Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-11-25
Arlington-Alexandria
Consolidation Dismissed

| AS property owner or Arlington
County / have been much interested
in reading the recent series of articles
by Donald A. Craig dealing with the
political situation on this side of the
river. the aspirations of the county and
and Alexandria, etc, also the state
ments issued by various interested in
dividuals. While each brings out GER
tain phases of the matter, there is
much lack of unanimity. 1t seems
that much difficulty is experienced in
weighing the effect of the various
moves in the matter. The following
, discussion expresses my viewpoint.
| With respect to the incorporation of
| Arlington County, the enabling act
should be passed, of course, in order to
clarity the atmosphere for the future.
| But immediate incorporation is not
| necessary or desirable. Let State mon
ey first complete the Lee Boulevard
and the Lee Highway and possibly
other State thoroughfares, and the
Fe0eral Government all the improve
ments connected with the new $l5,-
900 900 Memorial Bridge. BY the re-
cent amendment to the State conStitu-
ton the county can proceed to de-
velop it's sidewalks, a co-ordinated
sewer system and other municipal i'm
prOvementS by assessments against the
property benefited. Its water system
is now well under way. Incorporation
should be planned for some definite
time ahead, say about 1882, and mean
while a commission should be organ
lied to arrange all the details. such as
form of government contemplated.
boundaries, etc. Thus the maximum
financial assistance would be obtained
| Il, I. % l.
the definite promise of municipal
status only short time distant. With
respect to the public utilities, all that
would be lost, in the main, would be
the right to assess amounts for fran
chises for interim extensions, as other
wise, under the police power, when in
corporated, the city will be able to
force them to adapt their property to
the improvements of the streets
through which they may operate.
AS far as the desires of Alexandria
for expansion are concerned, / cannot
agree with the extreme views ex-
pressed by the opposition on the one
hand or by Frank Lyon on the other,
who feels that that city will be COM
pletely successful and that opposition
will be waste of money. The county
could readily approach Alexandria
I
territory on the west for future
growth. If that will not satisfy them,
then their main purpose will be smoked
out, namely, the inclusion of Potomac
yards, with it's rich yield of taxes. The
| city cannot expand through mann
moth railroad yard and clearly no
court, in it's wakeful hours, would lend
itself to a game of grab, which Is all
this phase of AleXandria's desires
would amount to. 1t can show no real
need for the Inclusion of that yard
and the court would allow it to remain
in the county where it now is. Courts
do not lend themselves to the disturb
ance of situations long existent with
out substantial reasons. Moreover, by
the concession of some territory now
for it's future expansion, all fear of de.
sign on AleXandria's part for a long
time to come would be removed, as
that city would not be able to show
need for additional territory before
Arlington County was ready and will
| ing to incorporate. Properly handled,
this phase of the matter should pre-
sent no great difficulties. A willing
ness of the county to approach Alex
andria along the above lines would
show good faith on the part of the
county and uncover any bad faith on
tine part of Alexandria If any existed,
as is charged, with reference to PO-
tomac yards. The Virginia courts al
ready have declared that, where the
tax was needed in greater degree by
a county than by municipality. as in
this case, they would not approve an
nexation Of county areas in the alb
sence of other sound reasons therefor.
Theoretically, the amalgamation of
Ali lnxyn nxl,.in int
a single municipality is desirable, as
| they would complement one another
Alexandria with it's industrial POSSIBLE
tiles and Arlington County developing
into very desirable residential dis
trict. Separated. each seems to be
only a part of the whole. But the diff
ficulty is whether the two sections
would be able to harmonic their re.
spective interests. The people of Alex
andria dwell largely in the past, while
those of Arlington County, in the
main. are wide-awake, progressive and
aware of the bright future of their
section and anxious for it's develop
ment. There is no reason why Ar
lingtOn County, organized into the city
of Arlington, should not be able to SO
it alone equally as we'll as Chevy Chase
or other residential sections on the
Mill ittIiu SIuC. ilc pSopiS SliOuIu pC
willing to stand some additional taxa
ton, as it should be reflected in i'm
lprOVementS, more municipal con-
veniences and enhancement in valus
of their property. The development of
sanitation and other Improvements is
an index of the state of civilization of
a community and only a backward
element would interpose any objection
to municipal improvements and the
| necessary cost of same.
When consideration is given to the
future effect of the development of the
Shenandoah National Park. the pro-
jected 200-feet Lee Boulevard and other
highly improved thoroughfares, the
$15, 600, 900 Memorial Bridge. the reIa-
lively high elevation of Arlington
| County (mostly over 200 feet and up
to 400 feet). with the building up of the
District of Columbia in recent years
there is no doubt of the continued
growth of Arlington County as a de-
sirable residential district. It's near
ness to the downtown section of Wash
ington upon the completion of the new
bridge, only onehalf the distance to
Chevy Chase. with approximately tie
same elevation and a more beautiful
natural landscape, alone is sufficient to
assure this. 1t is highly important.
therefore, that Arlington COuntys
plans for the future should be worked
out with full view of these prospects
c. !. kEPHART.