The New York herald., 1921-05-23
ROCKS HOLD UP PLAN
FOR PARK ADDITION
1000 Cubic Yards of Stone
Dumped on Site City Had
Decided to Buy.
% TREES DESTROYED
Comptroller Digging Into
Laws to Determine if
There Is Redress.
DELAY WAS VERY COSTLY
Estimated That Cost of Re-
moval of Material Will Be
S158,0OO.
DELAY WAS VERY COSTLY

Charles l.. Craig, Comptroller, and
John F. O'Brien, Corporation Counsel
have been digging into the laws gov
erning condemnation proceedings for
the last few days to see what redress
the city has against a group OF Wash
ington Heights property owners, part
of whose property the city had decided
to take over as an addition to Fort
Washington Park. 1t seems that since
the Board of Estimate adopted reso-
luton to take over the property about
81 900 cubic yards of rock has been
dumped upon it, destroying about
twenty five beautiful trees. If the city
takes title, which depends entirely
upon the conclusion Messrs. Craig and
OBrien may come to, it will cost about
s15S,OO0, engineers say, to remove the
rock and give the ground the resem-
blance of a park
When the project was brought be-
fore the Board of Estimate the sugges-
ton was to take title on April l, but
it was found that by so doing the city
would lose about six months taxes on
the property. 1t, therefore, was re-
solved by the board that the city would
not act until June 1, or until after the
taxes for the first half of the year had
been paid Henry Smith, Deputy
Comptroller, is authority for the state
ment that if the city had not been so
solicitous for its tax receipts it would
have received the property in good
condition
Following the passage OF this resolu-
ton engineers were sent to the property
and survey made. The property is
tract 750 feet by 600 feet, running from
Riverside Drive west to the river front,
2,700 feet north of 1S1st street. 1t abuts
on Fort Washington Park and, before
the stone appeared was described as
very desirable addition to the park.
1t was Mr.. Smith who made the dis
coyery regarding the stone. He was rid
ing down Riverside Drive a week ago
yesterday, when he chanced to glance at
the tract and was amazed to find that
it was a mound of stone. Some or the
boulders weighed anywhere from one to
four tons, and one of them would pe a
load for a good size truck.
AS soon as Mr.. Smith reached MS Of
fee he despatched Chandler Wilmington.
chief engineer of the finance department,
to the property. Mr.. Wilmington had
with him the survey made several weeks
ago, which gave the contour OF the
ground He estimated the amount of
stone as being in the neighborhood OF
81 900 cubic yards and reported back to
Mr. Smith that II would cost the city
about So a cubic yard to remove 1t.
There also were the twenty-five de-
stroyed trees, which. he said. 1t would
take about $4,000 to replace. Mr.. With
ington's investigation revealed that there
is a large amount of excavating being
done in Riverside Drive between 160th
and 170th streets. and he expressed the
belief that the stone probably was hauled
from that point to the proposed park
addition.
The Board OF Estimate was to have
issued the final authorization for seizure
OF the property last Friday, but the dis
covery OF the 81 900 cubic yards Of rock
has caused the authorities to hesitate
There seems TO be a difference OF optn-
ion between the authorities is TO whether
the rock would reduce the physical value
of the property in condemnation pro-
ceedings or II the city could collect for
damages IL 1t takes title. The matter
was discussed at the board meeting and
was put over until next Friday. at which
time il is thought possible that the board
may rescind its resolution to take over
the tract of ground.