Evening star., 1924-05-28
PARK development
BILL GETS FINAL 0. K.
Senate Agrees to House Amend
ment; Measure Now Goes
70 President.
COMMISSION rs PROVIDED
Sheriff., Head of Body, Outlines
Ideas for System.

Final legis ative action on the bill
for comprehensive development
of the park and playground system of
the District, creating a commission
therefore, was taken today when the
Senate agreed to the House amend
ment to the bill The bill now goes
TO the President for his approval. 1t
was passed by the House yesterday
afternoon.
The park commission will be COM
posed of the chief of Engineers
L. ). A, chairmen, respectively, of
the Senate and House District COM
mittees the officer in charge of pub
lie buildings and grounds. the di-
rector of the national park service
and the director of the United States
forest service.
To Develop System.
Heretofore there has been no off,
clally or legally directed body or Of
hcer OF government authorized to
study or work out park plans or in
estimates for park areas. Now that
this unsatisfactory condition has
been removed every assurance is
given that the National Capital will
take It's proper place in the matter
OF parks and Fairgrounds
Col. c. .. Sheriff., officer in charge of
public buildings and grounds. who is
named by this bin as executive and dis
bursting officer of the commission, has a
humber OF lines of development which
he Will suggest to the commission
Among some of the ideas that he will
present for the extension OF the parks
will be:
Establishing a fort boulevard follow
ing the hills cncircling the city and
connecting the civil war forts many of
which are still We'll
Widening of Piney Branch Park
way from Rock Creek to 10th street
so as to preserve this forest, en-
hracing and preserving the Indian
quarry located there.
Extension of the Piney Branch
Parkway under and northeast from
the Tiger bridge.
Would Reclaim Marshes,
Transforming the Anacostia River
marshes above Benning bridge into
a water park, and the adjacent Mount
Hamilton into a national arboretum
Acquiring the forest-covered valley
and springs tributary to Rock Creek
TO protect the creek from pollution
and to preserve the flow of water
Acquiring tracts on the outskirts
Fairgrounds before these are built
up and thickly populated, thereby
increasing the cost.
Prevent the pollution of Anacostia
River, and for the continued devel-
opment of what is now known as
AnacoStia Park.
Besides these park developments
Col. Sheriff. has plans for the further
beautification of present parks such
as potomac and Rock Creek Parks
and his suggestions will include
plans for the proper extension of the
National Capital park system into
the environs of the District of Co.
lumbfa by acquiring lands in Mary
land and Virginia.
This would include the DEVELOPMENT
or both banks of the Potomac River
from Washington to Great Falls. to
preserve the forests, the development
OF park boulevards down the Poto-
mac on the Virginia side to Mount
Vernon and on the Maryland side to
Fort Washington, along the bluffs
overlooking the river.
Rock Creek Project Urged.
The development of the valley OF
Rock Creek, which is looked upon by
many of those who are Interested in
the beauty and development of the
city as being so urgent, probably will
be one of the first projects entered
upon by this new commission.
In connection with the Rock Creek
valley development. Col. Sheriff. S
plan calls for extending the valley
park north of the District of Co.
together with its feeders and
branches. This, he looks upon as es-
sential to prevention of pollution, and
to preserve the flow of water, which
is already reduced to half it's former
volume.
The development also is likely to
include several boulevards running
from Washington into Maryland and
Virginia, the routes for which have
not yet been determined.