No. 12. DEPARTMENT OF DOCKS AND FERRIES Pier "A", North River NEW YORK CITY REPORT ON THE Proposed Plan of Operations for Jamaica Bay Improvement SUBMITTED BY CALVIN TOMKINS Commissioner of Docks 1911 CD Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/reportonproposedOOnewy lEx ICtbrts SEYMOUR DURST When you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said "Sver'tbincj comes t' him who waits Except a loaned book." Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library Report on the Proposed Plan of Operations for Jamaica Bay Improvement Submitted by CALVIN TOMKINS, Commissioner of Docks. New York, August 21, 1911. Hon. William J. Gaynor, Mayor of the City of New York: Sir — Owing to the magnitude of the Jamaica Bay Improve- ment and the fact that the whole Bay is in an unimproved state, with little access to any of the main channels, and since the Gov- ernment will co-operate to a certain extent with the City in the way of reimbursement for work performed by the City in the main channels, I deem it expedient to obtain all the advice possible as to the method of prosecuting the early improvements. I have, therefore, outlined alternative propositions for the first development at Jamaica Bay in order that the members of the Sinking Fund Commission, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, and other interested bodies may become familiar with the question. The United States Government has adopted the main chan- nel lines only, which is as far as its jurisdiction extends. This channel is shown on the accompanying map " B " colored in gray tint. There is shown on map " B " a tentative layout for long piers in the future, and for a marginal way, colored in pink, which it is proposed to use in future for general terminal, ware- 2 ! house, railroad and factory development, all under the control of the Commissioner of Docks. Proposition Xo. 1 (Map "A"). A detailed description is submitted describing Proposition No. 1, together with an exact method for utilizing the existing ap- propriation by acquiring property in three definite locations, selected on account of their availability in relation to existing channels, existing railroads, the nearest city growth of Brooklyn, and on the possibility, through working out this plan, of receiv- ing by reimbursement a large amount of money from the United States Government in part payment for main channel dredging. It is proposed to acquire the requisite lands at these locations, and to do such necessary dredging, pumping, filling and bulkhead platform construction as will enable the City to provide wharfage at each of these three places. As outlined in the detailed report of June 24, 1911, marked " A," submitted with estimates, etc., the order of procedure is to acquire first the property east of Canarsie and let the contract for this one piece of work. Plans and specifications for this work are now ready for printing. After this property shall be acquired and the contracts let, an important guide as to the probable actual cost of the remaining work will thus have been obtained, and contracts may then be let for the other two locations. Proposition Xo. 2 (Map " B "). A detailed description is herewith appended which describes a method for early improvement in Jamaica Bay by acquiring certain parcels of land throughout the whole of Jamaica Bay at strategic points, leaving the remaining areas, shown in orange hatched lines, to be acquired later, thus obtaining for the City as much property surrounding Jamaica Bay as possible with the funds now available. In both of the above propositions, the estimate is tentative and is made on the basis of the best data now obtainable of the cost of the property. In case the figures are high, this will be discovered in the acquisition of the first property; and the matter of purchase can be regulated by the acquirement of less prop- erty. If, on the other hand, the prices are low, more property can be acquired or more of the balance can be used on construc- tion at some place to be definitely decided upon later. The spacious areas comprising islands and channels in the interior of Jamaica Bay, inside of the extensive surrounding, main channels, have not been considered at the present time. Refer- ence is again made to some of the suggestions in my pamphlet of April 20, 1910 (see page 16 of such report), to the effect that, 3 after the main channels and lands shall have been acquired, and developed to some extent, these interior islands are susceptible of development for a free port, and for many municipal purposes, such as parking, for recreation and for institutional needs. It is important to conserve and develop railroad connections with Jamaica Bay. The Pennsylvania Railroad, enjoying as it does, advantages over other lines, and showing a willingness to co-operate with the City, should be encouraged, provided that its policy shall continue to be a liberal one. