Evening star., 1928-11-04
PARKWAY PLANS
BEING SCRUT|N|ZED
Modification of Rock Creek
and Potomac Park Being
Worked Out.


ment of the Rock Greek and Potomac
Parkway has been decided upon and
details now are being worked out in
the executive offlces of the parkway
commission. Although II is not known
Just what changes will be made. 1t was
disclosed that one of the main features
Of the original plan which will be left
out will be the rim highway. which was
proposed to skirt the crest of the banks
Of the creek.
It was pointed out by Lieut.. Col. u.
S. Grant, Sd. executive officer of the
Parkway Commission. that many prob
lens are being considered in connection
with the revised plan, some made nee
esSary by changed conditions since the
project was laid down. He said that
Frederick H. Olmstead, member of the
National Park and Planning Commits
sion, had spent some time here in going
over the ground included in the park
way and had made suggestions for
changes. The details and the cost now
sion's Offices.
Cost Set at 100000.
Several problems have occurred ir
the vicinity of @ and streets. At the
former. he said. it would have to be
provide for the purchase of all of the
ground occupied by the Georgetown
car barns of the Washington Railway
and Electric Co., or should construct
retaining wall on the east side of the
creek to protect buildings on Twenty
third street from Sheridan Circle to @
street. One project, he said. would be
as expensive as the other, involving
cost of about 100000.
While the original taking lines of the
park only provided for a small slice
TO be taken from the railway company'S
property, Col. Grant pointed out that it
would be required in order to provide
q 40 or so foot roadway on the creeks
edges If 1t is decided to locate the
roadway on the west side of the creek
at this point, it will be necessary to cut
back the slope there, which would carry
it we'll into the railway company's
property. On the other hand, he added,
If It is decided to locate the roadway
on the east bank at this point, it will
be necessary to dig into the fill there
and build concrete reinforcements to
protect buildings outside the parkway
line.
1t is not proposed to cut out the
rim roadway in its entirety, but it is
desired to continue it wherever possible
but later construction has been allowed
to encroach on the original plans. Be-
tween the P and NJ street bridges the
colored high school has been construct
ed partly on park property, and the
colored swimming pool also furnishes
an obstruction to the rim highway.
One of the original plans for beautify-
ing this parkway was that houses should
be constructed along this rim highway,
their fronts toward the parkway, but
Col. Grant said property had been so
subdivided that the backs of the houses
were in the park. He also added that
many people were beautifying their back
yards, and he did not believe it would
be desirable to oppose this by putting
In roadway.
Open Within Two Weeks.
The valley roadway in the parkway
between the Connecticut Avenue Bridge
and the Massachusetts, avenue culvert
Is being constructed under the direc-
ton Of Frank T. Gartside, engineer in
charge of the parks maintenance divi-
sion of the Office of public buildings
This roadway will be open to traffic
within two weeks.
1t was pointed out that Mr.. Gartside
has succeeded in protecting the roadway
on the east bank from washes by con-
Struction Of sea wall of broken con-
crete taken from city streets. This is
one example of what the civilian en-
ployeS OF the Office are doing to save
Government funds in construction
work, it is said.
While there Is roadway running
through the culvert which carries the
creek also under Massachusetts avenue, it
was pointed out that one Of the projects
which should be included in the i'm
provement is bridge to replace the big
fill, which supports the Massachusetts
avenue highway across the parkway.
The culvert is about $50 feet long, but
there is room for roadway and the
bank Is sufficiently high almost to pre-
clude danger of a washout
While 1t is proposed to carry the val
ley roadway through the park for its
entire length as one of the first items
Of improvement, one of the big obstacles
TO its continuance below Massachusetts,
avenue is a dwelling just south of the
culvert. It lies in the line of the pro-
posed roadway and only a small path
way separates 1t from the waters edge
This house now is occupied by the care
taker Of the pumping station.
Maj. Brehon Somervell, United States
Army engineer in charge of the Wash
ington Aqueduct, said that some of the
personnel was being withdrawn from
this plant as a matter of economy, as
the pumps there have only been used
once in 10 years. He said that the
property on which the dwelling is locat-
ed had been turned over 20 the Park
way Commission, but it had not been
decided what would be done with it.
Removal Necessary.
The removal of this dwelling would
permit engineers to carry the roadway
southwark toward Potomac Park, where
it ends now at the south end of the cul-
vert.
In the vicinity of the P street bridge,
Col. Grant said that there was prob
lem of getting the roadway under it,
and that it might be done by con-
structing a smaller bridge under the
present bridge which carries the Wash
ington Railway tracks over the park
way at this point. There also has
been a proposal to place the. riding
academy at Twenty-Second and p
streets outside of the taking lines, so
that it could be retained there. Col
1rant said that he was opposed to
making any changes in this respect,
unless there could be found some way
Of guaranteeing that the place would
be perpetually used as riding academy.
In the Potomac River end of the
parkway, the final land purchases are
being held. up by the proposed con-
formations of property owned by the
Chesapeake g. Ohio Canal Co. Pro-
ceedings we're instituted in the local
courts against this property about II
years ago, but nothing further has
been done. Col. Grant said that since
he has been handling the commission S
affairs, he has conferred repeatedly
with officials of the Department of
Justice. charged with the duty of press
ing the cOndemnationS and has writ
ten innumerable letters. but without
result. He never, he Said has been
able to get a reason for the delay