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which we have from time to time submitted for your consideration, our 

 main object has been to counteract this apparent misfortune of the 

 east side. 



No one who has examined the plan before the Board can have failed 

 to recognize, we think, that under it an approach to the Park through 

 either of the confluents of the Plaza is calculated to produce a decided 

 effect of dignity, stateliness and fitness of position. An expenditure of 

 millions could not be made to give the same especial advantage to the 

 New York park. According to our plans there are six approaches 

 of this character opening upon the Plaza from the West, and six from 

 the East, which is a fair and equitable arrangement, as well as an ar- 

 tistically complete and well-balanced one; but if the ground North of 

 the Reservoir should be appropriated to a garden, it is evident that 

 while the six approaches on the West side would remain intact there 

 would be but two on the East side, neither of which would lead fairly 

 toward the Eastern part of the city. 



We have considered it an object to secure not only fine approaches? 

 but to so arrange the vacant ground in the immediate vicinity of this 

 principal entrance that, after a few years, strangers visiting the Park 

 would be sure to receive a vivid impression of the Metropolitan advan- 

 tages offered by Brooklyn as a place of residence. Eor this purpose 

 the ground belonging to the city, and undesirable to be included in 

 the Park, is proposed to be laid out in such a way that it can be dis- 

 posed of in lots of unusual size, and otherwise well adapted for urban 

 residences of the very finest character. Such an impression produced 

 at one point, would undoubtedly have a favorable influence upon all 

 the neighborhood, and upon the reputation of the whole city. 



We argued the advantages of this general element, in the motive of 

 our design at length, in our Annual Report of last year, and only refer 

 to the subject now that it may be better seen why we attach import- 

 ance to an arrangement which tends to bring all strangers to the Park 

 in such a way as to establish the strongest favorable impression upon 

 their minds, rather than by such indirect or subordinate and compara- 

 tively insignificant approaches as would be necessary on the East side, 

 if our plans in this respect should be overruled. 



From all that we have said, we trust it will be seen that the design 

 as it now stands, is intended to develop the previous natural and acci- 

 dental advantages of the site of the Plaza, as a centre, or radiating and 

 converging point, of a great residence quarter of the Metropolis, and 



