OCTOBER 19, 1912





BROOKLYN'S SHORE ROAD HAS GREAT FUTURE





Is Being Made One of the World's Fine Waterfront Streets and
the Federal Government cApproves Extension Past Fort Hamilton.





COMPARATIVELY few people in
the greater city, including those in
Brooklyn, realize the great improve¬
ment the City of New York is making,
through its Department of Parks, in the
Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, which is
more familiarly known as the Shore
Road. Skirting New York harbor along
the high ridge from 6Sth street to 100th
street, the Shore Road, with its rises
and declivities, is probably the most pic¬
turesque thoroughfare in the greater
city. From it magnificent views of the
lower bay are obtained, and the shore
front below the road is unlittered with
railroad tracks, piers and whatnot. The
city has acquired the entire shore front
in   its   primeval   state   during   the   last





it having closed it at the outbreak of
the Spanish-American War as a matter
of  military precaution.

Col. John B. White, commandant at
Fort Hamilton, has recommended that
the government allow the city to re¬
claim an area in front of the fort at
the water's edge and make it a part
of the Shore Road improvement; and
the government has approved the rec¬
ommendation. This will allow a prom¬
enade beneath the guns of the fort. Per¬
taining to a blue print submitted with
his recommendation. Col. White  says:

"By reference to the inclosed blue¬
print, it will be seen that it would not
be practicable to reopen the extension
of the Shore Road, that formerly passed





ably be necessary on those days during
the open season on which sub-calibre
practice is  held  at  Fort  Hamilton."

As proposed by Col. White, the Shore
Road will be connected with Dyker
Beach Park—owned by the city—and
with Cropsey avenue, thus making a
grand driveway from 67th street and
the Shore Road through Bay Ridge,
Bath Beach and Bensonhurst. Facing
on Gravesend Bay, Dyker Beach Park
adjoins the Fort Hamilton military res¬
ervation, extends to Bay Sth street, and
as far inland as 92d street. At present
only a single street leads to the park
from the Fort Hamilton side of it.

The government reservation is a great
obstacle   to   easy  access  between   Bath







WORK    ON   SHORE   ROAD   IMl-KOVBMBNT AT  TTTH STRBBT.





SHORE   ROAD   AT  82D   STREET.





ten years, and will preserve it for park
and recreation purposes. It has already
joined the Shore Road to Fort Hamil¬
ton Parkway through 67th street, and
has made a public park on either side
of this  street.

The great improvement of the Shore
Road, however, is now in process of
completion. Following the shore line
from 66th street to 92d street, the city
has built a sea wall and is putting be¬
tween it and the wall an earth fill of
40 feet. On this extension below the
ridge will be built a grand concrete
promenade similar in appearance to the
sea wall at the Battery. Driveways will
lead from the Shore Road proper, ev¬
ery few hundred feet, to the promenade;
and the entire improvement will make
the Shore Road one of the finest streets
in the world. An appropriation of $1,-
500,000 was made for this work, but it
will undoubtedly require further appro¬
priations before it can be completed.
In addition, the Federal government re¬
cently agreed to open the Shore Road
in front of Fort Hamilton for public use,





through the reservation, because of the
location of certain seacoast batteries
constructed since this extension was
closed; nor would it be advisable to
open any other extension of the Shore
Road through the reservation on the
same level with that road, as such ex¬
tension would necessarily have to run
between some of the batteries and at
the foot of the superior slope of others.

"The city is now building a roadway
along the waterfront north of the post
by constructing a wall to the seaward
of an approximated parallel to the
shore line and filling in between the
two.

"I understand that this roadway is to
connect with Fort Hamilton avenue at
the reservation line. I see no objection
to the continuation of the roadway along
the front of the batteries, provided a
suitable fence be erected to assist in
keeping out all trespassers, and that it
is understood that such continuation of
the road would be closed by the gov¬
ernment should military reasons require
it.   The closing of this road would prob-





Beach and the Fort Hamilton section
of Brooklyn; and citizens of both parts
of the borough are seeking to have
streets opened and extended through
the reservation on the ground that, as
it is, the reservation is a barrier to easy
communication. It remains to be seen
whether the government will agree to
this invasion of its property for munici¬
pal purposes. It is pointed out that
numerous streets penetrate the Brook¬
lyn Navy Yard and connect with city
streets, the government merely main¬
taining gates to close them when neces¬
sary. The 4th Avenue Subway is about
to be extended to 89th street, and the
fact presages a dense population in the
Fort Hamilton section.

The Board of Estimate has the power
to provide the funds for improving the
Shore Drive, in front of the fort. In¬
asmuch as this particular part is owned
by the United States, no revenue bonds
for it may be issued. Borough Presi¬
dent Steers will include in the coming
budget a sum sufficient to make the
improvement.    City  engineers  have  in-