Evening star., 1927-04-26
CROSSING WILL CO
At HYATTSVILLE
Ritchie Promises Mayor Work
viii Start as Soon as
Plan Is Agreed.
special Dispatch to The Star.

Special DtSpatcn 10 Inc STAR
HYATTSVILLE, Md, April 26.--
Mayor Irwin Owings last night told
the Chamber of Commerce of Hyatts-
willie that at conference earlier in
the day Gov, Ritchie informed him
that the Hyattsville railroad grade
crossing would be the next to be elm
mated and that the State was now
ready to proceed with the work just
as soon as a plan could be determined
upon.
Unless property owners along the
proposed route promptly revise down
ward the amounts they seek for rights
of way the opinion was expressed by
Mayor Owings that condemnation pro-
ceedings would be instituted by the
State. The mayor stated that John
". MackalI, chairman of the State
Roads Commission has informed the
governor that amounts now asked tire
excessive.
Gov. Richie told him, said Mayor
Owings, that not later than next week
he would take up the proposition, and
the chamber voted to call special
meeting after its committee, consisting
of Mayor Owings, T. Howard Duckett
and j. Enos Ray, has heard from the
governor.
Both Gov. Ritchie and Mackall have
made it plain that the State viii not
consider the extension of Rhode Island
avenue from the District line at Mount
Rainier to Hyattsville except as
joint undertaking, providing also for
the elimination of the grade crossing.
Possibility of Bridge.
It was the opinion of Charles B.
Calvert, who has been in correspond
ence with Mackall, that there was
possibility of the State. in the event
it could not get rights of way for less
than the prices now asked, TO elm
mate the crossing by building a
bridge through the main business sec
ton of the town. He also expressed
the belief that if the property owners
along the route now proposed for the
bridge could not get together on
rights of way costs with the State on
basis that would enable the extern
sion Of Rhode Island avenue at the
same time, a new road might be con-
structed north of the town that would
constitute the main highway between
Baltimore and Washington, which now
passes through Hyattsville.
1t was explained by Mayor 0wings
that the Baltimore Ohio Railroad
Co. would pay half the cost of elimt-
Each community is expected to do |
nate to the State right-of-way neces-
eary fer construction Of Rhode Island |
avenue, it was stated.
Playground Gift Enlarged.
It was announced by Mayor Ow-
fngs that William 2. Magruder, who |
recently donated the town 10 acres |
of property in West Hyattsyille for |
use as a community playground, has |
added two adjoining acres to the gift. |
1t was stated that Robert B. Morse, |
chief engineer of the Washington Sub |
urban Sanitary Commission, and |
chairman of the chambers park and |
planning committee, is now making a
survey of the plot to determine the |
best location for a base ball diamond, |
tennis court and other features. A
number of experts have volunteered |
to assist Mr.. Morse in this work.
Councilman C. d, Anderson stated |
that it was planned to use clay taken |
from roads being improved as a sur |
face for the ball field. Il
Endorsement was given by the |
chamber TO the proposition now be- /
fore the mayor and council to extend |
LuttrelI avenue through the Banes |
properly to Hope street, and to widen |
the latter thoroughfare to Columbia |
avenue. This would give residents in |
that section of the second ward a |
direct outlet to the business section |
of the town. Property owners affected |
have agreed to pay the cost of the /
Banes right.of-way and the town, it |
is indicated, would build connecting |
road.
Membership of the chamber reach
ed Al last night when three new
members were admitted. They are
Russell Hardy of University Park, Ar
thur P. Owens of Decatur Heights and
Prof. George j. Schulz of Hyatts-
vile.