Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-02-28
Definite Plan for Paving Avenue Is Worked Out at
 Conference Here.
COST TO OWNERS OF
 PROPERTY BE SMALL
Under Parkway Plan II Is Estimated That Paving Would Not Cost Own CTS of Abutting Property
 More Than %25.0OO.

As a result of conference yester- day between Mayor Simon Blom and City Engineer Frank R. Allen, repre- senting the city, and Superintendent Ouillett, General Roadmaster Haw- kins and Chief Engineer Miller of the Iron Mountain railroad, the railroad company will make written proposal, with blue prints, to the property own CTS of West Fourth avenue, for the parking of that street and the pave ment of the roadway therein.
 The railroad officials spent all of yesterday here, and the city officials, accompanied by Major w. J. Parkes, county highway engineer, spent much time, with them going over the street and studying the problem in all it's details. At present, Fourth Avenue, from Main street to Chestnut street, has a 36-foot roadway on each side of the railroad tracks. The street is not paved. The railroad proposes to es- tablish a parkway extending eight feet on each side of the outer rails, or 30 feet in width, in it's entirety. This will leave narrower roadway on each side The same plan will be followed to Linden street, distance of eleven city blocks.
 The railroad proposes to build the curbs around the parkway, and to pave all crossings with the material with which the street shall be paved by the property owners. The park way is to be beautified with grass lawns and flower plots and shrubs, all of which is to be maintained by the railroad company.
 Would Cost Only $25,OO0.
 The company agrees to begin this work at once, and rush it to compile ton, provided the property owners will pave the roadways on both sides of the tracks, for the full distance be- tween Main street and Linden street. Mayor Bloom believes this condition will be accepted by the property own CTS, as it is estimated the aggregate cost of the work will be about SIP per year for ten years, on each 60-foot frontage on the street. The entire work, it is estimated, will cost $25, ,000 to $30,0O0, whereas heretofore the paving of the street has been consider ed a job that would require the ex- penditure of $120000 to $13O,000. As for that portion of Fourth ave- nue between Main street and the un- ulOn SCaClOn, It IS SalQ the fdllfOdu VIII pay it's pro rata share of the cost thereof, if an improvement district is formed. The railroad officials have agreed to prepare the blueprints and the written proposal without delay, and Mayor Bloom has announced that as soon as he receives these he will call meeting of the property owners, at which the matter will be discussed in detail. He is confidently of the opinion that the property owners will accept the proposition of the railroad, as the effort to pave Fourth avenue has been under way for several years past, and always without progress of |any kind.
 The railroad people have just com pleted considerable work here, in CO., operation with city officials, in drain- age and grading East Fourth avenue and other streets in that section. They have also hauled much rock and gravel here, for East Fourth avenue, Mis- souri and other streets, and have done other such work, to aid the city in putting and maintaining such streets in good condition.