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company should, in the same way, be induced to outline a policy of expansion for its passenger and freight lines. Steps should at the same time be taken by the City as soon as possible to build its own independent marginal road at Jamaica Bay N and a city railroad connecting this with the South Brooklyn Terminal and with Flushing Bay. For the present, rail connections with factory sidings, and the establishment of the minimum port freight rates are the essential factors for stimulating private im- provements in connection with city development. These, with an 18-foot channel, and supplemented by cheap, sanitary and aesthetic residence sites, should speedily attract capital, industry and population. The City should ultimately own much of this waterfront. Meanwhile, if these plans are adopted, it will be in a position of control. By co-operation with private owners, it can stimu- late private improvements by undertaking the pumping of sand from the channels over private lands, thus producing a revenue for extensions and adding new City assets in increased taxable property. The initial dock improvements by the City should be of a cheap and temporary character so as to stimulate private develop- ment with the minimum of public expenditure. This will allow permanent improvements to be made later when revenue will begin to accrue from use and at a time when the ultimate uses of the property shall have been established, so that permanent improvements may be made where actually needed, and in a man- ner best to adapt the waterfront to the ultimate needs of the back lands — that is, all of Long Island. No street or railroad or building line plan for the public , marginal strip about the bay is shown at present, since the experi- ence of the future will best determine the nature of the permanent plan. General industrial occupation is contemplated for a gen- eration or more, after which, if the possibility of maintaining a deep channel to the sea shall have been demonstrated, a frontal port may then be developed and primary uses may. be expected to give way to commercial occupation. But the first practical effect of providing a moderate depth channel and rail facilities for the Jamaica Bay waterfront will be to accelerate the building up of this part of the city as a consequence of the availability of 4 cheap sites, cheap building materials as well as coal and other sup- plies constituting the raw materials for manufactures. The im- provement of Newtown and Gowanus Creeks many years since subserved a similar purpose. As the sand fill takes place along the bay front, the City will begin to grow from the bay inland as well as from within out- ward, and the demand for further improvements will become in- sistent from both sides. As local manufactures increase, the op- portunities for establishing a commercial center will become more and more apparent, and the 150 additional miles of harbor water- front here available can be steadily developed in such a manner as to be of incalculable benefit to the City. The Back Lands. The City should promptly provide a development plan for the lands back of the marginal strip. Gradients, street lines, sewers, sites for numerous parks and playgrounds, school sites and all the requisites necessary for the economic convenience of a great in- dustrial population should now be anticipated. Mr. Nelson P. Lewis, Chief Engineer of the Board of Estimate and Apportion- ment, has suggested that after establishing the lines of the main arteries of approach, it might be desirable for the City to permit of the extension of local sporadic developments following the custom of German municipalities, instead of imposing upon the whole district the rectangular street policy which has heretofore controlled the development of the City. I believe the Park Department and the Engineer of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment should be intimately associated in the development of this vast basin within the City boundaries, at present a waste of marsh and shallow water. The time has now arrived when the advice of outside municipal experts may also advantageously be availed of as a check upon the opinions of the Dock Department and of other City departments. No expensive and intricate problems of reorganization are to be encountered in this almost undeveloped district of the City. Financial. The City has provided $1,000,000 for starting the Jamaica Bay project. In conformity with the general policy of the Dock Department of making waterfront improvements pay for them- selves out of increment in values created, I believe it should try to avoid asking for further appropriations if it is possible to do so without prejudice to the ultimate