Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-16
Close Every Second Avenue
As Means OF Reducing Pacing J
Cost Is Believed Impractical
Proposition OF Residents On
Cherry And Oak Streets
Given Consideration; City
Engineer Sees Difficulties;
But Two Avenues Could
Be Closed.
PAGE TWELVE

Certain residents OF the district
which would be affected by the paving
of Cherry and Oak streets, having
voiced the opinion that the CLOSING
OF every second avenue might effect
Il worth while saving in paving costs.
the matter was taken up with City
Engineer J.. J.. Smith and some infor-
nation on the subject obtained.
The past summers work resulted IN
the paving of that district boraered
on the west by Cottonwood street.
and in the case Of intersections. the
alley between Cottonwood and Cherry
streets. A number OF residents on
Cherry and Oak streets would Hke to
have paving lex summer but are
DESTROYS of getting the lowest posA
sible cost. This has resulted In the
suggestion hat only every second
intersection be paved and the others
closed, making blocks Of the length
OF two present blocks, plus the Wldtn
of one avenue.
Must Remain Open.
A study Of the city map shows sew
cral pertinent facts. There are
three reasons why the avenues be-
tween Cottonwood n Cherry streets
would nave to remain open and ne
paved. They are already paved west
to the alley; these blocks are long.
resulting in lots and homes facing the
avenue. and there are waite: II
sewer pipes laying under the avenues,
making it unlikely that these ends or
could be used as building
sites.
The next matter, hat Of closing
every second avenue between Fourth
and Tenth avenues, from Cherry TO
Oak streets, also presents difficulties.
Fourth avenue could not be closed
because Of other avenues leading into
1t. Fifth avenue might be closed for
the one block, but further west that
avenue will be needed II h railroad
company ever enforces Its right to
prevent traffic from operating over
its property at the west end OF Fourtn
avenu
Matter Of Drainage.
II Fifth avenue we're closed. Sixth
would of course have to be left open.
Seventh avenue would have to remain
open because of a sewer main that
comes down from Pine street and
runs up Oak street and also because
OF the block between Seventh and
Eighth avenues being 400 feet long.
vent the closing of Eighth avenue, az
a 400-foot block added to a 30O-foot
block and 80 feet Of street would
give an unbroken block 780 feet long,
TOO great a distance, 1t Is said, for
proper drainage with a catch basin
at each corner. Ninth avenue mlSnt
be closed but that would prevent the
closing Of Tenth avenue. as would
also the fact that there are a number
of lots facing that thoroughfare. This
leaves but two that might be
closed. Fifth or Sixth, and Ninth
In a recent editorial The Herald
expressed the opinion that if every
second avenue were closed the savine
in paving would probably be les:
than eight per cent- The city engi'
neer. while giving no official figures
1ntimated that the saving would mo-
be any more and probably would bt
less. Granting, then. that the savinl
effected by closing one block. in TIVE
would mean a saving OF less thar
eight per cent, the saving by CLOSING
two blocks in seven must necessar1.
be small
Questions Of Law.
Other obstacles would presen
themselves, the city en"+neer agrees
AS the law now stands, II the avenue
were closed the property would re
vert back to h owners of the corne
lots. II the law were amended, h
points out, so that the eighty fee
could be sold as building sites, tn
owners of corner lots necessary
would have to be compensated TO
losing the advantages of a corner lot
In the matter Of drainage. Mr.. Smitl
does not believe that a catch basi;
every $50 feet would be sufficient /
this level country to prevent waite
from standing in the cutters, o. eve
from overlooking the curbs in the cas-
OF heavy rains or thaws. :