Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-02
AVENUE WIDENING
FINALLY EEARO
Real Estate Men Say ST 800 Will
Cover Damage to Last OF
Obiectors' Properties.

The commission appointed some time
ago to assess damages to property owners
along Delaware avenue from Tatnall
street TO Van Buren, for the condemnation
of a strip off the fronts of their holdings
~ permit the widening OF the avenue
heard final testimony Yesterday after
noon In the Street and Sewer Depart
ment offices, the evidence submitted
being that of the city $ witnesses regarding
the damage 10 the apartment house
property of Matthew d. Murphy. the
Belvidere. ut No. 1905 Deleware avenue.
The city asserts that Mr. Murphy Will
suffer no more than 81 500 loss, tins
confined To the land. with no damage
whatsoever to the property otherwise
MIR Murphy. through his counsel, James
salisbury, saws that he should be com
pensated for rental losses to the extent OF
$4,000 or 81 500. as well As for the elght
and one-half feet of land the city would
take 1t is understood that after con
sidering these agreements the commission
decided to award Mr.. Murphy about
SIS
Besides this matter the sum to which
the Wilmington and Brandvwine cemetery
Co. is entitled for the strip TO be taken from
1t was finally adjusted Through its
fDUlfSSt. d IstiitSt AnBiAltttf ttt tpAiiih1''pis
was asked to award the cemetery com
pany S1n,64S.09 which is 81 50 q square
foot for its land the prlce 10 which IT
sells 10 lot holders, and 81 900 for damage
10 its office building This the commission
agreed 10.
When the commission arrived at the
Murphy property matter City Solicitor
Ravard offered the testimony of four
real estate men as TO the amount of
damage the objcctor would suffer.
Carroll " Griffith SAID that after ex-
animation Of the property he would FIX
81 500 as the sum 10 which Mr.. Murphy
would he entitled. which he figured aS the
value Of the land alone He did not
consider the rentahIlitv Of the apart
mcnt house damaged Thomas Tatnall
gave similar testimony Morris u. Cross
an figured the damages at $3.50.
entirely in land value and Alfred Moore
gave it as 81 S75. None Of these witnesses
ielt that Mr. Murphy was entitled 70
further award other than for the land
alone
Mir. salisbury Tor Mr. Murphy.
sought 10 show in cro>S-oNanlnatIon
that other property owners with less
frontage than his chent had been awarded
more than he notably Edmund Mitchell.
for No 1909 Delaware avenue. and the
Tourist Garage aud Motor Repair Co.
for No 90l. hut the witnesses sand that
they had not figured on these properties
and If they had been over-c<timated in
value il WAS no fault oi theirs. the only
question before them having been Mr.
Murphy'S properly.
MIR salisbury laid stress upon the los
Of shade trees in front al the Bely1dere
and got from MIR Moore the fact that If
the shade trcrs In front Of his country
property were 10 be rut away II would
lose ninety per cent Of rs value On the
other hand. Mr.. Moore explained there
WAS no conpar son between country
property and city holdings and ne stuck
10 his already given figure Sl->5. rs the
amount 10 which Air Murphy w,s en-
titled.
In argument. Mr. salisbury again
brought this matter oi shade to the com
mission. quoting tic evidence of ms Wit
nesSeS to the effect that the Belvidere's
owner was entitled 70 $1,000 81 "a 500
ior damage IA rentatlIty. etc Mr.
Bayard replied that the city wo;Ild have
tho night 10 take aWaY the trees III queS-
ton il il chose ard that Mr. Murphy
would he entitled e nothing therefor
After hearing the argument the commission
went into executive session to decide the
amount IT would award MIR Murphy
Report Will finailv tie made 10 the court