Evening star., 1926-05-02
NEW BODY TO PLAN +.
CAPITAL GROWTH.
Commission Provided in Bill
Signed by Coolidge to Re-
place Two Others.
BY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEY.


Development Of the National Capt.
tai and its environs. the metropolitan
districts in the adjacent States of
Maryland and Virginia, under CO.
ordinated scheme will be the function
of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, the organlza-
ton of which is authorized In the law
which was signed by President Cool
idSe on Friday. Under the plans
FORMULATED when The project was pro
posed a general scheme is to he laid
down under the direction of city plan
ming experts, architects and engineers,
for an orderly growth of the National
Capital. the population of which now
il expanding over its fixed border
lines in o the adjacent territories out
of which ii WAS originally carved.
The new commission supplants the
National Capital Park Commission
which has been functioning for two
years in the purchase of lands in the
National Capital Tor park and play
ground purposes. and which has been
unoifchliy 1unctionnG, through
committee on city and park planning.
I'm making recomme nda lions for Ger
in accordance with the L.'E,nfa mt plan
as modified by the so-called Mcmillan
plan Of 1901. The commission also
will absorb the work of the Highway
Commission of the Dis rict of CoIum-
hia. which is abolished hv the law
rms commission was composed of
the Board of District commissioners.
he Secretary of War. the Secretary
Of the Interior and the Chief of Engi
neers of the United States Army.
State Action Awaited.
Certain unofficial contacts have
been established with the States of
Maryland and Virginia. the govern
ors OF which had appointed unofficial
committees To work with the park and
planning committee of the park com.
mission in laying down plans for de
velopinc the areas across the bound
aries under a general regional scheme.
The new law provides for official CO.
operation with these two States and
1t remains now only for the legis-
latures of these geographical subdi-
visions to pass enabling acts TO make
the scheme complete.
1t probably VIII he several weeks il
was estimated Yesterday by Maj L.
:. Grant. Sd. director of the Office of
the National Capital and member
of the new commission. before it will
organize and begin to function. He
said that the commission probably
Will not hold an organization meeting
until the President had named the
four advisory city planners. and it is
not known now just when this will
be done.
Two Names Mentioned.
SO far only two names have been
heard in connection with these ap-
pointments. The law provides for
the appointment of -four eminent citi-
zens well qualified and experienced in
city planning. one OF whom shall be
a bona fide resident of the District of
Columhia.' 1t is now believed that
one of the National City planners will
be Frederick II. Olmsted of Boston,
an eminent city planner and one who
is thoroughly familiar with the plans
for the development of the Capital
City. having done much work on the
Mcmillan plan of 1901, now being fol,
lowed in spirit. if not In the letter, in
the development.
For the local representative on the
commission the name Of Frederic a.
Delano has been mentioned promi-
nently in connection with the candi-
dates, and there is strong belief
that he will be appointed. Mr.. De-
lano Is president of the American
Civic Federation and is chairman of
the Committee of One Hundred on
the Federal City.
The principal purpose of the new
law, aside from adding the city plan
ners as advisers TO the commission.
was to provide for the cooperation
between the two adjoining States, so
that the development there may he
co-ordinated to the end that they will
grow in orderly fashion. ip accordance
with well laid plans developed by city
/ planne who will seek to avoid the
mistakes in other city developments.
Much preliminary work already has
been done in this connection and the
citizens and officials. as we'll as the
civic bodies OF. the adjacent territories.
have been 'aetive in promoting tbs
regional development, with full real
liza ton that the planning now will re
suit in there growing into being later
one of the finest regional develop
ments OF any city in the country or
in the world when compared 10 world
capitals.
No Salary Limit Set.
In addition to the appointment of
the advisory experts. the measure
provides for the appointment of
director of planning, who would be
an employe of the commission. land
other expert city planners, such as
engineers, architects and landscape
architects. AS the measure does not
restrict their payment to the sched-
ule under the classification act. the
commission will be given wide scope
in fixing salaries so as to set the best
talent in the country for this purpose.
The commission will seek to pre-
serve the flow Of water in Rock
Creek. to prevent pollution of Rock
Creek and the Potomac and Ana
costa rivers. to preserve forests ana
natural scenery in and about WASH
ington, and to provide for the COM
prehensive, systematic and continu-
Gus development Of the park. park
way. and playground systems of the
National Capital and its enVirons.
The plans are to include recon-
mendati tions to the proper executive
authorities as to afflc and trans
portation; plats and subdivisions;
highways, parks and parkways;
school and library sites; play
grounds: drainage, sewerage and
water supply; housing. building, ana
zoning. regulations: bridges and wa
ter fronts; commerce and industry.
and other proper elements of city
and regional planning.
Commission Is Advisory.
The commission is purely avisory
and there is no requirement that the
District government. for instance.
II .xs-{t q raHy