Evening star., 1920-01-16
D. c. HEADS DRAFT
b|LLFOR WIDENING,
EXTENDING STREETS
Measure to Go to Congress
Calls for Biggest Projects
in Recent Years.

The Commissioners at a board
meeting today drew up a bill which
they will send to Congress authoriZ-
ing one of the biggest street extern
sion projects undertaken in recent
years. The bill will call for the
widening and extension of:
Fourteenth street for a distance of
one mile from Montague to Dahlia
street. passing through the center
OF Walter Reed Hospital grounds.
colorado avenue from Montague
street to 18th street.
Concord, formerly Oregon, avenue
from 10th street to Sth street.
Nicholson street from 18th to 18th
streets.
Thirteenth street from Nicholson
street to Piney Branch road, and Piney
Branch road from 18th street to Blair
road.
An outstanding feature of the bill
is the fact that the Commissioners
ask that only 40 per cent of the cost
or these openings and extensions
shall be assessed as benefits against
surrounding property owners. The
terms of the bill, would be paid out
of the Treasury.
In letter which the Commission
ers are sending to the chairmen of
the House and Senate District COM
mittees, along with the bill, they ex-
plain this recommendation as follows:
There is a general law authorizing
the commissioners to institute con-
demnation proceedings for the OPEN
ing of streets in accordance with the
highway plan, which provides that
the entire cost of acquiring the neces-
sary land plus the costs of the pro-
ceedings shall be assessed as benefits
This general Legislation. so far as
1T affects streets of normal width,
running through unsubdivided or un-
7 hall T.
in accord with sound public policy
for. as rule. property in the vicinity
of new streets is benefited by an
amount equal to or in excess of the
cost of opening the streets.
However, in the case of the streets
and avenues included in the proposed
| legislation, 14th street has width
of 10 feet; Colorado avenue, 12O
feet; Concord avenue. 120 feet; 18th
street, 110 feet, and Piney Branch
road, 120 feet.
'In addition to the excess width.
some of the proposed streets run
through old subdivisions and their ex-
! tension in accordance with the high
way plan will involve the destruc-
| ton or moving of thirteen dwellings.
! While property in the vicinity Will
! be benefited by the proposed extern
sions, they are primarily required for
| the logical and orderly development
| of the community as whole in ac-
cordance with the highway plan es-
! tablished by law.
For these reasons. the Commits
| sioners believe it would be quite in
! equitable to open these streets under
| the general authority granted them,
| and that the community as a whole
should bear part of the cost.
! Involves Large Area.
'The area involved in the condem-
nation proceedings is approximately
| 10000 600 square feet, and the value
of the land and improvements, based
upon the last assessment, is s1s9.Oo0
| for the land and $103, 500 for the i'm
provements. a total of s292,S00.
After careful consideration Of the
matter. the Commissioners have
| reached the conclusion that four
! tenths Of the cost should be paid by
the property directly benefited by the
improvement and the balance paid out
of the general treasury. This pro-
portion is based upon the assumption
| that there should be paid from the
general treasury the difference be-
; tween the cost of the land and i'm
| provements. to be taken. as determin-
, ed from the assessment, ana the estl.
i mated cost of a ninety-foot strip or
| undeveloped or unsubdIVlded land IN
| that part of the District
! The Commissioners ask that stretch
of land through the Walter Reed Hos
| pital grounds in a line with the pro-
posed extension of 14th street be
turned over to the District govern
ment by the Secretary of War. This
would make possible the extension OF
14th street through the grounds.
| The Commissioners point out In the
| letter to Congress that the hospital
| authorities evidently have looked for
ward to the need for another north and
south thoroughfare, and have not
erected even temporary structures on
that part of the grounds in line with
| 14th street
| 1t is known that along with this
street development, the Commissioners
are looking at some future date to the
! extension of the 14th street car line.