acquisition of the bay front. This may not be possible and an additional appropriation may prove necessary ; but I believe marginal lands as they are filled 5 can be advantageously leased for say, 25-year terms, with' one or two 10-year renewals based on the then appraised value. Such leases, I am inclined to think, should be made on the basis of interest and amortization of the cost of the land and improve- ments, with possibly an allowance for the loss of taxes on present value. Leases on such a basis would, I 'believe, be cheap and attractive for industrial purposes, considering the certainty of the railroad and waterfront improvements, which would be made available for every factory site. The moderate rentals would also tend temporarily to keep down the speculative value of marginal lands not already acquired by the City. This would facilitate the City's acquisition of the same ; and as rapidly as leases were made on this basis their capitalized value would release a corresponding amount of capital from the City's debt limit, thus permitting a progressive acquisition of lands and extension of public improvements. The fact that the City now controls most of the riparian lands virtually gives it control of privately owned back lands, since these lands can only be reclaimed by pumping sand from the bay or basin fronts. The sand dredged from the outside channel to the bulkhead line will be required to fill the strip of bay front property over which the City should always retain control. The private back lands beyond must also be filled in by pumping. Sand fill for this purpose can be dredged from other parts of the bay or conveyed from ocean and harbor dr edgings, in dump scows, to pockets along the bulkhead line and pumped thence for a distance of nearly a mile back., as is now done at Newark, N. J., at Rotter- dam, and elsewhere. AYhen plans for outlining the limit of control by the De- partment of Docks shall have been finally decided upon and adopted, it will not only permit the City to undertake actual work, but will make investors and prospective tenants more confi- dent and will also actuate (present local private interests to improve their property. Already much of the sewer and street work of the adjoining boroughs is being advanced, using the tentative presentation of Dock Department lines as their guide. Many private owners are starting improvements under permits from the Department, accepting these lines as those of ultimate con- trol. Ferry franchises for service between points in Jamaica Bay are being applied for and several have already been granted. Private enterprise is meeting- us more than half way. Unless the City is to obstruct instead of forward its own development, it must act at once. The opportunity for private gains in real estate development will be far greater if the City shall control, co-ordinate and put to their best uses the marginal lands about the bay. The development of Jamaica Bay should not be considered wholly as a matter local to New York City, or as an adjunct to 6 the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens only, but as the westerly port of Long Island, which will be of inestimable value in the development of the w r hole island, the future of which will also largely depend upon the continuation of the progressive policy inaugurated 'by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Respectfully submitted, CALVIN TOMKINS, Commissioner of Docks. 7 Proposed Plan of Operations for Jamaica Bay Improvement, Hox. Calvin Tomkins, Commissioner of Docks: Sir — I 'beg to submit herewith an outline for the plan of operations in carrying out the first step of Jamaica Bay Improve- ment. The field work in the west end of the Bay, including all the mainland from the trestle westward and the mainland and islands south of Bergen Beach is now practically completed ; and the work from Fresh Creek westward is almost entirely plotted on a scale of 100-feet to the inch and reproduced on four large maps on a scale of 200 feet to the inch; four tracings have been prepared covering four points at which work can be commenced, and one of these covering the area between Canarsie and Fresh Creek is completed with soundings out from the shore to a distance 500 feet south of the established channel line and sound- ings and levels in and adjoining Fresh Creek itself. I have prepared maps on a small scale showing the different plans of operation and different areas for improvement at Fresh Creek, Paerdegat Basin and between Mill Basin and Bergen Beach and the channel approaches thereto. The plan of operation that seems to me to accomplish the maximum of benefit with the $950,000 available, comprises the immediate improvement in the matter of dredging approaches and filling at three different points in the immediate vicinity of Canarsie and Bergen