Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-26
AUTHORITY SOUGHT.
OVER LEE HIGHWAY
Arlington County Fights for
Right to Select Route
of Boulevard.

A bitter fight to transfer authority
for the selection of the route of the
proposed new Lee boulevard from
the Lee Highway Association. which
maintains it's headquarters i'm Wash.
ington, to the Board of Supervisors
of Arlington County doomed as n
growing possibility last night follow
ing a meeting of number of citizens
of Arlington County here.
Although the new route was not
supposed to he announced until the
mass meeting that is to he held in
the Washington Auditorium next
Wednesday evening. at which Score.
tary of Commerce Hoover and Gov.
Byrd of Virginia will he speakers. the
group that attended the meeting last
night were under the belief that the
highway would follow what is known
as the "southerly route" through
Hatfield.
Selection Will BE Contested.
Final selection of this route. it was
declared, will he contested doggedly.
\ resolution was adopted demanding
that the so-called Taylor avenue
route, which would start at Rosslyn
and run through Clarendon, BallstOn
and Falls Church he designated, in
stead. speakers asserting that II is
two miles shorter than the other
route. that it offers greater opportuni-
ties for economy in construction costs.
and that 1t would serve the interests
of the greatest ma jority of people of
Arlington County.
In order to present organized oppo
sition to the route the Lee Highway
Associa ton is understood to be ready
to indorse, the meeting formed a per
manent association, to be known as
the "Straight-to-the Bridge Associa-
ton At the same time the meet
ing went on record as taking the
stand that no Outside" Orga nization
has either a moral or legal right to
come into Arlington County and die
tate the course a road through that
community shall follow. Such author
ity is vested only in the Board of
Supervisors, it was declared.
Proposed Route Outlined.
The route favored by those attend
ing last nights meeting would be
direct from the Memorial Bridge.
which is now in the course of con-
struction, through Ballston and
Clarendon and on out through Falls
Church to the Luray entrance to the
newly created Shena ndoah National
Park. where the boulevard would be
connected with the transcontinental
route of the Lee Highway. The
boulevard contemplates 200-foot
right of way as far as the Shena ndoah
National Park.
Although the course of the south
erly route" is not definitely known
outside of the Lee Highway Associa-
ton. enough has been learned. Arthur
Orr of Lyon Park. Va. told the meet
ing, to make it certain that this route
would not be to the best interests Of
the ma jority of residents of Arlington
County. He charged the Lee High.
wav Association with having neglect
ed the people of Arlington County in
mapping the proposed route.
Demands Consideration.
I'VE fully recognize" Mr.. Orr as,
serted. that the Lee boulevard will
serve a national purpose if it is es-
tablished. But 1t is the people of
Arlington County who will he most
vitality affected by the route II follows,
and our wishes in this connection
should he given due consideration.
This highway will constitute the most
direct route to Washington for thou
sands upon thousands of people in
Fairfax and Arlington Counties"
Adoption of the shorter route" via
TAYLOR avenue, 1t was declared, would
in no way Interfere with the Lee
Highway Associations plans to make
the boulevard the greatest of its kind
in the country. Ample land can be
obtained for a 200-foot right .of.way,
in which the association plans to have
special roads for fast traffic. park
ways and roads for slower traffic,
speakers declared.
The resolution In which the meeting
set forth its objections vigorously
protests against the selection. desig-
nation or establishment of any nigh
way i'm Arlington County or the
formation of any agreement by
county or State officers with respect
thereto, until the people of Arlington
County have had an opportunity for
full and free discussion of the
merits of such a highway"
Protests Diversion of Funds.
The resolution also protests against
the diversion of any State. county or
Federal road funds to the Improvement
of any Fighway across Arlington
County to the Memorial Bridge, in
which the rights and interests OF the
taypayers now residing In the terri
tory affected have not been the para
mount consiierat ion, and the inter-
ests or convenience of tourists have
not been properly subordinated."
I'VE protest further" the resolution
concludes, against the establishment
of any boulevard designed chiefly for
the henefit az nonresident toariatR. the