Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-18
PAYING FOR PAVEMENT

The movement which has been inaugurated for the
pavement Of several Of the residence streets of Grand
Forks has naturally promptd much discussion Of the rub
5ect of street paving. and everything in relation thereto.
The questions most frequently asked relate to the prob
able cost and the manner Of payment. That there may be
as little misunderstanding as possible the main facts may
be repeated here. The most recent work of this kind in
the city was done on Belmont and Vernon avenues. The
material used there was concrete, and that seems to be
the practically unanimous. choice of the property owners
in the proposed new districts. The work was done in war
times, when the general scale Of prices had reached a
high point. The cost per lot included the cost Of laying
sidewalk, with which most of the property was unpro-
vided. Practically all of the property included in the pro-
posed new districts is supplied with sidewalk. hence it
seems probable that the cost Of the work proposed now
will not exceed that of the work done two years ago. The
total cost Of that improvement was $175.50 per 25-foot
inside lot. The property owner could pay this at one time
il he wished. Or he could permit the cost to run in the
form of 2o-year bonds bearing s per cent, one twentieth
of the principal being retired each year, with interest
paid yearly on the remainder. The property owner may
pay the remaining principal at any time, and thus stop
all future interest payments.
Some of the citizens have been mystified by the fact
that in some cases property owners have been paying two
paving taxes. the old and the new, at the same time, the
two overlapping. The explanation Of this is very simple.
The first pavement laid in Grand Forks was Of cedar
blocks. untreated, and placed. on a base Of pine plank.
Ours was the first pavement in the state. and we had no
experience to serve as a guild as to the serviceability OF
various paving materials under conditions of soil and
climate such as ours. When cost was considered the pos
sibilities speedily became limited to cedar blocks. The
cost of anything else was considered prohibtive, and there
were grave doubts Of the ability of the people to pay even
for a pavement that cost less than a dollar per square
yard. What seemed to be the most trustworthy estimates
placed the probable life of this pavement at eight years.
Some OF the blocks were actually in use for twelve years,
but. as the facts are now recalled, a portion of the first
district was repaved at the end of nine years. Through a
miscalculation which would not be made now, in the light
of the experience which we have had. the bonds for the
first district were drawn for ten years, two years longer
than the anticipated life of the pavement, and one year
longer than the actual duration of a part fit. Property
owners in this district therefore found themselves under
the disagreeable necessity of making the last payment on
the old bonds and the first payment on the new ones in
the same year.
The plain concrete pavement which meets with gem
eral favor now is Of indefinite duration. 1t is certain to
last long beyond the 2o-year limit of the bonds which
will be issued on its account. 1t is not patented, hence it
can be constructed by anyone familiar with concrete work