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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/23/1919 Board of Public Works Special Meeting Minutes30: Board met in s�e istl i noes ion with the Park" Board at 7: 30 P. M.'and property owners o a ve reef, P. A. All members present, City Controller J A. Swygart acting as Chairma4 in Mayor F. R:. Carson's place, Mayor F. R. Carson being absent from City, Mr, }W. W. Ridenour member of the Park -Board absent., Mr. Fy J. _Anderson City Engineer present. Meeting held in Vthe Common. Council chambersm City Hall. Meeting called to order by the Chairman Mr. J. A. �wygart, Itr'2 30 P. M. Park Board present at 7:50 P.M. Chairman J. A. Swygart explained to parties present the purpose of this m eet.ing which was called by the Mayor for the purpose of the -Park Board, property own era on Calvert Street and the Board of Public Works ge!et ing together on Nimix the paving of Calvert street through Studebaker Park, Mr. Richard Elbel read. a. letter from the Board of Park Commissioners in regard to pavinj Calvert Street' through Studebaker Park,( which letter is hereinafter copied in full in this record' as follows:) After the read ink of this letter by Mr. Richard Elbel the; Park Board immediately left the council room which was at 6:10 P.M. COPY of letter from Board of Park Commissioners. ° South Bend, Indiana. Mr. Gilbert Elliott, . April 23,1919. Pros. Board sf Works, ° Dear Sir ° In respolise to your letter of April 19the, "wish to state that thi Park Board, after a conference with the Mayoe, understood that he would call the:Board of Works and of Parr Commissioners together to make'a coascientdaus effort o iron out the matter'of the pavement of Calvert Street running through Stude"aker Park. ° At the request., of the Park Board one such meeting has already been held at which you gave the Park Board certain assurances. The following night you held the regular heiring, which was attended by'a.number of those living on Calvert St. only. The Park hoard cannot ace any reason why those residents should again 'be called into this. ileet ing and it has `sibsolutely -ns desire to get into _ a personal wrangles with they. ' The Park Board looks upon this subject from the angle of the greater good of all the C itvs rather than of the- res idents of one particular street. There are many other res dents near Studebaker Park, we well as all over the City, who are interested in this Park, as well in tie Parks generally. Some; of these, who have been given lithe or no change to be heard on this subject, appeared before the Park Board at a later evening, when the Msiyor Was present and vigorously voiced their objections to cutting off this Park. ' In order to have fair play, the Park Board wi-1-be,-perfectly willing to attend a special meeting, separately from the one held 'April 23rd.,1919 of all people all over the City who have a right also to voice their. objections. We mean by this not only citizens ' living in and near Studebaker park but representatives business people and others interested in s.ee ing South Bend built up as it should be --for . the larger good of all rather ths,n for the residents of one street. By oth r representative people we refer to such members as of the Chanber of Commerce, The Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, the Women's Clubs etc., These citizens must be all deeply interested because with the closing of the saloons It becomes more imperative than a ver to develop* all Parks and play- grounds. If we allow this street to be laid through Studebaker Park just because those living thereon have been largely influenced by a few agitators to favor it, why may not the residents pis elsewhere demand the opening street and thus cut, -our -Parks all up.? We believe the residents on any street living near any Park should raalizo. that these Parks belong to the City, and that they were purchased by the City as a whole. That they have just as much right-- but no more than the -t-it izMB _living in any other part of the City to' stay how they shall be improved or cut up,' For instance residents near Howard or Leeper Park- night want to out streets through those parks, becauset hey live near them. They would have as much right but e then tho,eitizens living near Studebaker Park. 6 This pavement, if laid through the Park, will cost the City $4000.00 through the Park pr certy only. If the Park Board had this $4, 000.00 to spend on improving this Park they weyld quickly achieve some results worth while. This $49000.00 must come out of public taxation, as MU6tals.sgpproximately $4O, OOO. OC that the County Commiss iol would have to spend to build a� bridge over the creek bed and which the C.9anty Commissioners would mushh rather use to build up good reads in the'County. ' Authority must be, lodged somewhere and the Park Board feels that is is not only the cus tod ian of all •the ' Park land in the City but that, it has the necessary full authority conferred upon it by the legislature of the State of Indiana in the foll wing language of the Park law found in -the Indiana statutes of 1911, Sec. 4, as f l low* z " The -said Board of Park Commissioner in .every lst. and 2nd. Class City* -should have the exclusive management and control subject, however, to the laws of the State, all of. -the Parks, Parkways, Park Boulevards and all lands which are a part of the Park system within -any City and also, ' all of the Public Parks, dr iv way4 and public grounds outside of the City which are' .established under the prov is ions . of this suet, .and shall have full ,power .to anforce all laws and ordinances, for the proper use, regulation. an& government thereof; and for -_611#ihe purp�ses-_�---of such government, main- t.& inance and direction of public use, such parts of all roads or avenues as passed through such public grounds of Parks shall be deemed to be a part thereof and shall be under like control and management of the Board of Park commissioners. And the said Boa d shall have, subject to thelirmitations of aforesaid, full and exclusive power." The Park Board has indicated to the Board of Works its unanimous stand against this so --called improvement and Tam instructed by the Board to say to you that, hav ing already spent considerable sums of money, much of which would be lost if this street were cut through the Park, and feeling absolutely authority, given in the law above. quoted, that the position of th:e Psrk Board remains unchanged and it feels that the Board of Works is trespassing on property not under their control. The Park Board therefore di.4appr6ves of the opening of,. this sheet, or of the laying of this pavement through the Park and will -not permit it to be done. Fours truly, BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS. Richard Elbel, Pres. Iry in W. Jackson, Carl D. Britton W. W. Ridenour. Over one hundred instev6sted property owners appeared before the Board and requested that this pavement be put in. Mr. A. Slusser, Mr. J. Beyers, Mr. Hite and other interested property Owners spoke for the imnravement of this steet. Mr. C. W . Copp, who stated he represented the Civic Associations appeared and objected to Calvert Street being paved through Studebaker Park . Fire Chief Sibriel appeared and explained the benefit it would be to the Fire Department to have Calvert Street paved through the park so that they could save time geet ing to the south and east end of the Park. Every property owner present were- unanimously in favor of this .pavement being put in through the Park. Mr. G. A Elliott president of this Board explained to property owners present that this was already a dedicated street long before the Parks were there and that the Board of Public Works were not trying to gut through a City Park. Mr. J. A. Swygart informed the property owners present that it was -,-the Mayor wish and also the bibkrd of Public Works and his awn that the pavement be put in or, Calvert Street through the Park and then meeting was adjourned. The Board unanimously awarded the contract ` for pavement on streets on Edgewater Place Addition to the•Western Construction Company with Asphaltic concrete . Permission granted to the Northern Indiana Gas & Elea. Company to cut into pavement at alley in read- of 319 North Michigan Tie Gas TGas Company to pay for relaying of pavement and. th.e Street Department to -relay said pavement. t. President.