Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-12
ARLINGTON ASKS
FREE WATER FRONT
Citizens at Public Hearing
Plead for Natural
Beauties.

Special Dispatch TO The star.
CLARENDON, Va, December "a
Plea Of cs+izens for preservation in
thetF natural beauty of the Virginia
palisades of the Potomac and reten-
ton Of Arlington Countys small water
front for anything other than indus
trial development marked public
hearing held last night by committee
of the Arlington County Civic Fedora
ton named at the last meeting OF that
body to study and answer five questions
propounded by Col. u. S. Grant, Sd, eX-
ecutiVe officer of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, rela-
tive to the industrial water front needs
OF the county.
Conclusions withheld.
Following a general discussion of the
questions. which included report of
committee of the Organized Women
Voters of Arlington County, the COM
rlittee went into executive session, the
chairman, Harry A. Fellows, announc-
inc that its conclusions would not be
made public until the letter to be sent
to Col Grant is in the mails.
1t was the consensus of the meeting
that industrial development, unless seq
regated and properly located. is UNI
wanted in Arlington County. This fact
was clearly indicated in discussion of
the efforts of the Sun Oil Co. to es-
tablish a storage plant within eyesight
of the Key Bridge, the proposed loca-
ton of which was bitterly scored.
ellison Gardner, in opening the dis
Cussion, declared that the establishment
Of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, the
plans of the Federal Government for
park and boulevard development and
the proximity of thea projects to the
National Capital gjVb the county a
strictly residential character into which
there should be no 184ustrial intrusion.
Chairman Fellows and l.. c. Nc
Nemar. a member 81 the committee.
after study of = nap showing the
countys shore line, estimated that
water front available for development is
less than 5000 feet. They asserted that
Columbia and AnaloStan Islands. that
stretch from the Highway Bridge to
Four-nile Run, and the palisades 'front.'
age must be eliminated from consider
alton as being available for county
development-the islands because they
belong to the District of Columbia and
the Washington Gas Light Co., re-
spectively; the stretch cast of the bridge,
because it is to be used for the Mount
Vernon boulevard and because a part
between Gravelly and Hunter Points is
proposed for national airport; and the
palisades because they are too steep.
All frontage that is available to the
county for development, the speakers
pointed out, lies between the Key Bridge
and the palisades, distance of approx
mately 1000 feet, and between the bridge
and Columbia Island.
Would Be Calamity.
''It would be a nothing short Of a
calamity to allow any sort of industrial
development on our shore west of the
new Memorial Bridge" Robert E. Ply
male declared. IF we invite industries
to locate on our little available water
front we will have little to gain and
much to lose. Any such development
will mar the beauty of the approach to
Virginia and impede traffic over the
new bridge as result of the continual
opening of the bridge draw to allow
the passing of large vessels. The reve-
nue. to be derived from any such devel-
opmcnt would not pay for the wear and
tear on our roads by holders of the
land"
Speaking for organized women vot-
ers of Arlington County, Mrs. Julian
Simpson, president of the organization,
declared that the six members of the
committee, who are representative of
all the sections of the county, were
unanimously opposed to any heavy in
dustry in Arlington County and only
light industry where ut is most care
fully restricted" The committee feels,
Mrs. Simpson stated, that the county
would gain more by residential than
industrial development.
II we open our water front to in
dustry," Mrs. Simpson continued, "the
committee feels that the county would
have only those industries that would
not be allowed to locate in Washington"
Favored Permit.
c. H. Greenhouse, owner of the prop
erty on which the Sun Oil Co, would
locate its plant, was one of the few to
speak in favor of industrial water front
development. He explained that goods
can be carried cheaper by water trans
portation than by rail and the consumer
benefits by the lower carrying charges
He asserted that no definite assurances
have been given him that the Govern
nent is going to do anything from the
dump at the Old Dominion Railway
terminal up to the point of navigation,
and asked What would you have me do
with the property? Erect shacks to con-
form to the type of buildings in that vi
entity noW?" His questions went I'M
answered, the chairman ruling his re-
marks not pertinent to the subject under
consideration.
The establishment of an OF plant
on the shore line near the bridge APP
proacheS TO the county, P. p. Wood
bridge, secretary of the Arlington
County Chamber of Commerce, de-
clared. would prove more Of detriment
than the establishment of the proposed
sbattoir. Mr.. Woodbridge declared that
industries are desirable providing the
detriments will not be greater than
the benefits afforded
We must keep our approaches clean
and safe" he continued, and this can
not be accomplished If We put an oil
plant at our front door. This talk of
cheaper fuel is stupid. What does it bene-
fit me if save $40 year on my gasoline
bill and loss $50 through property de-
probation. I am for industries If they
30 not affect the economic future OF
Arlington County"
F. E. Mann expressed the view that
TO allow the establishment of heavy
industry right in the heart of the
metropolitan Washington would be an
absurdity long felt by the residents o!
Arlington County. You don't see such
things in other beautiful cities of the
world" he added.