Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-08
DRAM AND HAZEN
ASK 0. K. OF MOVE
+. TO OPEN STREETS
Urge Commissioners to Con-
firm Condemnation Verdict
in Walter Reed Area.
13 TH0ROUGHFARES
INVOLVED IN PLAN
Surveyor Declares Delay Will Add
to Cost and Retard Develop
ment in Vicinity.

Confirmation of recent verdict of a
condemnation jury which will permit
the opening and extension of Is streets
and avenues in the vicinity of Walter
Reed Hospital, was recommended to
the Commissioners yesterday by Capt.
Hugh Dram, assistant engineer commits
sloner, and Melvin c. Hazen, District
surveyor.
The condemnation, by which the Dis
trict would acquire approximately 40
acres Of valuable land and more than
40 buildings, the majority of them being
residences, is the largest on record. 1t
Is regarded with utmost Importance by
District officials because the opening
and extension of the streets contiguous
to Walter Reed Hospital will remove the
permanent barriers to the free move
ment of traffic to the rapidly developing
sections to the north.
Case Started in 1919.
The condemnation case is an old one.
and had its inception back in 1919, be-
fore enactment of the law which pro-
videS that the District should pay part
of the cost of condemnation proceed
ings in cases confirmed where the
amount of damages and costs exceed
the benefits. The damages allowed by
the jury for the land amounted to $780,
984.97, to which was added court costs
of $5.907.68, making a total of $685.
1872 IS, with assessment for benefits
against property of S434, 635.84, leaving
a balance of 1922 ,256.81 to be borne by
the District. In this verdict the
property owners will bear about two
thirds of the cost.
Hazen urged early confirmation of the
verdict on the ground that any delay
will add to the cost and retard develop
ment beyond Walter Reed Hospital. In
this connection he pointed out that the
value of the land and improvements
in the 40 acres condemned. based on the
1920 assessment, soon after the con-
domination proceedings started, was
about S293,000, making the awards of
the final verdict more than double the
assessment at that time.
Thirteenth and Fourteenth in Net.
Outstanding among the network of
streets that would be opened as re-
suit of the condemnation are Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets, two heavily
travelled thoroughfares. The former
would be opened from Nicholson street,
where it now ends, to Rittenhouse, thus
removing the only remaining barricade
to its northern terminus at Piney
Branch road. The extension of Four
tenth street would be Montague
street to the Walter Reed Hospital
reservation.
Piney Branch road also would be ex-
tended from the intersection with Fort
drive, between Rittenhouse and Quack-
enbos street, to Georgia avenue, provid-
ing Thirteenth street traffic with a
through outlet to Georgia avenue.
In addition, Colorado avenue would
be opened north of Montague street as
far as Thirteenth street, and Military
road would be extended from Georgia
avenue to Sixteenth street, connecting
with the grade at that point, although
1t is planned to retain the existing
underpaSS at Sixteenth street which is
Just to the north of the proposed ex-
tension.
Other Streets in Area.
Other streets to be opened through
the condemnation are Fort drive from
Thirteenth to the intersection of Thir-
tenth street and Piney Branch road
Peabody, Quackenbos, Sheridan and
Tuckerman from Thirteenth to Georgia
avenue, Van Bureau from Fourteenth
street to Georgia avenue, and Luzon
avenue from Fourteenth street to the
Walter Reed Hospital reservation at
Aspen street, making a connection
through to Sixteenth street.
The extended portion of Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets would be ITO
feet wide, and Colorado avenue and
Military road would be 100 feet wide
The widest, however, would be Fort
drive, with 160 feet. A 90-foot width
would be given to the extended por-
tons of Nicholson, Peabody, Sheridan,
Tuckerman and Van Buren, streets and
Luzon avenue.