Salt Lake Telegram | 1948-01-24 | Page 1 | U. S. Cities Find Solution to Expressway

Um Ul S Cities J IM Find i Jl Sol SoI Solution ton to toBy Expressway By HERB PRICE With ith an any ups ps t citizenry citizenry- ry especially especially espe cape daily on tn th the west side of ot the com community and with Salt Salt- Lake City and Utah road commission off officials I- I dais i s enmeshed h 4 1 in th if of selecting a satisfactory route for forthe forthe the proposed urban expressway ex cx- ay the ther tile the r question jue u sUo might l logically arise aris as is- is isto s to what t other cities and states are arc doing and have hav done vh when n f faced with simU similar r problems problems' ke C City ty Is one ne of the first cities cities cities' I to to attack attak ti c this p problem bl but it is is' is by n means no mea the PIe only major American city with an urban high highway way way project o on on the dra drafting boards Nor Nor-is Nor this thiA s ti the p first time any an l state has h a come com face t to face tace with t tIe trie e m most h it at exasperating p problem o of liow all how lioW i to build buil a a highway war through o g a maze e ci of real resi si de and nd hid industrial ri develop V l iop- iop p- p me r. r 7 t t i L. L r 5 Problem Outlined h i J Telegram l i aware the numerous ul important p. p J de deci slonA to t facing c cit city and d state officials ceiL a as' as W well v ll lI a athe a the citizenry J Y in tn lof solution i n ot of the their r. r highway w y needs therefore pr presents r ae eiith this this- outline of f fh h how w other urban urban areas re s have J met limu similar r problems A Actually the Salt Lake City City- and Ut Utah h problem h ha has s' s boiled d down to toOne toone one ne basic bui tact fact WHAT tact WHAT ROUTE SHA SHALL BE FOLLOWED There may be residents d officials who q question e whether 8 such ch a major majo road really Is hi needed at this time or or arid and rid Salt Lake City can n afford to pay for lor- such an expensive installation G Generally speaking however considering the expected growth of f the metropolitan n area area In the next 20 years and fic fie bot bottlenecks t le 1 ec k which exist throughout the city unbiased engineers engi ne fleeTs s and 4 pl planners ers are agreed that the future development and prosperity pros pros- of of thil or or any riy other city Ity Con the th proper proper planning location and design of an n express express- W way t 1 No Notice c the three pa parts plan parts plan planning ning location and design Planning Plan Planning ning and I designing are of ot course technical scientific fields in which the layman is in at an utter l loss s. s But when location enters the picture the layman although although- not familiar or Pr especially concerned with the scientific scIentific details details feels the Impact of ot the roadway fO for the first Ume He is Vit vitally concerned naturally with how that roadway will affect him personally what what what it U. will wiIl do Ido doto t taMe home to his home to the school his children children chil chU- dr dren n attend to the community church This then Is II where Salt Salt- Lake Lakes Lake's west west side residents find themselves tod today y Hesitant to block progress but mindful of ot their personal stake in the present and future not futurO nott not to mention their work of the tile p past past- H See Page i 2 Z Comma Column 7 Other U. U S. S Cities SoI Soly Expressway Problem Col Continued t from Page Pago Ono One these residents rightfully have gone on the offensive to to protect what they have built For Benefit of Most l But under the democratic way of life Ufe hardship on the few often octen i Is s countenanced provided many are I benc benefited It might be argued that the bloc blockade de thrown across many by the new roadway vie vio- lates the rights of at the individual through the tho principle of at restricted access and grade sep separation That property owner has an inherent right of direct acce access s to the public y ls is an an Idea developed when roads were used for tor access rather than f for r transportation In former times property owners e s 's contributed ted all pi of f ho tho means menn for road construction either through taxes or personal persona labor abor Today 5 d y transportation r rather th r than access is the word by-word and m money ne f for r highway construction comes largely from the road user not the landowner In the public Interest it it is obviously necessary that some individual sacrifices be made so the g general community might be better served Rec Recognize Sacrifice West side residents face to face with the problem recognize some disturbance and sacrifice will be required But they want that disturbance disturbance disturbance dis dis- dis- dis and sacrifice minimized as much as possible an understandable understandable under under- point Many urban highway projects In other communities have been delav delayed de- de lav laved d because of similar Rights of way occupied ac by v d y dwelling dwell dwell- ii ing units are expensive and the hesitation of public officials to force home owners and tenants to move is understandable A serious housing shortage with wit an early alleviation not expected makes the problem of ot obtaining right of ot ways improved with homes a major factor in urban road con con- In 1 Los 8 Angeles Cal Cat right o ot of otway way agents from the state highway highway highway high high- way department assisted ten tenants tenant ants in finding other places to live anc and enlisted the aid of local housing authorities in building new homes home where necessary Many homes home were moved without expense to I Ithe the resident I Bought Land Only In Hammond Ind md where houses house also alao were moved the state bought bough only the land and paid for movIng movIng movIng Ing the house and for tor other incidentals incidentals inci mci- dentals