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Session 589, Minutes February 1, 1960 Page 18 fore carried and Bill No. 5791 As Amended was adopted as Ordinance No. 3773. Councilman Soule, Councilman Stake and Councilman Lahrmann again requested that the minutes reflect their reasons for voting ~no" as heretofore stated. So was the order. BILL NO. 5800 - CONDEMNII~ PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR PUBLIC PARK, PLAYGROUND ~'~D P~C?~ATIONAL PURPOSES: ~ayor Kaufman called attention to a memorandum, copies of which had been sub- mitted to members of the Council by the administrative forces, suggesting an amendment to Bill No. 5800 by striking out the description of the property therein set forth, and substituting the following description: :'Lot 47 and west half of Lot 46 of Central Suburb, recorded in Plat Book 7, Page 23 in Recorder of Deeds Office of the City of St. Louis, fronting Eight Hundred Eighty-two and 87/100 (882.87') feet, more or less, on the east side of Gay Avenue, fronting One Thousand and Three and 63/100 (1003.63') feet, more or less, on the south side of Blacl~erry Avenue, also known as Blackberry Lane, and bounded on the east by Devonshire Sub- division, and on the south by West University Subdivision and Fairbrook Subdivision, containing 18.843 acres, more or less.'~ Councilman Greeson moved that Bill No. 5800 be amended accordingly. Motion seconded by Councilman Baris and unanimously carried. }{r. H. Ziercher, attorney, asked to be recognized, which request was granted. Mr. Ziercher stated that he is appearing on behalf of Mr. Samuel Rich and ~ir. Samuel Ladd who contracted to purchase the property in question on January 19, 1960. Mr. Ziercher stated that no one recognizes better than ~e the right of the City to condemn private property for public purposes. He said Mr. Rich and I~r. Ladd caused the property to be engineered to an extent where it would be proper for them to take the matter up with the City Plan Commission and they had in mind dividing the property, which consists of 18 or 19 acres, into 65 lots and improving the lots with houses in the $30,000 class. Mr. Ziercher said he wonders whether it would not be the better part of wisdom perhaps to hold a public meeting and check the feeling of the people of this community with respect to a Bond Issue at this time for the purpose of appro- priating this property for public use. Mayor Kaufman explained that the proposal to acquire the property by condemna- tion is part of the Plan which the City has adopted and is on the map -- that public hearings were held on the Plan and recoranendation came from the City Plan Commission and was acted upon favorably by the Council. Mr. Ziercher said he is aware of this, but he is WOndering whether it is proper to hold the property off the market indefinitely if the citizens of University City want to reject the proposition repeatedly. Mayor I~ufman pointed out there were ten or eleven other items on that identical Bond Issue and the proposition was voted on only once. Upon inquiry by Mayor Kaufman, the City Manager said this matter would be before the Council from the City Plan Commission next week. The Mayor said he does not think there would be any objection to holding this matter off until such time as Mr. Ziercher makes his appearance and there will be no further reading of Bill No. 5800 As ;~ended tonight until Mr. Ziercher makes his presentation. In other words, the Mayor said, Mr. Ziercher would be before the Council next