Evening star., 1926-06-08
WIDENING Of BLAIR
ROAD SUGGESTED
Park Planning Committee
Also Urges Two Highways
in AnacoStia.

Widening of Blair road from Pea
body To Underwood street 10 80 feet
and the immediate acquisition of land
for this purpose was recommended
today by the city and park planning
committee of the National Capital
City and Park Planning Commission.
The committee also recommended the
establishment of two new highways
west of Nichols avenue, in Anacostia,
and extending from the south bound
airy of St. E,lizabeth's Hospital to
Blue Plains, ID. c.. and the designa-
ton of the strip of land between the
two for ultimate acquisition as a part
of the park system Of the National
Capital.
Under the present highway plan,
Blair road is now laid out to follow
the tracks of hte Metropolitan divi-
sion of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road However, the roadway as now
used runs some distance west of the
railroad track and the area imme-
diately adjacent to the railroad is
Zoned first and second commercial.
1t is the purpose of the commission
to abandon the tentative location on
the highway plan and keep II in the
lines now being used by traffic, which
will result in keeping all of the COM
mercial activities separated from the
residential section on the west side of
the present highway.
Urges Modified Plan.
AS this section is rapidly being built
up. the committee will recommend to
the District Commissioners that the
highway plan be Immediately modified
and that steps be taken at once to ac-
quire the necessary land by con-
purchase or dedication to
carry out the scheme at a time when
the land can be obtained at reason
able figure 1t was pointed out that
this is a very important section OF
roadway from a traffic standpoint, as
1t will connect with Kansas and South
Dakota avenues at Peabody street.
The distance recommended for
widening is six city blocks and ex-
tends from Peabody street to the La
mond grade crossing. Before the
Commissioners carry into effect the
recommendations II VIII
be necessary for them to hold pub
lie hearing for the abutting property
owners within the area concerned.
The committee has been studying
for some time the area in Wilson Park
and an adjacent area, west of Nichols
avenue, in Anacostia, and today COM
pleted it's recommendation for the
laying out of two highways and estab
lishment of a park which will carry
the Federal park system from Boiling
Field and Anacostia Park to Blue
Plains, where the District poorhouse
is located. This area is a bluff, and
the committee recommends that one
highway be placed along the top edge
of the bluff and another be laid out
at the bottom. The land between these
two roadways was said to be suitable
for park purposes and would furnish
one OF the connecting links between
Park and Forts Foote and
1t recommended that
the land be laid down on the park plan
for ultimate acquisition. The plot is
about 800 feet wide and about one
mile long.
The committee also recommended a
change nthe line of Yuma street east
Of Connecticut avenue and in the vi
cinity of Soapstone Valley, which was
recently ordered acquired by the Park
and Planning Commission as a part of
Rock Creek Park.
The changes ordered in this street
"oio Iudue tO dVOlu the necessity of
so much cutting and filling. which
might have destroyed some of the nat
ural beauties of Soapstone Valley.
Seeks Building Plan.
Foundry Branch Valley was also dis
cussed by the committee today, par
ticularly that part of it south of Res
ervoir road, which the Park Commits
sion wants to acquire to connect the
Archbold and Glover parkways with
the Potomac River. The committee is
to work out some suitable
plan for building development on the
east side Of Forty-fourth street which
would not mar the proposed parkway
in the event that the Park Commits
sion finds it impracticable to acquire
1t In its entirety. However, no de-
cfsion was made at today's meeting,
but it is hoped that a satisfactory con-
will be reached within the
next week or two.
Maj. Raymond A. Wheeler, who is
being relieved as Assistant Engineer
of the District of CO.
umbia, today attended his last meet
ing as member of the city and park
planning committee. Capt. H. c.
Whitehurst, his successor. met with
AA