Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-09
R. B. Watrous Cites Empire
City in Power Plant
Controversy.
SAYS PARKS ARE KEPT
FROM ENCROACHMENTS
Shows How Fine Arts Commission
Holds Up Projects Tending
to Mar Their Beauty.

ton and guidance from New York city
in respect to the preservation OF III
park areas and in Arm reliance upor
it's commission of fine arts for ap'
prevail or disapproval of plans for all
public structures" says Richard b
watrous, secretary of the American
Civic Association, who was in Ne"
York yesterday and became acquainted
there with a condition that he regaro'
as quite parallel to the present situa'
ton in Washington concerning the
erection of the proposed central heat
ing plant on the banks of the Potomac
| river.
! New York city has con stantly to o<
on the alert to prevent inVasions OF ltt
park areas. Not year passes When
some move is not proposed to cree.
some public structure in that rare , oi'
of park area down in the City Hal
Square. Never year passes Wheh
there are not two or three propositions
| looking toward the utilization OF Cen
trail Park for some kind Of structure
but New York always rises In resist
ance to such invaSiOns.
They say over there that parks are 70
be reserved exclusively for parks, that
they belong to all of the people and must
| not be invaded for the erection of any
4
How Pageant Was Halted.
"Only recently New York put stop to
move to use Central Park for a brilliant
pageant, which while Of very general in
terest would nevertheless have been
use of park for private and not for gen.
eral purposes The gratifying feature OF
that incident was that those who had pro-
posed the use of the park for the pageant
accepted the position and admitted that
they were in the wrong and made other
arrangements.
Just now there is a situation that
Is parallel with the Washington stu
alton and it's proposed heating plant
Tentative plans had been made for the
erection of pumping station in
Morningside Park, and a permit had
been given by the park board for the
erection Of temporary, b s.ru ,he b,,,d
ing as going up was apparently TO De
NO plans for a permanent structure
Commissioner Cabot Ward. president
Of he park board, peremporily or
dered the work discontinued and In
so doing he called attention to the fact
that the same mistake had been there
as had been made in Washington.
namely. that the approval Of the New
York art commission had not been Sc
cured as in the instance Of Washing
ton the approval of the commission OF
fine arts had not been secured
said: I was astonished to note the
permanent aspect of the structure and
the great height that it had reached
The law is clear in recurring the a p
sion. but by the art commission. Of all
plans Tar permanent structures In
parks before the work may be begun.
Why He Called a Halt.
I'm his letter to the board Of water
supply Mr.. Ward says:
"Tn regard to the structure now being
erected in Morningside Park by your
board have up to the present time as
was of an entirely temporary nature,
in accordance with the permit granted
by this department. l am astonished
to find a solid steel frame structure OF
great height. which bears all the ear
marks of being permanent. Let me
remind you that no permanent struc-
ture can be erected in the parks Of
the city of New York unless the de-
sign of all working plans. elevations.
etc, are submitted to the park COM
missioner. and IL approved by him the
approval of the park commission must
have also been obtained before any
work can be begun. No plans OF the
structure have ever been submitted to
this department for approval.
Until such time as plans have been
submitted and duly approved the work
at this point must cease. unless your
board can give me written assurance
that this in fact as we'll as in name is
temporary structure which will be
entirely demolished in due time. In
passing upon such plans as you may
submit two conditions are paramount
First, that the building be low and &C.
cupy the least amount of park space
possible: second, that from an archi-
tecturaI standpoint 1t be worthy OF
the city and so erected as to conform
the park
the positive manner In which New York
proceeds for the protection OF it's parks
In connection with the art commission Of
New York II should be said that their
,ansdiction over plans for public struc-
lures applies to every public edif1ce or
structure erected anywhere In the city Of
New York, whether It be in park area
or not not even a lamp post or fire alarm
box can be erected and paid for by the
city until the plans have been approved
by the art commission
There Will Be No smokestacks.
II, is admitted that there 10 a need
for the pumping station In the locality
proposed, but II IL safe to say that
New York will ineist that the pump
ing station be set very low and so
far as possible concealed by rocks and
shrubs so as not to interfere with the
| appearance Of the park. and there will
| be no high and Objectionable smoke
| stacks. Washington with its present
problem may we'll follow in the foot
steps OF New York city. which has for
more than ten years tested and tried
to It's very great satisfaction and to
the benent Of the city the value Of an
art commission clothed with definite
authority"
T'he American Civic Association, with
| thousands OF individual members and
hundreds Of afiliated organizations
thousand members. II Is announced by
its officials. 10 cooperating with other
| national organizations and individual
"in the present movement to safeguard
| Washington against the erection OF ar
unsightly building In an area neal
lands reserved for park purposes and
the development of the Mall" In thil
Is having only in mind the eventual
making OF Washington the most beau.
tiful city of the world.
The association today received a tele
gram from the City Club of Chicago
saying: We hear that some highly
obtec,ionable power or heating plant
building is being started in Washing.
ton on the bank of tho Potomac river
but we have no details. What are the
facts and 10 there any occasion fol
protest from this club7" The follow.
ing reply was made: situation il bad
Warrants protest For full informant or
consult at once Pierce Anderson, Rail.
way Exchange building. who 10 mem
Der OF Washington commission Of dn<
|