PROPOSED CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 4287, 22 November 1876, Page 2

PROPOSED CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

At the. City Council meeting yesterday the following report from the City Surveyor in reference to the improvements suggested by a deputation of citizens to the Mayor was read:—

STREET, FROM HOPE STREET TO

WILLIAM STREET. The present steepest gradient in this street and in both blocks is 7ft 9in per chain, f that being also the gradient of the formation now being excavated under the present contract. The only difficulty in altering the •- gradients is the effect upon.good houses, and -.■ the alterations which will be required in intersecting streets. (a) The best and cheapest line would be to make one gradient from the Golden Age to Maitland street, necessitating a cutting of 4ft at Maitland street, 6ft at Melville street, and a filling-in in the hollow at -the' Golden Age and the .hollow above Walker avenue of 3ft respectively. The filling, however, at Walker and Stafford avenues, and above same, cannot, in my opinion, be entertained,' as it would ruin the junction of , at least one of these streets, and most seiiously and permanently damage some very good new houses, which have been lately erected on the express understanding that no more filling would be done.. (b) The next beat line -with one gradient (6ft 3in per chain) necessitates a cutting at Melville Btreet of Bft, and at Maitland Btreet of sft Gin below our'present cutting. The filling in the hollow adjacent to the avenues would be reduced to loin, and Stafford and Walker avenues would be lowered instead of raised—a substantial improvement. Tne injury to the referred would erBH remain, but reduced from a 3ft filling to 15in. Theorist nf the work involved in taking this line and lowering the intersecting streets will be L 2,500. I propose to, lower Melville street from Walker street to Stafford street, and half way up to High street, and to lower Maitland street from Stafford street to High street. "- (c) A line without any filling at all in the hollow adjacent to Walker and. Stafford avenues can be obtained. First, by loweringithe levels of the former line (bJ through-, out 15in deeper, making the cutting at Maitland Btreet 6ft 9in, and at Melvule street 9ft 3in : ; or, secondly, by keeping the cutting at Melville street as : before^-Bft—ana making the cutting at Maitland Btreet Bft 6in. The extra cost of either of these deviations from line (A) would be about LSOO, making the total cost L 3,000. Apart from the consequent injury to properties, I support the second line (b), and it would give the best gradient that can be obtained, viz.,.lft 6in . per chain better than at present. An inspection of the plan will show that no modification from one gradient throughout wimld'be of any avail. Cutting off a small piece here and another there would not reduce the present great evils. It would only shorten them, and would in effect bring the street so < nearly to one gradient that in a ' very . short time the work would be altered again. As the radical improvement I' ; suggest only gives an advantage to the grade of lfc 6in per chain, ■it is evident that any, modification would not beworth the expense of ripping up the whole •> street, metal, kerbing, and channelling, asphalte, gas, and wateripipes; apart from injury to properties. In the line I propose (b) the cutting in Melville street would be somewhat severe on the properties on one - side, where there are already a good many substantial and permanent retaining walls -' fronting the street. But of course it must be apparent that these serious alterations cannot be effected without interfering ■ materially with buildings, &c. I am pre*

pared, however, to support and to recommend for the Council's adoption analtera-tioß^ii^it^be-^of-»-thwettgb- and-tadical' character, so thafeaoifieajaßble future amendment will be called for.

HIGH STREET, BETWEEN GRANT STREET A>'l> WILLIAM STREET. These suggested improvements involved the loweriug of High street from Grant street to William street. The line I propose gives a cutting of 10ft in the deepest place, and sft 6in at,the junction of Maitland street. This improvement is so far unsatisfactory, because it will not reduce the steep gradient rising from' Melville street, but will only shorten its length about four chains. To that extent it will be an engineering improvement, and will make the draught of vehicles easier. It would in addition be more satisfactory as regards the appearance of the street to- have the hilllowered. That there are not any good properties to be seriously affected, but the work in conjunction with Stafford street would tell heavily on Maitland street, which would have to be lowered again about sft throughout, without any_ corresponding improvement in' the gradient. If High Btreet be done without Stafford street, I should simply round down the new gradient of High street into Maitland street. I estimate the cost of the High street improvement at L 950, which estimate must be increased if rock be met with in the deep cutting/ The total cost of the whole scheme, involving the alteration of all intersecting streets, may be taken approximately at L 8,500, exclusive'of lifting and re-laying gas and water pipes.