Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-19
REPORT ON THE CITY PLAN

One OF the most important documents ever presented to a gov.
srning body in Perth Amboy was the report submitted to the Board
OF Aldermen by the City Plan Commission last night. When it is
realled that this commission had only about $4,000 to spend this
year, there being several bills left over from the former commits.
sion that had come out Of their $500 appropriation, it is surpris.
ing what has been accomplished by this board. 1t is doubtful if the
city has ever got more for its money than in this instance.
It's called a preliminary report, yet it S comprehensive enough
to see what a real city plan means. 1t gives some idea of what can
be done in finding out about the city in general and how to go
about working out its various problems. Even with only a prelim-
mary report the Board of Aldermen are better able to legislate for
the city than they ever have been. A careful study of this report
together with the maps accompanying it, gives valuable informa-
ton about the city not generally known before. If this information
is not worth the $4,000 that was appropriated last year for this
work, then there is no value in anything that concerns municipal
development.
The separate report on the proposed extension of Fayette
street westward to Convery place alone is worth all the money that
The city gave the City Plan Commission for its work last year.
The careful study and the statistics gathered regarding the traffic
through the city, especially the traffic over the ferry to Totem
vile, are of great value. The chart showing how this traffic has i'll
creased year by year is extremely interesting. 1t places the actual
facts before the aldermen and, as has been repeatedly pointed out.
in regard to a city plan, it enables them to act intenigently.
If there ever was any doubt about the necessity of opening and
developing Fayette street through to Convery place, this report
ought to end it. The traffic that Smith street would be compelled
to carry in addition to the ordinary traffic, once the new state
highway bridge is completed, makes the opening of a new route
imperative and the time to start work on this project is now before
the actual necessity is felt.
But the general survey of the city which the preliminary re-
port gives is of the utmost importance. The information there set
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parsons with other cities could be made only when one has had
wide experience in city planning, studying the problems and the
conditions in many cities throughout the country. 1t is apparent
that the City Plan Commission is made up OF the right kind OF men
who have gone about their task solely with the best interest Of the
city at heart. They have rendered a great service and are deserving
of the utmost encouragement.
Based on this preliminary report, the City Plan Commission
asked the aldermen for an appropriation of ten or twelve thousand
dollars for the coming year to carry on their work on a more ex-
tensive scale. We believe that anyone reading this report will be
convinced that the request is justified, 1t is apparent, when one
considers what they city has received for the $4,000 appropriated
last year, that the money will not be wasted. In fact, here is the
beginning of a real plan for municipal development, just as any
large industry has a plan for its development.
The aldermen had decided to give but a slight increase to the
City Plan Commission for the next year, but upon seeing this report
last night the amount was jumped to $4,000. There is reason to
believe that as they study this report they will become more and
more convinced of it's value in their work of solving the problems
that they have before them, and if they do not decide eventually to
give the commission $4,000 to work with next year, the appro-
priation will be at least $1,000. 1t is the most important work be-
fore the city at the present time.