Evening star., 1926-04-25


Upon the result Of the study and
survey by the city and park planning
| committee Of the area on the Virginia
shore between the Key Bridge and the
approach to the Arlington Memorial
Bridge will depend the determination
| Of policy by the National Capital
Park Commission of going at the pres
ent time outside the borders Of the Ma
| tional Capital to purchase land for
park purposes in connection with the
general scheme Of park improvement.
| The park commission has directed
that the study be made, and the city
and park planning committee OF that
| organization. headed by Maj. Carey n.
Brown Wilt start on the work in
short time.
While the National Capital Park
Commission has authority under its
enabling act to purchase lands IN
MARYLAND and Virginia. as we'll as in
the District of Columbia. for park,
playground and other recreational
purposes. nevertheless it has adhered
to the policy of purchasing only lands
in the District This. 1t was explained.
is because there are so many SITES
here needed for park purposes. which
must be acquired quickly before they
are wiped out by the progressive steps
Of building operations in the natural
expansion and growth Of the city.
While the particular land in Ques-
ton in Virginia is small in area some
10 acres, running between the keE
Bridge to the land purchased for the
Arlington Bridge approach and ex'
tending back several hundred yards
from the snore line, nevertheless 1t .s
considered of some importance in the
general scheme for improving that
territory in connection with the treat
ment of area adjacent to the bridge.
IA Acres Already Purchased.
The Arlington Memorial Bridge
Commission purchased approximately
IA acres adjacent to- the bridse, put
decided it could not go so far away to
GET this 10 acres. which. it was assert
ed. must be acquired If the Govern
ment is to protect this area and pre-
vent private holders from making any
use Of II which would be detrimental
to the aethestic treatment Of the gen
eral area. The land has been offered
to the Government and awaits only
determination a to just how it should
be bought.
The city and park planning com
mittee in its study will attempt to
| develop any arguments possible In
| favor of it's purchase by the Park
Commission. hut which could not be
| used as a precedent for the purchase
Of other Ia nds IN Virginia. or in Mary
| land. until after the projects in the
Capital City proper have been taken
care Of In its recommendations. the
committee will either recommend Its
nurchase by the National Capital
Park Commission as one Of its pro-
| iects. in which case II Is likely TO
! be one of the first parcels purchased
under the new appropriation. or Will
suggest that a special appropriation
he made for this particular land.
One matter which will he given par
ticular attention in the study OF this
| project will be its possible treatment
| in connection with its use as an ap-
proach to Analostan Island. opposite e
which it Is located and from which
| it Is separated by Analostan Channel,
| tributary Of the Potomac. Analos-
tan Island now Is owned by the Wash
! inston Gas Light Co. and was
purchased as site for great gas
works. However. from discussions
with Government officials familiar
with the improvement plans for this
area, it appears quite certain now
that this island will become a part OF
the park and recreation system of the
| National Capital. to be treated in
accordance with the general scheme
for improving it's sister island,
| Columbia, on the south, now being
renovated by Army engineers.
Island Located In d. c.
No steps have been taken to erect
| the gas works on the island, and 1t
is probable that no such action
would be taken now in view of the
! provision for the Arlington Memorial
Bridge and the Improvement of ad-
tacent land for park purposes. To
hermit the gas works to be erected
| there now. 1t was said. would be q
great blot on the general scheme for
the heautlfica ton Of this area. and
IL Is practically a certainty now that
this will he one of the early projects
which will he taken over by the Park
Commission. This island is in Dis
trict territory. as the District line
runs to the Virginia shore proper
so that the commission would MOI
have to abandon it's present polio!
of restricting its purchases to the
District to acquire IT.
The acquisition OF the area on Inc
mainland opposite 1t would give the
Government complete control or the
shore line between the two bridge:
and permit it's treatment in the gen
eral scheme. by roadways connecting
the two bridges and by other i'm
provements. and for this reason II Il
considered an important step in thu
development there.
The Park Commission has before
II also the letter of the committee o
the Arlington County Civic Fedora
ton. making suggestions for the i'm
provement Of this general area. Th,
letter is signed by J. Cloyd Byars. w
X. Handy and Mrs. n. Rex Hunt ant
is a copy of the original sent TO Rep
resentative Moore, who represent
this territory in Congress.
The Importance Of the hEaAMe anc
road projects to .emanate feoA Ut. the