The Streets Seattle Was About to Give Away

The special committee of the council appointed to inquire into the platting of the tide lands by the appraisers met in the chambers of the board of delegates yesterday, and after being in session for over two hours agreed to recommend to the council that all streets south of Charles Street be vacated as laid out by the appraisers. Charles Street is just north of Moran Brothers' shipyard, and the recommendation affects the whole tide-land area. There were present Alderman Clise and other aldermen and delegates, City Engineer Thomson, Appraiser D. A. McKenzie, Thomas W. Prosch, and Corporation Counsel Scott. Alderman Clise was chairman.

Mr. Thomson read a long report of findings on the matter of the tide lands and streets. He said the whole system of street centers and street extensions had fallen as a result of the plan submitted, and recorded certain points. He said:

"The city is asked to vacate such streets as have heretofore been established by its own authority from the state as are in conflict with the plat of the Seattle tide lands presented for our consideration. While in its general plan and purpose the plat of the tide lands meets my hearty approval, there are a few points to which I think attention should be called and careful consideration given before final action is taken. As this harbor strip is to be owned by the state and may be rented or leased by the state, it is important that the streets be laid out clear through to deep water, otherwise these public approaches to the water front might be shut off at the inner harbor line by private leasehold interests, which would thus control the actual deep water frontage.

"The situation at the foot of Depot Street will be decidedly complicated if the city should vacate its rights in favor of the new tide-lands plat. Depot Street has been extended or projected both by ordinance and charter west to deep water. The line of the Lake Union sewer tunnel was varied in order to allow of an outfall discharge under said westerly extension of Depot Street. This tunnel, completed at a cost of nearly $100,000, has its discharge through an outfall conduit constructed under the beach line of Depot Street as far west as Railroad Avenue. When necessary by reason of better development this outfall is intended to be further extended in the same direction to the outer harbor line. The tide-land plat submitted for our consideration has failed entirely to recognize or provide for this tunnel outfall. Depot Street is not platted out from the shore at all, but instead a street called Roanoke Street is projected in a different location and direction. Thus the outfall now constructed at an expense of several thousand dollars would be thrown on private property instead of in a public street, and any future extension to deeper water would necessarily be by purchase or condemnation across private property.

"The platting of the triangular block designated as block 57, at the southeast corner of Yesler Avenue and Railroad Street, serves to perpetuate an obstruction to travel and commerce which might well have been eradicated. ... As platted, all traffic from West Street to the waterfront will be forced to follow devious routes, and the interposition of this triangular tract will produce as unsightly and obstructive an effect as did the old Yesler-Leary corner before the fire."

Mr. Prosch said he was astonished that the city engineer should not be contented with the plat, because Mr. Bogue, who aided in platting the flats, had consulted with Mr. Thomson and been governed to some extent by his views. He said there was no question as to the authority of the appraisers to lay out streets as they saw fit, and that their authority was above question.

Delegate Voigt said that if the law gave absolute authority to the appraisers to plat the water-front streets as they saw fit, the city had not been treated rightly, and he did not see what use the special committee could be either to the council or the city. He declared that if the legislature gave the appraisers the authority claimed, Seattle had not been considered, the wishes of the people could not be followed, and consequently the law was wrong.

Appraiser McKenzie said that the board of which he was a member had fallen into a difficulty which an effort had been made to avoid. He said that when the board was appointed it sent a communication to the council asking it to give assistance and suggest the manner of the platting, and if the city had not been treated properly the council was to blame. He did not want the council to think the appraisers believed themselves infallible; on the contrary, it would be remarkable if no mistakes were discovered in a plat covering the scope this plat does.

City Engineer Thomson said he was in favor of the general plan and scheme, and that it was very well; that Engineer Bogue was always courteous, and that their talk was of the plan in general and not in detail. But there were some things on the map now drawn and published that he had not agreed upon and did not know had been adopted. Mr. Thomson said he would not be in favor of any blanket ordinance in the matter, that he was not in favor of doing anything with haste, and that nothing had yet been before the supreme court, so no one knew exactly what the city's position really was. He thought the appraisers had done excellent work, but there were a few changes which, if made according to his recommendations, would be more to Seattle's benefit than the way the map is now drawn up.

A recess of half an hour was taken, during which the plat of the tide lands as submitted was considered and examined. At the end of that time Delegate Chapman moved that the committee recommend that all the streets south of Charles Street be vacated. There were no dissenting voices, and the committee adjourned.