PARK FINANCING 487 



that city. "The people of Canton, by voting at the November election 

 (1926) a tax levy for recreation purposes, have manifested a commendable 

 interest in the community activities long neglected in this city, the develop- 

 ment and improvement of our parks and playgrounds system. It is esti- 

 mated that the levy will produce approximately $22,000 a year, a sum 

 which will be adequate for current recreation expenses but insufficient for 

 much-needed permanent improvements in the parks, such as swimming 

 pools, bathhouses, tennis courts, landscaping, road building, and the like. 

 Impressed as I am with the benefits to flow from a popularization of the 

 parks, and realizing that the acreage we now have cannot be utilized to 

 the utmost unless there is more money to be had in addition to the proceeds 

 of the levy so generously voted, I have decided to establish a fund of 

 $200,000 to be expended immediately for the improvement and beautifica- 

 tion of the park land of the city of Canton, under the direction of the present 

 Board of Park Commissioners." - Extract from a letter by Mr. H. H. 

 Timken to the mayor of the city of Canton, transmitting his gift of $200,000 

 to the city for the above purposes. 



7. Acquisition of Property through the Principle of Excess Condemnation. 



The principle of excess condemnation has not been widely used by 

 park authorities partly because in many sections of the country legal power 

 is lacking. This in turn is due largely to the prevailing system of private 

 exploitation of land in American communities. Sufficient public sentiment 

 has not been developed to support public authorities in its use. The powerful 

 private interests that are engaged in the exploitation of land are likely to 

 oppose strenuously any extension of the principle. Yet if this principle 

 could be applied by park authorities, it would go far toward solving the 

 question of how to finance the acquisition of land for several different types 

 of park properties, especially in newer sections of cities. The principle 

 merely involves purchasing more land than is needed for the particular 

 park project and then disposing of the remainder on a commercial basis 

 and applying the income thus derived to paying for the original investment. 

 The influence of park areas of several different types on increasing land 

 values in their immediate vicinity is very well known. 



Perhaps no branch of a municipal or county government could so 

 safely exercise the right of excess condemnation as park departments be- 

 cause of the influence of park areas and improvements increasing land values 

 around them. The types of properties that would lend themselves admira- 

 bly to the use of this principle are boulevards and parkways, especially 

 parkways, large parks, neighborhood parks and neighborhood playfield-parks. 

 Under some conditions the principle might be safely applied in connection 

 with outlying reservations. 



