Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-18
LEE HIGHWAY PLANS
UP FOR DISCUSSION
Hearing for Development
Bodies Proposed to Con-
slider Boulevard Route.

A public hearing in which all repre-
Sentatfves of the various development
associations of Virginia, residents OF
towns and suburbs of Washington ana
Government officials are to be given
an opportunity to present their views
will be held by the Lee Highway com
mission within the next two or three
months on the several routes which
have been proposed for the Lee Boule-
ward, which is to he connected with
the Arlington Memorial Bridge, no"
under process Of construction, 1t was
announced late yesterday at meet
ing of the executive committee OF
the association with proponents OF
three proposed routes of the boule-
ward, at the offices of the association
in the Munsey Building.
Regarded of Untold Benefit"
Reaffirming their belief that the
proposed boulevard would prove OF
untold benefit to the entire State as
we'll as 10 the Capital city, members
OF the executive committee declared
enthusiastically that Federal aid would
he forthcoming for the construction
OF the road and urged that interested
property owners consider the matter
as a national benefit rather than
local.
Fear, however. was voiced by Col.
-Ashby Williams of Washington that
the reported activity of development
corporations in buying up options
along the proposed route for the pur-
pose of making personal proflt' would
cause Congress to turn d deaf ear to
pleas for aid.
His statement drew emphatic de-
malls from Henry Roberts, president
of the association; w. s. Hoge. chair
Of ha ich of mir
of the association, and others pres
ent that there was any illegitimate
speculation going on, and, in fact,
they declared that residents in GER
tain sections supporting certain pro-
posed routes were aiding the project
by making rights of way available for
the finally selected route by obtain
ing option.
Urgent Plea to Residents.
Mr.. Roberts, chairman of the meet
ing, made an urgent plea that resi-
dents in all sections join in planning
proposed routes and in obtaining
rights of way and that all these high
ways be developed regardless of
which one is selected as the boulC-
ward. All will be needed to take care
or the tremendous traffic, which will
continue to increase as sections of
Virginia near to the Distric. become
congested.
IF you don't get the boulevard, get
the highways anyhow" he declared.
That is what we did at Bristol and
that comparatively small city now has
more attractive and adequate high
ways than Washington has with all
its millions. Washington is asleep
1t is veritable Rip Van Wrinkle"
Mr.. Roberts urged that the boule.
ward be 200 feet wide, with 60-foot
easement on either side and recon-
mended that il be selected through
section not now of congested develop
ment.
John E. Lowell of Chatta nooga,
Tenn, member of the executive
committee, voiced the opinion that
there should be no difficulty in getting
property owners to dedicate more
than sufficient property for the high
way.
George +. Harrison, heading a dele
cation of the Chamber of Commerce
or Herndon, Va, presented a petition
that the route following near the
bank of the Potomac River from the
end of the projected Arlington
Memorial Bridge to Great Falls and
go from there near Dranesville, strik-
ing the present Lee Highway at Little
Washington, be accepted He was
supported by r. n. Wren and T. f.
Reed
Col. Williams urged that the route
he made from Falls Church, through
BallstOn, Clarendon and past Fort
Nyer, virtually straight passage to
the end of the Memorial Bridge. Resi-
dents of Arlington County must be
considered in the selection of the
route. he said. A 90foot roadway, in
stead of the proposed 200-foot road
way, would be sufficient for the needs,
he declared, pointing out that the
90.foot bridge roadway would other