nuisance IN another
State and was designed to afford reliei
to the citizens Of the West Side from
the nasty fumes generated by chemica
and other industrial plants on the New
Jersey side OF the Hudson River.
Is II possible hat Governor Whitman
may have thought that II Riverside Parl
were destroyed to accommodate. III,
New York Central Railroad. the Jerse,
chlorine and sulphur fumes could do M
harm 10 people who would abandon thai
part OF the city as a residence section?
STEPHEN /. COLES.
New YonK. NAV l6