Beach, as follows : Proposed Plans for Immediate Improvement. PROPOSITION NO. 1 (MAP "A"). The operations for proposed immediate improvement con- template, First — The acquisition of the necessary property. Second — Dredging under contract by pumping and filling. Third — The construction under contract of temporary bulk- head platforms at three different points easily and readily ac- cessible both from Canarsie and Bergen Beach by land, and from the Bay itself by dredging short channels from the present main channel in this locality. These three points are as follows : No. 1. Canarsie to Fresh Creek — Between the present existing bulkhead at Canarsie eastward to Fresh Creek Basin, where it is proposed to develop the west- erly side of this basin for a distance of 3.700 feet back of the main proposed bulkhead line of Jamaica Bay. 8 This locality is recommended for development as it will form an extension of a section already developed to some extent by private enterprise ; and will provide 3,700 feet of immediate wharfage with about 2,500 feet of bulkhead from which several piers may extend. The development of this section will require the acquisition of about 70 acres of upland indicated on the map submitted herewith by cross-hatching in black, and about 30 acres of land under water covered by State grants indicated on the accompany- ing map also bv cross-hatching in black in the opposite direction. This acquisition of property will cost about $300,000. It will also require the dredging, by pumping, of an approach from the present main channel for a width of 300 feet and about 1,500 feet in length to a depth of 10 feet, to form a connection between the present main channel and the future main channel, or about 100.000 cubic yards ; the dredging, by pumping, within the area of the future main channel for a length of about 3,000 feet and a width of 500 feet for a depth of 15 feet, comprising about 800.000 cubic yards ; the dredging, by pumping, of a chan- nel for the Fresh Creek Basin for a length of about 2,700 feet and a width of 300 feet to a depth of 10 feet, comprising 250.000 cubic yards : and an added channel within the Fresh Creek Basin for a length of 2,000 feet and a width of 100 feet to a depth of 10 feet, comprising about 50,000 cubic yards. The cost of this dredging is estimated at about 10 cents per cubic yard in the basin, and 12 cents per cubic yard for the channel dredging outside of the basin. The total dredging for this loca- tion is, therefore, 800,000 cubic yards of main channel dredging at 12 cents. ..." $96,000 00 For which it is expected the Federal Government will reimburse the City at the rate of 8 cents per cubic yard 64,000 00 Net cost of main channel dredging $32,000 00 Dredging approach, 100,000 cubic vards at 12 cents per cubic yard '. 12,000 00 Dredging Fresh Creek Basin, 300,000 cubic vards at 10 cents per cubic yard 30,000 00 Total net cost of dredging $74,000 00 It is estimated that this dredging, indicated in " yellow " on the accompanying map, will provide the necessary filling indi- cated in " red " on the accompanying map, to a grade of about 10 feet above mean low water for the area comprising the 1,700 feet in width of marginal way along the main bulkhead line of Jamaica Bay for a length of about 2.000 feet and the 300-foot wide irarsginal way along the westerly side of Fresh Creek Basin 9 for a length of about 2,000 feet; making in all a length of 3,700 feet along the westerly side of Fresh Creek Basin. This improvement provides for about 3,700 linear feet of platform, of which, it is recommended that not more than 500 feet be built at once, pending the demand for a greater length. This will cost for 500 linear feet of platform at $30 per linear foot, about SI 5,000. Summary. Acquisition of Property $300,000 00 Dredging 74,000 00 Bulkhead Platform 15,000 00 Total for Canarsie to Fresh Creek. . . $389,000 00 —or say. S400,000. No. 2. Canarsie Beach Park to Paerdegat Basin — This particular locality is selected because of its immediate accessibility from Canarsie, and contemplates commencement of operations in the matter of rilling from the westerly side of the mouth of Indian Creek which forms a boundary along the west- erly side of the mouth of Canarsie Beach Park. The reason for commencement at the westerly side of this creek is that the present mussel, oyster and clam canning industries at Canarsie may be undisturbed. The acquisition of property for this location comprises three acres of upland and seven acres of land under water covered by State grants. The estimated cost of this acquisition is : For the upland, 3 acres at $4,000. $12,000 00 Land under water. 