Evening star., 1929-10-06
COL. GRANT HOPES
TO OSETTLE CLASH
OVER PLANT SITE.
Park Commission Officer TO
Discuss Matter With
Oil Company.
ARLINGTON ZONING
GROUP DENIES PERMIT
Board Of Supervisors Then Grants
Right to Build Storage and
Distribution Terminal.


the permit was approved by the county
governing body hurled political threats
at the two members voting in favor of
the permits
Seen as Great Menace.
In the opinion of the planning COM
mission. and also of a great number of
the citizens and business interests Of the
county. the proposed plant. II located at
the point in question. will present a
greater menace TO the development of
the county than did the proposal by a
Washington concern some time ago to
erect an abbattoir on Columbia pike
near Relee Station. This plant would
have been near the proposed park de-
velopment, while the oil company would
be in the middle Of it.
The request for an application for the
plant was made several weeks ago to
the zoning Commission by C.. H.
Greathouse, owner of the property.
company proposed to purchase the
property If they could obtain a permit
for the erection of the plant, which
would cost 100000.
/ Believing that the oil company should
either make application themselves or
through their attorney, the zoning COM
mission refused to consider the appli-
cation and it was presented at the next
meeting by Jesse. Mccarthy. Phillips
attorneys.
Mackey's Hill Fights Move.
Upon learning of the filing of the
application, Crandal Mackey and DR..
j. N. Roberts. residents of Mackey's
Hill. which adjoins the property. started
fight against the plant. claiming that
1t would be Uusightly, that 1t would ruin
the value OF their property and that 1t
would be fire hazard. Eventually the
residents combined to fight it and en-
ployed Mackey as counsel
They were backed in their stand by
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, the Organized Women
Voters of Arlington County and num-
ber of other organizations These COM
bined forces appeared at the public
hearing before the Zoning Commission
and presented their protests, the COM
mission voting to at a subse-
quent executive session to recommend
the denial Of the permit.
The Zoning Commission. however,
does not have the final authority and
the matter was brought before the
board Of county supervisors at their
meeting last Monday and that body.
after storm Of protest, voted to grant
the permit. It was at this meeting that
the political careers of both Supervisors
Edward Duncan and B. M. Hedrick
were threatened by Mackey and many
OF the women present.
Mackey has stated since that he in
tends seeking an injunction against
the company, claiming it to be a
nuisance, and that If he fails In this.
he will file separate damage suits for
each and every person whose property
Is damaged. as he claims, by the pres
ence Of the plant at that place.
Say County Needs Taxes.
The stand taken by the two members
Of the Zoning Commission and the two
members of the board of supervisors
who voted to permit the erection of
the plant is that the ground in question
is strictly industrial and that the
county Is badly in need of the taxes
that would result from the establish
ment of the plant in the county.
The park development plans of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission are purely speculative.
they claim, and the owners Of property
along the river front should not be
made to pay taxes on their property
for an indefinite time in order to pre-
serve 1t for the future use Of the Fed
eral body.
Col. Grant said yesterday that he
believes that no criticism should be lev
eled at the oil company, as its officials
are willing to confer and modify their
plans to fit in with the Governments
parkway program along the Virginia
bank Of the Potomac River, If possible
The suggestion has been advanced that
the company might be able to conceal
its tanks in the wooded area in the
vicinity OF RoSSlyn, so as not to mar
the scenic beauty of the place.
a legal point likely to be keenly
contested II the Park Commission and
the oil company were to come to grips
on the program is the contention of the
to claim title to the Virginia shore
line up to the old 1871 high-water
mark. The Federal Government Is
represented as contending wharfs and
docks can not be constructed there
without permit from the War De-
partment. The Government contention
is that 1t may be able to show riparian
rights there so as to block any expan-
sion that might interfere with plans
which Congress might sanction.
Commission Studies Proposal.
The National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission has had under con-
sideration for some time the proposal
to link up the boulevard to Mount Ver-
non, soon to be constructed, with q
riverside boulevard along the bank of
the Potomac River, in the Old Do
minion, up to Chain Bridge. Ulti-
mately. 1t Is proposed to extend this
drive into Great Falls. A similar pro-
gram Is now under way to construct
a riverside driveway up the Maryland
side Of the river to Great Falls. AS
the Virginia side of the river presents
the first phase of this development will
be carried only up to Chain Bridge |
AS construction of boulevard on the
Virginia side above Chain Bridge is
considered very expensive, Col. Grant
explained that its development is not
practical In the immediate future.
Col Grant Said that hA ra0reffAd VERY