Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-22
BOARD. HOLDS UP !.
CLARENDON ENGINE
County Will Not. Deliver Fire
Pumper Until New House
Site Is Selected.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP,
Stan Correspondent of The Star.

ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE. Va, August 22.-By q major
ity opinion the Board of County Super
visors last night brought to q sudden
close the joint meeting of that body,
omcerS Of the Clarendon Volunteer
Fire Department and members Of the
Clarendon Methodist Church by an
noQncing that the new 6OO-gallon
pumping engine ordered for the fire
department will not be delivered II IL
is to be stored in the building now
under construction on Lorton avenue.
go. Hedrick Move.
This sudden decision was precipitated
by move on the part of Supervisor
B. M. Hedrick of Arlington district to
assure the department that, since the
county wants the engine In the best
available place and the building under
erection is at present the only available
place; they might have 1t. This move
was blocked by Chairman Edward
Duncan Of Jefferson district, who de-
clared that he would never 'countenance
the location Of the apparatus in q
vicinity where 1t was not wanted and
that he particularly objected to its
location near any church or school.
Backed by Supervisor e. C. Turn
burke Of Washington district, Duncan
told officers of the department that any
location selected must be approved by
the board and that no decision will be
made until County Directing Engineer
@. L., Kinnier has had an opportunity
to- make a study of the situation to
procure suitable quarters.
-. Pact. Thought Reached.
Att AR q
distinct surprise to all attending, since
It. had been generally believed that
an agreement had been reached by
ohlcials Of the fire department and
church whereby the latter would no
longer disapprove of the location of the
building at its proposed site.
That this was a mistaken idea was
apparent from the beginning of the
meeting; when the same persons who
have before registered their objections.
aided by some who had not hereto
FORE expressed themselves arose one
by one to voice their protests.
These were all based on the nearness
of the building to the church. with the
resultant danger to the lives Of the
Sunday school children and the nuis-
ance of the noise of the siren during
services; the fact that the street upon
which the house is being erected is
IldTTUW DlIlO al DOLn CtluS dtlO
that the building, which Is costing but
81 400 and is little more than a shed
for the protection of the apparatus
would be situated between two homes.
No Other Site Found.
L. C. McNemar, attorney for the
fire department, declared that a
thorough search of the vicinity was
made for a more suitable location be
fore the present one was chosen. The
department has twice stopped work on
the building, he said, to give oppo-
nents an opportunity to find more
suitable place. Since none could be
found work has been resumed. The
department was notified by the special
committee of members of the church
position, he said.
The board made another decided eff
fort to persuade the fire department to
Join hands with the county in the cree
ton of a building. the department to
furnish $4,000 and the board a like
amount. Offieers of the department
again refused to pool their resources
with the county because the latter
would take title to the building. They
also refused to-, consider. the apparent
effort of the board to persuade them
that they had not received. just
share of the money derived from the
sale of the old community house by
the Clarendon Citizens Association.
The fire department has already
spent $500 of the. $4,000 allowed them
on construction of the building in ques-
ton, but will discontinue. operations to-
day, it was said, since there could be
no other use for the structure but to
house the engine.