Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
Bou|evarding of B Street to
Memorial Bridge Part of
Beautifying Scheme.
MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA
PARK AREAS CONSIDERED
National Forest Near Washington
Given Study-Recreation Needs
Kept in Mind.

Tentative plans for the highway
system through the Government
building triangle just south OF the
avenue, including the boulevarding of
E street from First street to the Ar
lington Memorial Bridge, were made
yesterday by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, it
was announced last night at the con-
clusion of a two-day session.
The Commission also gave much of
its time yesterday to a study of metro
poitan areas of the National Capital
lying just across the Federal city
boundaries in Maryland and Virginia
as a starting point for regional park
development in cooperation with the
authorities of those States.
1t was decided by the Commission
that in the improvement of B street
for boulevard purposes, which will
provide a direct route between the
Capitol and the Arlington Memorial
Bridge, the street will have to be
widened considerably. 1t was deter
mined that from First street north
west to Virginia avenue the street
will be widened to so feet between
GURUS, dIu IiAdl punt "CS1""i Va
to the bridge approach it will be ~
feet. The present width is so feet
from First street to Virginia avenue
and 40 feet from that point westward.
Crossing of Avenue.
Considerable time was spent by the
Commission in studying the question
of how the boulevard will cross Penn
sylvania avenue, somewhere between
.x,I Ln1f
street No decision was reached. The
problem is to be further studied by
the Commissions experts, who will
make a report later. 1t was pointed
out that the crossing of the two i'm
portant thoroughfares at an angle
may make it necessary to provide
greater width than the tentative 50
feet between curbs at the point of in
tersection.
! e-The width of the streets in the tria
angle. in which it is proposed to erect
Government buildings, was given some
attention by the Commission in con-
ference with Louis Simon of the Of
flee of the supervising architect of
the Treasury Department. 1t was
suggested that the heavy traffic ex.
pected in this area requires special
consideration before the buildings are
designed.
+ While no definite decision was made.
according to the Commissions spokes-
man it was determined tentatively
that there will be five. through"
streets in the area, north and south.
These will be Fifteenth, Fourteenth,
Twelfth, Ninth and Seventh streets.
They are to be So feet wide, between
the curbs, with the one exception of
Fourteenth street. The latter now is
20 feet wide between curbs and it was
I<n 70
Present Plans for Plaza
David Lynn, architect of the Capitol,
and William +. Parsons, presented the
plans for the treatment of the plaza
between the Capitol and the Union
Station and the plan for the estab-
, lishment Of the Botanic Garden. The
commission expressed itself as salts
fed with these plans.
The report on the regional park sys-
tenn dealt largely in seneralities, and
while the commission discussed it at
some length, it nevertheless took no
action at this time, in view of it's policy
not to go across the District borders
for the purchase of park lands for the
reason that it is now spending the
District taxpayers money.
1.-The future metropolitan city about
Washington, if it is to be worthy of
it's title as the National Capital" said
the report, must be provided with
open spaces for the recreation and
health of the inhabitants and for the
pleasure of visitors.
I'VE naturally expect to include in
the future regional park system areas
of scenic beauty, intrinsic beauty of
form, color and composition. We wish
our parks and open spaces to include
areas of special interest-extrinsic
beauty from historical associations or
because they are notable for their
geologic, botanic or other natural
features. Choice of areas should be
related to the probable use of the land
after it is set aside. whether that use
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