Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-16
B. & 0. PLANNING
| LARGER FACILITIES
Takoma Park Siding Case
Delayed As Days in View
of Announcement.

The Baltimore 81 Ohio Railroad an
nounced yesterday 1t is planning an
enlargement of the freight facilities for
the Takoma Park-Silver Spring area
In order to more adequately serve this
important and rapidly growing sub
urban section of Washington.
The railroads announcement was
made after Daniel Willard, president,
and C. c. Galloway, vice president OF
the company, had spent Wednesday OF
this week inspecting sites in this area
and investigating the general situation
In Takoma Park and Silver Spring.
At the same time it was announced
that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
officials and j. Bond Smith, counsel for
the town of Takoma Park, had agreed
to postpone the hearings on the North
Takoma siding case for As days to
allow an adjustment of the Baltimore g.
Ohio's plan for the distribution Of
freight in the Takoma Park and Silver
Spring section.
This case has been in the Montgomery
County courts for more than a year,
the town officials endeavoring to force
the railroad to vacate from the North
Takoma siding on the ground that this
property was dedicated to the city for a
park and that the town officials desire
to use it. for that purpose.
The North Takoma siding was the
live issue in the town election in 1928,
causing more bitter feeling in Takoma
Park than any civic issue for many
years. The action yesterday In agree
ing to postpone the hearings on the case
which have been going on at Rockville
under q special examiner is believed to
indicate that compromise Will be
worked out agreeable to both the rail-
road and the town government.
May Mean Two Projects.
While the Baltimore & Ohio officials
made no definite announcement as to
the details Of their plans in Takoma
Park or Silver Spring, 1t is generally
situation that 1t will enlarge its freight
handling facilities both adjacent to the
Takoma Park, D. c.. station, and at
Silver Spring to provide for the rail-
road growth of each of these important
towns, and also to allow for the hand
ling of freight at Silver Spring for
Northwest and North Washington City
and western Montgomery County.
It was pointed out in this connection
that Sixteenth street, Georgia avenue
and the East and West Suburban high
way will all be improved through Sill
yer Spring during the present year
and the ultimate improvement of West
ern avenue as Washington City boule-
ward from Georgetown and Massachu-
sets avenue extended to Connecticut
avenue at Chevy Chase Circle to the
intersection of Eastern and Western
avenues Immediately west of Silver
Spring will add fourth major traffic
artery to the present road scheme sof
that section, which obviously makes
Silver Spring available as distribution
Y1Oir1f for North
Washington freight.
The proposed rail head or freight
handling area for Silver Spring will be
entirely screened from Sixteenth street
and Georgia avenue traffic and conSe-
quently is not expected to mar to even
the slightest degree the development of
Maryland North of Washington as a
great residential section. The east side
of the freight terminal will be screened
by the business frontageS on the west
ern side of Georgia avenue from the
Georgia avenue subway to the Six
tenth Street-Georgia avenue-Laurel-
Baltimore Highway. On the north side
of the terminal area it will be shielded
by similar two-story brick frontages
which are being required as restrictions
on the industrial property now being
sold in that valley. The third and west
side of the industrial triangle would
be screened from Sixteenth street and
Fourteenth street and the general Rock
Creek Valley section by the hill located
Immediately west of the Silver Spring
Station and the Baltimore d Ohio
right of way
This makes possible an extensive
freight distribution development within
this triangle, the activities of which
will not be visible to motor traffic pass
ing on either Sixteenth street or
Georgia avenue.
President Willard and Vice President
Galloway came to Silver Spring last
Wednesday in their private car and
we're accompanied on their inspection
trip by E. Brooke Lee of Silver Spring.
After their inspection trip the rail-
road issued the following official state
ment:
"The officials Of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad are considering the en-
largement of the freight facilities of
the company in the territory nearby to
North Takoma in the event that final
decision is reached to remove the North
Takoma siding.
I'm order to have time to study the
whole situation the company has sug-
gested the continuance of the hearing
in the case against the town OF Takoma
for a period of As days. which Sugges-
ton has been approved by the attorneys
for the town."
Congratulated on Vision.
At the same time, j. Bond Smith.
corporation counsel of the town of
Takoma Park, who with Lucius @. c.
Lamar and Cissel & Woodward, is rep
resenting the municipality in the liti-
CATION, issued the following statement:
1.-THE Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is
to be congratulated on the vision which
its higher officials have displayed in
dealing with the question. The solu-
ton suggested by the company is one
which will best serve the interests of
the town of Takoma Park, the resi-
dental area Immediately affected, the
business community of Takoma Park
and the railroad itself.
"If the railroads program is success
ftll-and every indication is that it will
be successful-it will Immediately result
in abating the existing nuisance. The
residential character of the neighbour
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