Evening star., 1927-04-03
SMALL RECREATION
CENTERS URGED
Park Development Should
Benefit Nearby Sections,
Says Col. Grant.

the people of Washington in the parks
of the city, the expansion should take
the form of small neighborhood recre
alton centers in the opinion of Lieut.
Col. U. s. Grant, Sd, director of public
buildings and parks.
Within the past few months the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission has collected a mass OF facts
on the subject of neighborhood recrea
ton centers, which is to be carefully
studied by the commission at an early
date.
Certain Groups Not Served.
The base ball diamonds, tennis
courts and similar facilities for out
door recreation that have been avail
able for some time in Potomac, ROCK
Creek and Anacostia Parks serve GER
tain groups of the population salts
factorily, Col. Grant observed, but he
points out that there are many others
who for various reasons cannot make
the Journey to these central points TO
enjoy public recreation. This is par
ticularly true of young boys and girls,
the colonel believes.
The decision of the park and plan
ming body year ago to build series
of small swimming pools in a chain
across the city in preference to con-
structing large bathing beaches at
reality a first step toward this new
thought of placing future recreational
facilities within the reach of residen-
tial areas that are long distances from
the big parks
Certain Conditions Barriers.
Park officials in gathering inforna-
ton on the subject of developing COM
munity recreation centers have found
that certain physical conditions in
city act as barriers that tend TO con-
fine the residents of certain sections
to their own communities and there
by contribute to the need for COM
munity recreation centers.
For illustration, Col. Grant pointed
out that a busy traffic artery will
have a tendency to discourage the
people of one neighborhood. especially
children, from crossing it to reach
recreation center in some other To-
cality.
Park officials realize that with the
city building up rapidly, available
sites for these small recreatlonaI
parks will be more difficult to find as
time goes on. For that reason they
regard the question of neighborhood
recreation centers as one for early
consideration They realize also that
the law restricting the purchase price
of park and school sites TO 20 per
cent above assessed value Is going
to make it hard to acquire land for
this purpose.
Favors Recreation Areas.
Col. Grant believes these small
neighborhood areas should be devel-
oped primarily for recreation, in ad-
Siition to carrying on the movement
to extend those parks which are for
the Identification of the city.
1t is not absolutely necessary, he
said, that all of the recreational facili-
ties for given community be on one
plot of ground if an adequate site is
not available, but he pointed out that
operation would be more economieai
If the various recreational facilities
could be kept contiguous.
Small park areas for development
as recreation centers could be ac-
auired from time to time out or the
annual lump sum for extension or
the park system, but the office of
Public Buildings and Public Parks,
which directs all outdoor recreation
activities, would have TO obtain the
necessary funds from Congress under
its appropriation TO provide the IA
ciiities, such as tennis courts.
Still i'm Tentative Stage.
The discussion of community recre-
alton centers is still in very tenta~
tive stage and will be gone into more
thoroughly by the Park and Planning
Commission later this year before any
definite plans are formulated.
A preliminary report on the subject
of neighborhood centers was prepared
In February by Charles w. Eliot, I'd,
city planner of the commission. In
that report Mr.. Eliot said that in the
neighborhood center there comes first
the school, with a playground yard
for small children and to which there
may be attached an assembly hall.
gymnasium, library facilities, swim
ming pool and perhaps other similar
service.
Near the center" he continued in
his report. location must be pro-
vided for, the service of the unit for
fire and police protection. And,
finally, the small park such as has
been developed in Chicago, is needed
TO serve as a recreation place for
groups Of all ages and both sexes"
James G.. Yaden, president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
in a recent conference with Col.
Grant the subject of park develop
ment, laid stress on the acquisition
Of small park areas In thickly settled
residential communities.
With the opening of the tennis
courts on Friday the existing recrea-
tional facilities in Rock Greek, Po.
fomac and Anacostia Parks are now
in full operation for the Spring and
Summer The base bali diamonds
were made available March Is. With
the exception Of the few weeks In
mid-Winter. when the weather is
severe, the public golf courses are
used virtually without interruption.
-srI. E~
probably the most striking illustra.
lion of how the use Of public outdoor
recreationai facilities has grown in
recent years. In 1914 only 4.100 per
bons used the public golf courses. In
1925, total Of 284 $50 played on the
public courses and last year the num-
Der was practically the same.
Courts Being Laid Out.
The facilities for white persons in
ihe three large parks are practically
ihe same as last Summer. In section
& Of Anacostia Park. between the
Eleventh Street Bridge and Boiling
Field. four tennis courts and q base
bali diamond are being laid out this
year for the colored population. ac-
Fording 10 Albert Clyde Burton. in
Fharge Of recreational facilities in the
division Of maintenance, public build
lngs and parks.
Col. Grant. in discussing possible
expansion Of existing facilities for
public outdoor exercise, said there is
ttill some room in East Potomac Park
near the tourists camp that could be
used for additional ball diamonds and
tennis courts, but that there does not
seem TO be a demand for them so far
down In the park. He said the courts
and diamonds In the northern part
of the park and around the Monu.
fnent Grounds are in demand while