Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-07
LAKE STREET FAIRGROUNDS SAFE
Common Council Indefinitely Postpones Resolution Author izing Public Works Committee Use Property for City r-Resoluion Passed Fixes Holyhock Island as the New Location Many Opposed Lake Street Project at Special Hearing in Council Chamber

After an hours deliberation on the strenuous opposition raised to the abo- Htion of the Lake street playgroundS and the locating thereon of buildings to be used Sor the accommodation of the city's wagons, carts and tools,l the court Of common council on WcdneS- day evening indefinitely postponed the resolution introduced at the council meeting Monday night authorizing the public works committee to take over the property for the use of their de-. parrment, and adopted a new resoIu- ton fixing Hoilyhock Island as the To- cation for the city barn, which at present occupies a site on Bath street Over a half hundred prominent men crowded the council chamber when the hearing opened and many of them took advantage of the opportunity to air their protests. A half dozen women were numbered among those present. Mayor Allyn L. Brown called the meeting 10 order at 8.10 o'clock.
 After the resolution had been read, Mayor Brown said that the matter was l one for the council to settle, but as l there appeared to be some sentiment against the project it was decided to hold a hearing so that any interested would have chance to be heard. City Barn Property Valuable. The mayor said the City barn is lo- cated right in the center of the city I " piece of property. The city barn does l not provide room enough for all the | wagons and tools and the needs of the 1 department do not grow less as time 1 goes on. The mayor said it was ap- parent that there is real need for a can be properly stored. The matter | had been brought before the council I through the Thames street widening l which is about to be started. The city 1 has purchased buildings there in con- nection with the widening and these
 buildings will have to be torn down,
 and the mayor said it was felt that the l material from these buildings could be
 used for the construction of buildings l to accommodate the wagons, etc, own ed by the city.
 ] He pointed out that the only two
 available places are the city dump Hollyhock Island, and the Lake street grounds The Lake street grounds be- | longs to the city and was acquired al | an expense of several thousand dollars The mayor pointed out the fact that the Lake street grounds are better
 adapted for the purpose irs view thar the city dump
 | Could Erect Wooden Buildings.
 Mayor Brown said the building ol
 sheds would be of no material cost tC the city. He said he understood that
 the Lake street playgroundS are not ir
 the fire limits and that wooden build
 ings could be erected there. That tht
 city dump is within the fire limits an6
 buildings erected there would have tC
 comply with the ordinance.
 He said the present city barn rnigh
 far better be used for some other pur
 pose. That the suggestion had beer
 made that it be devoted to the gas an(
 electric department but that was no
 the question to be decided at the meet
 ing. The, question was whether thu
 property be used for the purpose SC
 forth in the resolution.
 Petitions Pro and Con. Clerk Arthur G. Crowell then reat ) two communications addressed to tn } council. The first was a conlrnunica ton from the Central Labor union signed by ti.e president and secretary ! and expressing the sentiment of tn , union members as against the resoiu
 tior to estanlish the city barn on tn l Lake street grounds.
 | The second communication was il
 the form of a petition from propert, holders in the vicinity Of the Iak
 street grounds in which they aske {. the removal of the playayrourds to scEs
 other site It was signed by Lewis l. Church and score of others.
 Mayor Brown said he takes consid
 era5le interest in the playground f movement and approves it, but tha : there was a question whether the ben eft derived by using the property as t playground during the short play I ground period of the year would out weigh the benefit to the public work l committee, who would use the propert 3 throughout the entire year.
 l 1t rhe request of Councilman Bab . | cock, the clerk read the names of thos l who signed the petition asking the re 7 moval of the plavgrounIs. Mayo
 Brown then declared the hearing opel
 AY~fl1 lIN %tNvrs- AI,1 4I,-
 favoring the removal of the play
 grounds he heard first and those favor
 ing it's retention last. The suggestio
 was carried out.
 Lewis R. Church was the first to r
 heard. He said he was not present Il decide the placing of the city barn. bI y was there to object to the playgroun, e which he characterized as a nuisanc n don't object to having the play l grounds, by any means, but I thin v there are other places for it. he said q President Stanton Heard. s John B. Stanton, president of tn q Norwich Fairgrounds association. wa = the second to be heard. He said h s represented the officers and member e of the playgrounds association who al y not in favor of the project to estahlis = l the barn on the Lake street ground [, He said that when the playground Il movement was started an attempt ws y n1aue 10 nave grounds on Erankll y streeG park. Tie suggestion was mao
 tha. they go to Lake street. There tf
 grounds were not in condition. Wit
 the cooperation of the public worl
 committee, the grounds have bee " placed in proper condition. Trees ha> e been set out and some of them ha1 = lived, and the value of the land he = been enhanced. MT. Stanton said tn: - no complaints have been made to tf II association for damages resultir q through the presence of the playgrour IL on Lake street and no claims hay
 been presented.
 The playgroun6s association h;
 knever had money to buy real esta t- nor to pay rent, and Lake street is Il a only available ground.
 n Someone has said that we might u. > Mohegan park continued MT. Stanto l. but that is out of the question TT L. boys would be unable to play basehe l. after school because there would
 little time left after they got there b.
 fore it would be dark He said
 would be a great setback to the wol ,e to have the grounds used for any oth ,-sl purpose than playgrounds
 St Councilman Babcock inquired as T.