Evening star., 1925-09-03
Street WIDENING
URGEDAT HEARING
Property Owners Along
IL Thoroughfares Speak in
Favor OF Project.

An almost Unanimous sentiment In
favor Of the widening Of 10 ef the
most important streets in the down
town section ~ Washington devel-
oped a. the public hearing held by
the Commissioners in the board room
of the District Building today.
4 general objection to the WIDEN
ing OF several on the list was fiied
by the Mid City Citizens Associa tion.
but the individual representatives Of
owners Of property along those same
streets urged the widening.
speaking for the business interests
= a whole. r. =. Andrews president
of the Merchants and Manufa cturers'
Associa ton. made an ardent plea for
the widening Of all IL streets as
quickly as possible. decla ring that the
carrying out Of the plans would hem
eft the entire city.
Only . or : Next Year.
Although the Merchants Associa
tion and many individuals advocated
the immediate widening of practically
Az of the u streets. Engineer Com
missioner Beii announced that he
cause of the large amount of money
involved in the complete program the
Commissioners would not he able TO
recommend more than two or three of
the streets in the estimates for the
next fiscal year.
He requested speakers tn indicate
ST "a IN nj
should he widened first. Al the con
clusion Of the hearing Col. Bell said
the Commissioners would have 10 de
eide within two or three days on the
streets 10 be recommended In order TO
eet them in the estimates which are
almost ready to he transmitted TO the
Budget Bureau.
The letter of The Mid-City Citizens
4 ssoci ia ion based its objection largely
on the removal of trees when streets
are widened and argued that the
shade trees of the National Capital
should he preserved and protected.
frees to BE Kept.
This prompted Col. Bell to renew
the statement he has made many
times in the past that the Commission
ers are as anxious as any citizen is
In the preservation and development
OF tHe snaue trees.
Shade trees will NOT he removed ex.
cept where there IL good reason for
doing so. the Engineer Commissioner
stated. Later in the hea ring he point
ed out that some streets are lined viii h
types Of trees that are not desirable
from the standpoint Of permsnencr,
such as sycs mores and soft naples.
a nd that in the widening of streets
these varieties could he replaced with
more desirable kinds of trees.
The complete list OF streets consid
cred At the hearing follows:
Tenth street from F street to
street. from New York TO Msssachu-
setts avenues: Twelfth street. from
New York TO Massachusetts avenues;
Thirteenth street from 1 to streets:
Thirteenth street. from n street to
Ma ssa chusetts avenue: Fifteenth
street. from X street to Ma ssa chusetts
avenue: Seventeenth street. from
Pennsylva mia avenue TO n street: Sew
enteenth street. from PENNSYLVANIA
to New York acenus: Connecticut
venue from h street 10 Dupont Cir
Gle: & street southwest. from, seventh
to Ninth streets: F street. from Sew
enth IN Ninth streets: q street. from
Seventh 10 Ninth streets; n street.
from Seventh 10 Thirteenth streets.
and X street. from Fourteenth To Six.
teenth streets.
Eleventh street Widening Urged.
There was strong sentiment in ia
vor of the early widening ~ Eleventh
street and Tenth street through the
downtown section. A number OF rep.
resentatives Of business houses on
both these thoroughfarss urged the
Commissioners TO widen them at the
ga rliest possible date.
Fleming .Newbold. representing The
Evening Star. made strong plea for
the widening of Eleventh street from
PennsyIva mia avenue northwsrd The
notice OF the hearing had only refer.
red to Eleventh street between New
York and Massachusetts avenues.
MIR. Newbold told of the congestion
which already exists from traffic
standpoint on Eleventh street between
PennSylva avenue and F. street.
He also recalled that the Commits
sioners have an appropriation now for
the repaving of Eleventh street be-
tween E and G. streets. where the old
cobblestones still remain. He urged
the Commissioners to widen the street
at the same time il Is being repa we'd
Col. Bell explained that the Elev-
enth street paving work would not
he undertaken until next Spring and
that II the city heads should get
authority in the next appropria tion
act for the widening il could he COM
hined with the paving job.
w. W. Everett. representing Wood
ward & Lothrop. joined in the appeal
for the widening of Eleventh street
nd Tenth street also.
r. E. Buckley. speaking for Palais
Royal. advocated the widening OF
Tenth street. There were many other
individual owners along Tenth street
at the hearing who Joined in this
Opposes X Street Widening.
n. r. Gatti. representing property
on K street. renewed the objection he
made last year to the widening OF that
thorouEhfare.
There were number of other prop.
erty owners Of K street. however, who
urged that il be widened. Among
them were representatives of the Office
of 8. F. Saul and Morris Cafritz One
speaker urged that X street he
widened as far west as Washington
Circle.
There was one objection from st.
Augustine's Church. to the widening
Of Fifteenth street between l. and NJ.
on the ground that a narrow sidewalk
would increase the hazards to sch Nol
ri st