St. Paul recorder., 1960-07-22
Soufhside Citizens
Aroused Over Cos
Sfotion Permit

CltlZenS residing near the corner
of 10Th St and Fourth Av. S, are
up in arms because of a permit
issued by a city council committee
for the erection of a gas station
on the southeast corner.
John NJ Warder, 1855 Fifth Av.
s., a spokesman for the resi-
dents who oppose, said Alderman
Earl Johnson had promised to re-
speCt the wishes of residents nv-
ing in the immediate vicinity of
the proposed gas station and whose
property would be affected by it.
Warder said he had been offered
81 900 if he would agree to approve
the gas station being built across
the alley from his home. Mr.. War
der said he refused because he
thought such a business would not
only harm the residential property
values in that vicinity, but WOULD
also create additional traffic haz-
ards for the children who attend
school across the street at the
Eugene Field elementary school.
Apparently the application for
a permit to begin construction
was granted at a council roads
and bridges committee meeting
on June "a.
Alderman Johnson had previous
ly promised in a letter to Mr.. War
der on April %, that he would not
approve a permit to build a service
station if the residents contiguous
to the lot were opposed.
First inkling that a permit had
been granted was obtained July
II, when Mrs. Warder and Mrs.
Cartrell Cooper, 4548 Fifth Av. S.
noticed a crew of surveyors work
ing on the land.
Mr.. Warder Immediately called
Alderman Johnson who confirmed
that a permit had been granted.
johnson told Warder no residents
had showed up at a roads and
bridges committee meeting hear
ing on the matter and therefore
the permit had been granted.
The 11th ward alderman also
said letters had been sent to the
residents near the location asking
them to appear at a hearing on the
permit but that no one opposing
granting the permit appeared. Cit
liens who organized to block the
permit say no letters were received
in the vicinity.
Warder and Archie Givens, man
ager of the Angelus Nursing home,
made a check of the neighborhood
but were unable to locate any
person who had received a letter.
Despite Johnson's continued claim
that letters had been sent to War
der, Cooper and others the alder
mans stenorgrapher at the city
clerks office could not produce
copies of the letter when asked to
do so by Mr.. Warder.
Petitions are being signed by
neighbOrs against the station in
the area bounded by 42nd and
48th streets and Third Av. S.,
and Oakland Av.
Rev. Ray Boehlke, pastor of the
Oakland Avenue United Brethren
church at 44th and Oakland has
Joined the residents in their op-
position to the filling station. The
Field PTA is being asked to lodge
a protest also,
A final resort if the service sta
ton project is continued will be
an effort by the residents effected
to seek an injunction in the dis
trict court.
Mr.. Warder states he has been
informed that the roads and
bridges committee of the city
council will be asked to reconsider
the permit at it's meeting Monday
July 25. The committee
meets at am.
Efforts of this newspaper for
two days before press deadline to
obtain a statement on the matter
from Alderman Earl Johnson, both
at the city hall and at his law
office have proved unsuccessful.