including an Inconvenience Inconvenience inconvenience fee In New York City a a Tenant Relocation bureau was set up o on each project to aid tenants in findIng finding find find- ing new living quarters and in arranging arranging arranging ar ar- ar- ar ranging for moving many homes I 1 In all these undertakings c co cooperation cO- cO 5 operation p at on or at least th the under under- understanding standing of tenants was when the importance e of t the e. e proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed improvement was was brought t to their a attention and they were convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced officials would really construct construct construct con con- the project and would 1 In addition do everything in the their power to help tenants find new quarters with a minimum of hard hard- ship Reassure Public Utah officials official in including luding Ray iI H H. Leavitt road commission chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man have been quick to reas ure urethe the public on this poi point t noun noting from past experience that Individuals inconvenienced by major construction construction construction con con- projects have indeed bee been repaid fully for their trouble Under standard procedure followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed by the Utah ro road d commission commission commis commis- sion zion in obtaining rights of or way a as explained by Mr Leavitt everything everything every every- thing is done to assure the property property property prop prop- erty owner a fair tair price for hi his holdings First step after a right of way has been determined is a pre pre appraisal J of each ea-ch pl piece ce of t property property property prop prop- erty con concerned This is done by byroad a road commission right of ot way engineer engineer engineer engi engi- neer in company with a representative representative representative of f the public pubU roads road ad ad- ministration Appraisal Made First This appraisal is made without conta contacting Ung the property owner When Tien all 1 properties involved th the right of ot o w way y have been t ti appraised a road commission j r confers with e c pr prOperty perly owner Informs him the appraisal and hears the p pi pr erty owners owner's points of ot view I then attempts attempt to reach an ari ag ment 1 If It an agreement is reached reache p problem Is settled However if property owner feels the offer is la too low the road slon sian requests further appraisal members of ot the real estate b bb It If f the property o owner er still f j 1 the he state offer is condemnation proceedings are to o tInted and a court det determines fair and equitable price for holdings I IUn Un Under er current state law by public b bodies I IWI is WI the road commission i 1 is linio lini to o condemnation ri for use me short the tho road commission initiate condemnation proceed d only wh when n the tho property can be shown as needed fin irr for public good i Allow Condemning In some states future use is authorized Whet a public agency may conde condemn obtain in title to property 1 though hough plans for i its use are Immediate This law in ef ell permits the agency to tracts of property such as u w v w be necessary for the pr prop pi west side aide expressway at cur cm market value and eliminates eliminates- of speculation on the used portion of the route It II quires guires of course heavy in im mAn a nn 1 L u b a ui vu LUC c 1 a part par in inc C 0 to obtain title to the land A future use law lav Into the 1947 Utah legisla failed to pass thus leaving state only with the imme use act and inviting on the proposed highway rigl way I Without the future use me Utah is wide open to financial wherever it attempts to pure pur J rights of ot way Mr Leavitt n DI Once speculators gain hold noli property and improve it kno full well that condemnation planned the price th the state i IJ a apay pay jumps completely out out of portion to the market value state must pay for the ments and usually must must pay j 1 than the improvements are wi We wc All this naturally comes cornu j j f public funds contributed d by byi payers i Inflation Question 4 But with current property properly v v suffering the pangs of ot is understandable that the tile 1 hi owner ciu question his his' personal persona do de doand di and cents risk And even if a i and equitable settlement is 15 aj ml mi the home hom owner must ask bin whether he would be able toj toJ chase chas a duplicate at of h e i inow J now with the money mey received cel 4 i Z J the state or city 1 An problem here here here-b bee ca it will affect the in in future future is is Just what share of cost of ot the superhighway al 11 be borne by the city In some states Texas for stance cities clUes involved in 1 urban highway highway- y development J grams purchase all rights of ofIn of's J JIn In other stat states s right of ot way i iare c care are arc shared by city and 8 tate state 1 no federal aid ald Some clUes cities counties in Illinois and MIeN Mici for lor example combine to pr pro funds for tor two-thirds two of ot the theCO co the project while slate slate-f federa deral one pays J Provide Funds j 1 Some cities dUes as In the cas cueN cue Casi N New w York provide addit addith arterial routes entirely with fund others share with th the only in the cost cost- of at many artE arl In New the state provides provid s all aU construe and half halt the right of ot way cost coats tt the city me meets eta only one hall right a J Right of way purchases ii In proposed west side run run from to l figure figur which makes make city off or throw up their hands in fine fru tion If Salt Lake undertake aid the program with sutha sums u this where will th the rhoney i from from except from the Add these problems and th suit is overwhelming yet must be solved If U the city state are to to keep pace future instead of ot catching up the p past t. t I 4