Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-12
An Unwanted Playground.

Fairgrounds are so generally con-
ceived as desirable and much sought
after additions to school property any,
where that the protest Of Cleveland
Park residents against the municipal
ity's purchase of land near the John
Eaton School, to be developed as play
ground, is unusual and the strong Ian
guage of the protestants is extraordi-
nary. The purchase of the site is con-
demned as a waste of public funds The
site itself is pictured as an additional
traffic hazard to endanger the lives of
children, and no less an authority than
Mrs. Susie Root Rhodes is quoted to the
effect that the land involved is I'M
suited for development as a playground
ana that she would have opposed its &C
reptance for that purpose even as gift
In addition, the point is made that
there is no need for the playground
In this section; that past experience has
demonstrated the lack of demand for
playground and that the money spent
in Cleveland Park could have been bet
ter spent in some other section of the
city that needs a playground.
Commissioner Dougherty's informal
comment on the protest is that nearly
every time the District buys property
anywhere somebody objects and that
the land in Cleveland Park is needed
as playground and can be developed
attractively. in time, for that purpose.
1t is not always possible to distin-
guish between the selfish protests Of
those who believe their own property is
to be damaged by municipal institutions
and those who protest disinterestedly
as members of the community. But the
John Eaton School case is interesting
in that it affords another example of
how the interests of the municipality
and those of the community sometimes
clash, with the municipality occupying
the role of an unwelcome trespasser.
The city's attempt to erect fire engine
house on Sixteenth street was another
such example in which the municipal
ity moved secretly against the desires
of the community, and when its plans
were brought into the open had to de-
fend its action.
The logical explanation of this diff
Guilty is the secrecy with which the
District must surround its negotiations
for purchase of property. Once it be-
comes known that the District is seeking
to acquire sites the price rises and
n
ton. In a way this denies both the
municipality and the community al
fccted the privilege of frankly discuss
ing plans in advance before they are
carried through. It places upon the
District an additional burden of respon-
sibility, for while buying land at the
lowest price possible, it must seek to
make the purchase conform to the SEN
tirnent and desires of the community.
The Board of Education has already
heard the Cleveland Park protestants
and Decided against them in favor of
the Commissioners. The Commission
ers, having bought the land and sealed
the purchase, are not inclined to reopen
the case. The only appeal left to the
citizens is to the courts. The ultimate
decision may be of minor Importance
to the city, but the case emphasizes the
value of close liaison between the
various communities of Washington and
the District Building, the Importance
of alert citizens associations which
make their wants and their needs known
in such fashion that the municipal au-
thorities know, when they move, that
they are moving with and not against
public sentiment.