7 acres at $2,000 14,000 00 Total for property $26,000 00 The dredging will comprise an extension of the main chan- nel dredging already described for the Canarsie to Fresh Creek Basin improvement for a length of about 4,500 feet with a width of 500 feet to a depth of 15 feet at mean low water. The esti- mated cost for which is: 1,140,000 cubic yards at 12 cents $136,800 00 For which it is expected the Federal Government will reimburse the Citv at the rate of 8 cents per cubic yard. or.. 91,200 00 Xet cost to City for this dredging $45,600 00 Dredging a channel in Paerdegat Basin for a length of about 3.000 feet, and a width of 300 feet to a depth of 10 feet, amounting to 200,000 cubic yards, at 10 cents 20,000 00 Xet cost of dredging $65,600 00 10 It is estimated that this dredging, indicated in yellow on the accompanying map, will provide filling for the area indicated in red, comprising about 1,500 feet of marginal way for a width of 1,700 feet along the main bulkhead line of Jamaica Bay and 300 linear feet for a width of 300 feet along the easterly side of Paerdegat Basin, making in all a length of 2.000 feet along the easterly side of Paerdegat Basin. This improvement provides for 2,000 linear feet of bulkhead platform in Paerdegat Basin, 500 feet of which is recommended be built at the present time, pending demand for more extensive wharfage. The cost of which is estimated : 500 feet o-f bulkhead platform at $30 $15,000 00 Summary. Acquisition of Property $26,000 00 Net Cost of Dredging 65,600 00 Bulkhead Platform 15,000 00 Total Estimated Cost $106,600 00 No. 3. Bergen Beach to Mill Basin — This locality is particularly recommended for immediate im- provement because of its direct accessibility from the Bergen Beach section. The improvement will require : The acquisition of about 50 acres of upland at an estimated cost of $1,000 per acre $50,000 00 Dredging a channel of approach about 1,500 feet Long, 300 feet wide, to a depth of 15 feet, to form a connection between the present Jamaica Bay channel and the future main channel, com- prising about 150,000 cubic yards at 12 cents. . $18,000 00 Dredging the future main channel for a length of 4,700 feet and a width of 500 feet, to a depth of 15 feet, to form a connection be- tween Paerdegat Basin and Mill Basin, comprising 1,160,000 cubic yards, at 12 cents $139,200 00 Of which, it is expected, that the Federal Government will re- imburse the City at the rate of 8 cents per cubic yard 92,800 00 Net cost of main channel dredging. 46,400 00 11 Brought forward $64,400-00 •Dredging the channel in Mill Basin for a length of about 3,000 feet and, a width of 300 feet to a depth of 10 feet, comprising 300,000 cubic yards, at 10 cents " 30,000 00 Total Estimated Net Cost of Dredging. . $94,400 00 It is estimated that this dredging indicated in " yellow " on the accompanying map will provide filling for the area indicated in " red " forming a marginal way 1,700 feet wide for a length of 3,000 feet along the main bulkhead line of Jamaica Bay, and at the same time forming a length of about 1,800 feet along the northerly side of Mill Basin. This scheme provides for a length of about 1,800 feet of bulkhead platform along the northerly side of Mill Basin, of which it is recommended that not more than 500 feet be built at the pres- ent time, pending the demand for increased wharfage of this character. The estimated cost is, 500 linear feet of platform at $30 $15,000 00 Summary. Acquisition of Property $50,000 00 Dredging ' 94,400 00 Platform 15,000 00 Total SI 59.400 00 —or say, $160,000. General Summary of Estimated Cost. Location No. 1. Between Canarsie and Fresh Creek Basin $400,000 00 Location No. 2. Between Canarsie and Paerde- gat Basin 106.600 00 Location No. 3. Between Bergen Beach and Mill Basin 160.000 00 $666,600 00 To which should be added for immediate expendi- ture the amount which has been deducted in the foregoing estimates for reimbursements by the Federal Government for dredging in the main channel, amounting to $248,000 00 Total Cost Chargeable Immediatclv to the $950,000 Appropriation $914,000 00 12 When the Federal Government shall reimburse the City for the dredging in the main channel, amounting to $248,000, this money can be used for extending the main channel, as provided above, 500 feet in width and 15 feet in depth at mean low water, from Mill Basin to Barren Island. The estimated cost of this work is about 1.000,000 cubic vards of dredging at 12 cents, $120,000. About 60 acres of upland, at $500 per acre, would have to be acquired, amounting to $30,000. With further reimbursement by the Federal Government for this extended main channel dredging, additional main channel dredging could be undertaken, etc. This dredging is indicated on the accompanying map in " brown color " and the material excavated will fill an area in the marginal -treet adjoining proposed bulkhead line about 400 feet in width. As stated before, the improvement of these three localities with connecting channels will provide