Evening star., 1925-08-25
V|RG|N|ANS ASSA|L
BELT LINE PROJECT
Join Maryland and Washing
ton Board of Trade in
Bitter Opposition

Aligning themselves with citizens
of Montgomery County. Md, and the
Washington Board of Trade, residents
of Arlington County. Va, passed reso-
lutions yesterday condemntng estab-
lishment OF the proposed Washington
and Loughborough belt line, which
would encircle Washington with a
railroad line passing through the two
counties in Virginia and Maryland.
The action was taken by the Virginia
residents at a mass meeting at the
Southern building, attended by
score of leading citizens living in the
communities which dot the southern
shores of the Potomac. Earlier in the
day the Washington Board of Trade
had refused to indorse the establish
ment of the railroad.
The resolution passed by the mass
meeting of Virginia residents follows:
Resolved. That establishment of a
belt line railroad through Arlington
County will be highly and vitally
detrimental to the interests of the
county and should be opposed by the
civic bodies in the county. All reason
able means should be taken by the
civic bodies to defeat the project"
The resolution, proposed by Charles
F. kincheloe, was passed without
dissenting vote.
See Property Depreciation.
The score of Virginia residents at
tending the meeting, including four
members of the Greater Arlington
County subcommittee of civic organ
izationS, spoke freely in opposition to
the belt line, more than half of them
rising to address the meeting against
its establishment. All agreed that
not only would 1t depreciate the value
of property in Arlington County and
ruin the county as a desirable home
location, but that It would tend TO
bring into the county an alien popu-
lauon in the wake of the probable in
dustrial development that would Gre
ate g. situation analogous to that near
Potomac Yard. You would not want
to build a home or lay out a sub
division near Potomac Yard" Mr..
Kincheloe said.
Two alternative proposals were
placed against the suggestion that
the road be run through a select resi-
dental section of Arlington County
near Falls Church. These, as ex-
planned by Mrs. Ruby Lee Minar, a
real estate operator in the county,
were for construction of a bridge
from near Alexandria to Shepherds
Point, on the Maryland side of the
Potomac River, swinging the proposed
belt line around Southeast and North
east Washington instead of through
the upper end of Arlington County.
and proposal that the road instead
of being run east of Falls Church be
run west of that suburb The latter
step. Mrs. Minar said. would prob
ably have the effect of appreciating
property values in Virginia between
Washington and the belt line.
Arlington County has taken
great forward step as center of
beauty and as a factor in the great
plan for the regional development of
Washington" Mr.. Kincheloe said. IF
this railroad were constructed il
would halt all the plans for the de
velopment OF the county and instead
of becoming beautiful residential ad-
junct to the Capital City il would fall
to the level of a region of manufac-
turing and industry. 1t would fall
tract an alien class of home builders,
foreign to our present population, and
would set up only few miles from
the Capital the very thing Washing
ton has tried too hard for so years 10
eliminate-an industrial community
within the sight of the Capitol
The great railroads now using Po-
tomac Yard see no need for this con-
struction. They are adequately served
by Potomac Yard and do not demand
another freight terminal. and it has
been my experience that unless pub
lie convenience demands construction,
the railroads do not construct. Many
people in Washington and in Airing
ton County believe this entire project
might be turned over to some outside
promoter who would not have the
slightest concern for our views as
home owners.
Sees Damage to Washington.
Turning to the effect of the road on
Washington, Mr.. kincheloe pointed
out that II the Loughborough freight
yard is built, motor trucks would
probably run down the main thor
oughfares of Washington carrying
merchandise into the city. You
wouldn't want fleet of trucks carry
Ing vegetables and what not operat-
ing down Massachusetts avenue" he
added.
Arlington County Is in line with
the regional development of Washing
ton. 1t Is planned to make it one of
the most beautiful settlements near
the Capital. This project would halt
this growth and would add to your
tax burdens in the form of more
crime, more schools and an allen
population. On the heels of the great
LeeWay development, which is an as
sured fact, we now have an Industrial
proposition to blacken Arlington
County"
Home values I'm Arlington County
would be irreparably injured by the
railroad construction. +. d. Paxton
said, adding that the only advantage
he could see for construction of the
road would be for collection of rerout-
ing charges over its line.
j. Cloyd Byars, who as chairman Of
the subcommittee presided at the
meeting, said he was inclined to side
with the views of the other Arlington
County residents on the matter, but
that the effect the road might have