The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-01-29
CITY PLAN GIVES
CITY HIGH SCORE
Kenosha Stands High in
Better Cities Contest
Through Plan.
SCORE IS PER CENT
Albers Urges improvements in
Railroad Crossing Hazards
in Contest Report.

The city of Kenosha today took a
big jump in its standings in the state
better cities contest being conducted
in Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Con-
ference of Social Work. The compile
ton of the report of the city plan
ming committee gives Kenosha score
which places it far above many cities
of the state and gives it first rank
among cities in this part of the coun-
try who have adopted or who. are con-
sidering the adoption of an elaborate
city plan for future growth. The re-
port has just been submitted to the
Kenosha Civic council under whose
auspices the contest is being held in
Kenosha, by the committee.
The committee on city planning
consists of Robert S. Cooper, E. T.
O'Brien, Howard Dennis, Robert
Thomey, Mrs. Morris Barnett, Mrs.
W. H. Afford, Floyd Carlson, Mark
Kindt, Henry Roper, and ]. M. Albers.
Albers has drawn up the briefs in the
scoring schedule which shows that the
city scores 85 per cent out of pos
sible hundred in its city plan. And
points out, can be secured If the city
takes definite action on certain points
which he outlines
Suggestions for Improvement.
Albers letter submitting the report
reads in part:
GAS the schedule shows we feel that
we can score $50 out of a possible
D. nd
lions. While this is not at all a bad
showing in comparisons with other
cities in the state, the score can be
substantially increased and with this
in view we would direct attention to
the following items:
"1-Adoption of the City Plan by
the city council. The City Plan has
been adopted in part but there are
certain phases of it which have not
yet been approved. The final report
of the City Planning commission is
now being compiled and the adoption
of this report, the committee feels,
will add some forty points.
's2-An improvement in safety of
railroad crossings and definite steps
to reduce grade crossings and traffic
accidents can be made to produce an
additional % points.
"3-The simple matter of adequately
lighting our tourist park on Wash
ington Island would give US perfect
score in this division.
GA street tree control ordinance
would give US Is points additional.
Fund for All Cemeteries.
f,1rd for thu ooPa
of cemeteries in the city, as called for
in the schedule prepared by the state
conference conducting the state con-
test would be productive of seven
more points, materially raising the
standards of the city"
In order to affect these improve
ments, Albers declares, it is necessary
to enlist the aid of the various de-
partments of the city government, and
this he feels is eagily done. Most OF
the points bl@lght out in the scoring
schedule pertain largely to admins
trative functions and with additional
attention paid to these points and i'm
provements secured where suggested
Kenosha will be given new boost or
its way to that pinnacle of civic and
community betterment which will
eventually mark it as the "best city in
the state in which to live"
The Importance with which this
particular phase of the work must be
viewed is pointed out by Leonard S
Smith, professor of city planning, anG
Franz A. Aust, professor of land.
scape design, both of the University
of Wisconsin. The unprecedented
population growth of cities during the
past few decades, they declare, is the
one great outstanding fact of this in
dustrial age. That this abnormal
growth should have resulted in ex'
pensive piecemeal and ill-consideree
physical development was perhaps in
evitable. 1t has taken high taxes
in large part the result of topsy-
turvy civic development-to awaken
people to the need of city plan fol
the ultimate systematic development
of the community.
Municipal Corporation Largest.
Only recently has the fact been dis
covered that the municipal corporation
is the largest and most wealthy cor
poration of every community; in fact
! it has the largest income and wieldt
the greatest influence over our hap
piness and health. We are chagrinee
now to learn that this municipal cor
poration, of which we are stockhold
ers, is the only large corporation ii
the community which has no plan o.
budget for a longer period thar
twelve months.
In this respect, particularly, it i:
pointed out, Kenosha has taken many
steps of progress and advancement
and with other committees in the bet
ter cities contest reporting as favor
ably Kenosha's victory in the state
wide contest is assured.