| Show THE CENTER STREET GRADE the property owners on the east side bide of center streets street who have entered a 9 respectful protect against the intended manner of grading a portion of that street tare are very indignant because of the unwarranted statement made when the petition was presented to the council ailon on the dinst A councilman was wao reported as saying in reference to the protest that it was wag all a bluff game anyhow A local newspaper states that the protest is not likely to receive favorable attention att e and a member of the council said that it is necessary to cut down the street because the grade is now so steep that it is almost impossible to run the fire apparatus up there As it seems that the indications are against favorable reconsideration of the matter by the council I 1 beg the privilege of presenting some of the facts to the public through your colum columbe colu mno ne in the first place the signers of the petition are ow owners nere of the lots on three blocks only of centre street the first three blocks on east side side of paid faid streets street lust just north of mr McCornick ss residence that portion of the street I 1 is for most of its length comparatively comparative y level and add does not need to be cut down for the purpose of reducing the steep grade the steep ascent from either end of the street is made before those blocs are reached therefore to out the street down in that section is superfluous and a wholly unnecessary expense so far as making the ascent easier to is concerned we are given to understand that the city wants the dirt that can be obtained by lowering the grade to fill salons in I 1 i other streets they would rob peter to pay paul pau and can thus obtain it cheaply surely this can not justify the city in permanently damaging the property matter As A stated in the protest it if the street is cut down as ordered to a level with the west sidewalk access to the lots on the east side aide will be made considerably more difficult than at present and as most or of the owners are now un under d er the necessity of climbing lengthy flights of steps to get onto their lot loto they naturally object to the contemplated great increase of their inconveniences they are not ambitious to be elevated to the rank of cliff dwell dwellers dwelle erp rc without wings to aid in carrying them up bof unsightly sightly ula heights which the city proposes leaving in front of their habitations su such ch grading would also add very materially to the already too steep in clido of F streets leading eastward from centre street to capitol hill instead of Ili increasing creasing the difficulty of access to that desirable location there should be an effort made to render it more easy I 1 am hardly prepared to believe the rumor that there has been and is ie a determination mi nation on t the he part of boomers of additional in other portio nr of the city to detract from the advantages of capitol hill as an eligible location for the best class clan of residences certain ly I 1 can not think that any of the city councilors councillors counci lors are parties in the matter nevertheless the effect of grading centre street as intended would be an aid add to real estate schemers in such a plan it if to la true that the otiest estreet properly graded from the east to the west sides bidet making it as level as practicable in that direction so BO that the street cars can and wagons may have room to travel without danger but the method decided upon viz cutting it down to a level with the west sidewalk is in a manifest inaus tice and altogether in favor of the west side residents and the street railway company besides I 1 think it can be shown that a che cheaper aiDer and certainly more c qui table way to adjust the difficulty is that su suggested by some of the interested parties I 1 allude to the proposition that the height of the street from level of west sidewalk to level of east sidewalk be equally apportioned by a wall one half such height being built along the edge of the water flume on the side and a similar wall to retain the sidewalk on east side this would pro vide it he be full available width of the street for traffic it would not interfere with grading the streets leading to capitol hill and it would fairly divide the present disadvantages of the grade between both sides of the street Furthermore if the street is cut down too to a level with the west sidewalk as ordered and a retaining wall to is not erected to support the east sidewalk the requisite slope will materially reduce the width of this narrow street making traffic almost impossible and amur assuredly eGlY dangerous danger when the oar car track is in laid in the centre I 1 apologize for intruding on your space this is a longer explanation than I 1 intended making but it seems necessary in view of the assertion that our application was all a bluff game anyhow yours respectfully D M SALT CITY aug |
