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THE PLATTING COMMISSION'S TASK- page 12 - URING the summer of 1889 the Platting Commission was established. The idea was fathered in council by Philip Moessinger, who had had experience on a similiar board in Cincinnati, and foresaw the grand possibilities of a similiar work in Norwood. Dr. N. I. Scott, Prof. J. U. Lloyd, Dr. John C. Weyer, J. C. Masker and the late William Weghorst were in the commission when organized August 15th. On account of other business engagements J. U. Lloyd tendered his resignation March 22nd and Dr. N. I. Scott
March 16th, 1891; the resignations being accepted by council. The remaining members were dissatisfied with this course, not wishing to lose both members at once, and in consequence Mr. Lloyd reconsidered, but, owing to professional duties, Dr. Scott found it impossible to serve. Mr. Lloyd was reappointed March 23rd, 1891, Mr. Samuel T. Harris being appointed at the same time in the vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Dr. Scott. The board at once organized by
electing J. U. Lloyd chairman and Mr. W. G. Betty secretary, the former secretary, Mr. W. E. Wichgar, having been elected village clerk. Mr. Weghorst died September 20th, 1891, and council November 2nd, 1891, appointed Mr. J. L. Shearer to the vacancy, since which time to date there have been no further changes. Of the great work done by the commission, Chairman Lloyd says:
"The duties of the Platting Commission have been arduous and often perplexing. They found the territory embraced in the newly incorporated village to be composed of farm lands, isolated dwellings and subdivisions interspersed. No endeavor had been made by land dealers to serve the public at large. Each property owner disposing of land had planned to get the greatest possible return from his acreage regardless of the adjacent territory. Streets had been wantonly blocked by houses or town lots, or curved to follow insignificant natural ravines or angles to turn field corners to suit the will of the interested owners. In some cases long narrow strips of ground were purposely left between subdivisions to prevent communication, while in others the streets laid out by one party had been artfully blocked by another. These 'monuments to man's cupidity,' irreparable in many cases, remain yet in many places an object lesson staring in the face of the growing people. Norwood, with her crazy quilt topography, speaks volumes unanswerable in favor of a county platting commission with sweeping power that shall protect against the selfishness of those who have no higher duty to the land they live in than to make the most money out of their evanescent heirloom or speculative possessions. The Platting Commission of Norwood has attempted with only moderate success to establish order out of this chaotic condition. The various sections have been united in the best manner possible under the circumstances, but still unsatisfactorily. A few streets have been widened, others straightened, a few vacated and many new streets platted. Council heartily entered into the work and numbers of condemnation of property for street purposes to benefit the community have followed. In some cases innocent purchasers of lots have unavoidably been sufferers, the original owners having reaped their harvest and relieved themselves of the obligation. The village has also suffered from this selfishness of speculators and inheritors of farm lands, and the tax payers of Norwood are collectively paying for property that should have been donated for street purposes." ——— – ——— |
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