extensive wharfage /oom of a nature that may be expected for immediate demand, with all the facilities absolutely ready for further and more intense de- velopment in the nature of piers with warehouse accommodations, etc.. as the demand and requirements for this particular charac- ter of wharfage room arises. Xote. Property. Dredging and Pumping. Bulkheads. Allowed by Board of Estimate Estimate submitted S750.000 00 376.000 00 $150,000 00 233,000 00 $50,000 00 45,000 00 Therefore, to do the work as outlined, it would be necessary to request the Board of Estimate to transfer $100,000 from C. D. D. No. 25 to line Xo. 24 (see copy of resolution adopted by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, January 11, 1911, at end of report"). 1.1 PROPOSITION NO. 2 (MAP " B "). ' Expenditure for the First Improvement of Jamaica Bay by the Acquisition of Property at a Number of Places in Different Parts of the Bay. Instead of spending most of the available money for the Jamaica Bay Improvement by acquiring property and dredg- ing or pumping at one or two specific places, this map is sub- mitted, showing where a number of properties may be acquired at different parts of Jamaica Bay supposed to be at strategic points. This whole assumption for the acquisition of property in Jamaica Bay is made with the supposition that the City owns all the land under water, and in order to carry >i;t the improve- ments as outlined on the accompanying map, the acquisition of property for the various parcels only calls for the acquisition of the upland, which is outlined by black hatched lines. Parcel Xo. 1. By acquiring the small amount of islands between the north- erly part of Barren Island and the Mill Creek Basin, which, figured roughly at $500 an acre would cost about $30,000. all of the property which is needed for the construction of the im- provement from Barren Island to Mill Basin could be acquired. Parcel Xo. 2. By acquiring the property from Mill Creek Basin to Bergen Beach, the upland for which is estimated at about $1,000 per acre or a total cost of about $50,000, this waterfront could be secured. Parcel Xo. 3. By acquiring the upland in Parcel Xo. 3, west of Canarsie proper, estimated at $3,000 per acre or a total cost of about $26,000, all of the property necessary for the construction of the whole corner of this improvement could be acquired. Parcel Xo. 4. By acquiring the property hatched in black at about $4,000 an acre, or a total cost of about $300,000, all the property neces- sary for the control of the waterfront from the easterly side of Canarsie to and including the mouth of the Fresh Creek Basirt could be acquired. 14 Parcel No. 5. In the same way, the acquisition of property shown cross hatched in black at $1,000 an acre or about $30,000, would ac- quire all the property needed near the mouth of the Spring Creek Basin, and with Parcel No. 4 would take all the property prac- tically from Canarsie to about 3,000 feet east of the Spring- Creek Basin. Parcel No. 6. By acquiring the property cross hatched in black at about $325 an acre or a cost of $20,000, it would secure all the neces- sary property between the Bergen Basin and Cornell Basin. Parcel No. 7. By acquiring all the property cross hatched in black at $1,000 an acre or about $ 100,000, it would secure all the property nec- essary to build the whole head of the Cornell Basin. The head of this Basin brings the waterfront near the growing develop- ment in Queens and railroad connections from the east towards the Long Island Railroad. Parcel No. 8. By acquiring the property shown in black hatching on the north side of the " Head Bay Basin " and a little on the south side at $150 an acre, or a total cost of about $50,000, it would enable the Department to build all of the waterfront between the Mott Basin and the northerly side of the " Head Bay Basin." The head of the Bay Basin as laid out on this map will enable the City to prosecute a mammoth waterfront and terminal de- velopment at the head of the extreme end of Jamaica Bay, which will be susceptible of direct connection with the Long Island Railroad Company and will, no doubt, be an admirable place for some great development in the future. Parcel No. 9. The acquisition of a small amount of property as outlined in black hatching in the Conch Basin, at about $750 an acre or a total cost of about $100,000, will enable the City to con- struct the whole of the Conch Basin development. This basin will be no doubt a valuable asset in the future for the develop- ment of the needs of local commerce and wharfage, and will no doubt be ample to supply all the needs of the Far Rock- away sections proper for the future. Parcels Nos. 10, 11 and 12. These parcels are selected along the northerly shore of the Rockaway Beach peninsula on the southerly part of Jamaica 15 Bay, simply as