Frederick Law Olmsted SUBJECT FILE Community Design Ginter Park, NJ 1879Jno. Watts Kearney Esq. 19th July,1879 My Dear Sir, I presume that you are right as to our understanding and there I blundered. [in writing to you]. I send the Totographical map and my study as you suggest but unless you particularly wish it I should prefer not to go further until I have had an opportunity of [personally] verbally confering with you. [It is so far uncertain [until] for what purposes the rim bank will be diminished that I do not think it best at present to [avoid it by] bank it up into streets and lots, [in?] does divide it, nor does] My impression is that upon full consideration you will nt think it best to undertake the grading of the line with the purpose of obtaining sufficient material for filling the low land [West?] of Passaic Avenue. The surveyro tell me that, as I should suppose must be the case, [that] a large amount of material is likely to be furnished gradually from other sources which will be [?] for this purpose. To rake down all that would be [so] ground from the high land would it best at present to attempt to make plans for [it in] it be a very costly undertaking and upon the policy which you suggested of doing a little year by year would leave all the property for [very] long time in a very unattractive condition. I have sought to lay off all East of Passaic Avenue with a view to avoiding any grade steeper than 1 in 20 and have adopted [cur?] wherever any considerable grain in grade was to be economically obtained by doing so. Even with this freedom, a cutting of from 10 o 15 feet will in some places be necessary for a considerable distance [for a short distance] and at an point for a short distance a cutting of 20 feet. The [cu?] lines [make make] give occasion for a good many lots of unusual form and dimensions. The most of them I think would generally be regarded as "choice" especially by men wishing to build detached houses [for their own] and to have some little ground for a garden [or fore court with] for their own family use. [If they] So far as they could be disposed of early for this purpose, the character of the houses built upon these lots would probably be such as to affect the neighbhorhood favorably, and so far as they are not sold until a neighborhood [of houses] was formed they would there command higher prices (per square foot) than the ordinary lots. Some o f them are particularly well adapted for churches, school houses and [inns] inns. The greater number of lots [are a little smaller than] have less depth than usual elsewhere in Newark, I believe. I do not suppose [believe] that their market value will be less in proportion. But if it should be [is] slightly so it [still] might not be expedient [to retain the] to discard the place on that account, in as much as it would be difficult to divide the properties in such a manner [to in any way] as to avoid both over-long and an short [larger or shorter lots than usual without sacrificing convenience of [civ?] or a small increase a much more] without more expansion grading or a surplus of convenicene of [civ?]. Still in the eastern valley it would be easy to have one street less and 160 lots of 100 ft [instead of 200 of 85]. when I have shown 200 or 85 feet. I submit this study simply as an aid to discussion. Please utilize it at your convenience with comments. I saw Mr Richardson yesterday and find that he had not heard from Mr [D?] since he left him on account of the illness of his wife. I should be glad if when you are writing, you could tell me of his recovery.J W Kearney 19 Feb '79 F.LO. & Kearney Not info Land Sub V 1/2 Which? [Ginter Park H.D.B]