The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1952-08-14

ers on Nottingham Road again ap-
peared before the Council request
ing that they be supplied with sew
erage service by the city.
The question of extending sewer
age for these homes has been kicked
around by the Council for more than
three years and l regret to say that
it was kicked around again last
Thursday night, when the Council
authorized the city engineer to in
vestigate the cost of the project and
report back to the Council.
l think the Council will find, how
ever, by referring to minutes of past
Council meetings, that the cost of
giving these people the sewerage
they are entitled to has been esti-
mated long ago, but each time it has
come up it has been sidetracked by
such silly excuses as: There isn't the
proper drainage level" or, where's
the money coming from"
One of the property owners stated
that his cesspool was clogged up and
it will be necessary for him to tear
it out and put in a new one. This
man, like the others, owns nice
home, estimated to be worth some
$4,000, on which he pays the same
taxes as every other property owner
in the city, and it is crime that he,
as well as the other three owners, are
denied sewerage and are forced to
risk the health of their families by
using cesspools, one at least which is
clogged up and running over.
I sincerely hope that the Council
will speedily rectify this tragic situa-
ton and order the city engineer to
proceed with the work of installing
sewerage facilities Immediately.
l don't know much about law, but
it seems to me that these property
owners, if they sued the city because
of the lack of sewerage, would have
mighty good case.
My congratulations to the City
Council for having the courage to
correct mistake.
At the regular Council meeting on
Thursday night they were asked by
the city engineer to back up his or
der to the owner of the property on
North Potomac Street, where a serv-
ice building has been built, to replace
a curb in front of the property, that
had been broken out to make a
driveway entrance.
In requesting the action, Mr. Will
liams pointed out that the driveway
was constructed without a permit
and that he notified the property
owner to cease work on it until a
permit had been applied for. The
owner then applied for permit, which
was denied on the grounds that the
building of the driveway would do
away with two parking spaces that
were badly needed. But the drive
way was completed nevertheless.
After some discussion at the meet
ing on Thursday night the Council
just took no action whatever. But
at special meeting held on Mon
day night, they finally backed up the
engineer and ordered that the curb
stone be replaced, subject to the APP
proval of the city attorney.
The question of parking regula-
tons in the city were also aired at
both the regular meeting on Thurs
day and the special meeting on Mon
day night.
At the Thursday night meeting a
group of merchants in the first block
of North Jonathan Street, through
their attorney, asked the city to re-
woke the 90-day trial period of non
parking in that block between the
hours of $50 and $3.50 am. and $3.50
pm. and $50 pm. Except Sundays
and holidays. This trial period
takes in the first block of Summit
Avenue and the first and second
blocks of Jonathan Street, but there
was no protest from either the Sum-
NIT merchants, or those in the Sec
ond block of Jonathan.
After a discussion that lasted close
to two hours, the Council decided to
take no action on the matter, at least
until the 90-day trial period has ex-
pired.
At the Monday night meeting the
citizens traffic committee, appointed
by the Mayor and approved by the
Council, presented suggestions for
further alleviating the present down
town parking congestion.
The Council approved plans to
place parking meters in front of all
theatres, for use when the theatres
are not in operation, and also APP
proved the placing of parking meters
in all loading zones, and it is under
stood that a plan will be worked out
shortly whereby these loading zones