three locations to be acquired in order that they .may serve as distributing points for local wharfage and public landings. The question of title at these places is vague, and at the present time it appears that most of the property needed for several hundred feet of wharfage at each location, could be ac- quired by the expenditure of very little money, perhaps in some places only the wharfage rights being necessary to acquire. Therefore, no fixed sum is stated for this purpose. The selection of the various parcels from 1 to 9 have been made with only a regard to their value as general factors in the development of Jamaica Bay, namely, their availability now and in the future, their adaptability to railroad connections at the present time and in the future, and it seems that they would be the strategic points in the acquisition of real estate at the present time. The remaining desirable waterfront along the northerly part of Jamaica Bay. which has not been noted for present acquire- ment, is shown in orange hatching on Map " B." It is the in- tention to take up the acquisition of these properties at a later date after the more important points have been acquired. If the City could acquire the areas as outlined in black hatched lines, and the contention that the City already owns the land under water is correct, these parcels combined would place the City in control of almost all of the better class of water- front on the northerly, westerly and easterly sides of Jamaica Bay, all of which is susceptible to railroad connections and street connections to the City. The matter of valuation is very vague, and our information up to the present time is very meagre upon this subject. The Jamaica Bay Commission used a basis of valuation of about $1,000 per acre everywhere. These prices submitted have been arrived at after inquiry has been made from every available source, and with some idea as to the assessed valuations. If all the propertv could be acquired at the prices named, about $700,000 or $800,000 would have to be expended. The balance could then be used as a beginning in developing some one or two points, to be decided upon later, by pumping and building bulkheads. If, on the other hand, the prices are too low. then a lesser amount of land would necessarily be acquired under the exist- ing appropriation, this to be found out as soon as real opera- tions are commenced towards acquiring this property. Very respectfully, Charles W. Staxiford. Chief Engineer. 16 (Copy) Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of The City of New York. Resolved, That pursuant to the provisions of Section 180 of the Greater New York Charter, the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund hereby recommend to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment that the Comptroller be authorized to issue from time to time as may be required corporate stock of The City of New York to an amount not exceeding nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($950,000) the proceeds whereof to be applied to the purposes and uses of the Department of Docks and Fer- ries in the sums and for the purposes as hereinafter indicated : 1. For the construction of a section of bulkhead, sand dyke or rip-rap retaining wall intended to retain dredged material to be taken from the main channel or entrance channel of Jamaica Bay, such structure or structures to be located along the section or sections of proposed bulkhead line between Spring Creek Basin and the termination of the bulkhead at the point of Barren Island, $50,000. 2. For dredging in the main channel in Jamaica Bay between Spring Creek Basin and the southeasterly point of Bar- ren Island, contingent upon the execution of a contract with the United States Government through which pro- vision shall be made for the reimbursement of The City of New York' by the United States Government for all or a part of the cost of said dredging, $150,000. 3. For the acquisition of land^s located in or on Jamaica Bay needed for filling purposes, the precise location of such lands to be determined upon in the future by the Com- missioner of Docks acting co-ordinately with the Com- missioners of the Sinking Fund, $750,000. — provided, however, that no obligation shall be incurred by contract or otherwise against the appropriations herein pre- viously recommended until such time as the Commissioner of Docks has adopted and the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund have approved the modified plan for the improvement of the waterfront of Jamaica Bay now under consideration by the War Department of the United States. A true copy of resolution adopted by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund January 11. 1911. Jno. Korb, Jr., Secretary pro tern. M. B. Brown Printing & Binding Co., 49-57 Park Place, N. Y. 2967-' 11-2000