Evening star., 1930-06-08
DISTRICT AIRPORT
BILL IS ENDORSED
BYCOMM|SS|ONERS
Belief Expressed GraVelIy
Point Better Site, However,
Than One Near Bridge.
OPPOSITION AVOIDED
WITH COMMITTEE
Report on Bingham Measure Made
to Chairman Elliott of
House.

nSh munlcipal airport on Lne virginia
side of Highway Bridge, but at the
same time expressed the belief that
Gravelly Point would provide superior
and more adequate size.
The views of the Commissioners were
made known in a comprehensive report
on the Bingham bill, submitted to Rep
resentative Elliott, chairman of the
House committee on public buildings
and grounds. The report covered four
closely typewriter pages and discussed
in detail the advantages of both the
Highway Bridge and Gravelly Point
sites
The Bingham bill provides for ac-
QUESTION by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission OF the lands
embracing the Washington Airport,
Hoover Field and other adjacent prop
critics, including a portion Of the Ar
lington experimental farm of The De-
partment of Agriculture and a portion
Of Columbia Island for the development
of a commercial airport to be under the
jurisdiction and control of the Commis-
sioners. 1t authorizes the District to
borrow $2,500,000 from the Federal
Treasury for establishment OF the air.
port with a requirement that 1t be re-
palQ WlIIlOub ulJSL6oO III AZ O4uoA 0AA-
nual installrnents.
Opposition Avoided.
In recommending favorable action on
the bill, the Commissioners indicated
that they did so primarily to avoid OPP
position to the proposals Of the con-
greSSional joint committee.
The Commissioners said If it can be
assumed with assurance that the High
way Bridge site, If developed as con-
templated by the Bingham bill. Will
meet the airport needs of the District
for a long time to come, the advantages
of the Highway Bridge site may be Suf-
ficient to justify its selection in lieu OF
Gravelly Point. However, the Commits
Sioners declared, If the selection OF the
Highway Bridge site means simply the
construction, at a cost of $2,500,0 900 to
the District, of a field for immediate
use, with the prospect of ultimately be-
ing required to develop the Gravelly
Point Site, then "a serious doubt Is
raised.''
"The private lands to be acquired
under the bill comprise about 1877
acres" the report declared. 1T is un-
derstood that these lands have been
offered to sale to the United States at
cost to the present owners, plus cost
of improvements, plus carrying charges,
plus 10 per cent. On this basis, 1t is
estimated that the privately owned
property can be purchased for approxi-
mately $l,500,O00.
143 Acres to Be Given.
'-The property to be donated by the
United States comprises approximately
143 acres, a part of which is now under
water, a part is in use by the Depart
ment of Agriculture as portion Of the
farm, a part Is occupied
by the right of way of Military road,
and a part is included in Columbia
Island which it is proposed to develop
as a park in connection with the ap-
proachfS to the Arlington Bridge.
Assuming that this land, without
improvements, has approximately the
same value per acre as the privately
owned property, the contribution by
the United States in land Is roughly
estimated at somewhere in the neigh
borhood of $3.50 900 to 81 900 900. In
addition, the bill provides for loan
by the United States TO the District OF
Columbia of the moneys necessary Tor
the purchase of the privately owned
land and the development OF the air.
port, to be repaid in 10 annual in
Stallments. This provision amounts to
a further contribution by the United
State of from $3.50, 900 to 100000, de-
pendent upon the rate Of expenditure
and the rate of interest assumed. To
this contribution should be added the
cost to the United States of relocating
Military road and the cost of abandon
ing the experimental farm activities at
present in operation on this land and
re-establishing them elsewhere. On this
basis the contribution to the project
by the United States is estimated at be-
tween 80 and 3712 per cent OF the total
cost Of the entire project"
Site Admirably Located.
The Highway Bridge site, the Com
misiSoners pointed out, is admirably To-
Gated, being close to Washington, and
will fit well with the plans for the
future development of the city and its
environs, but it will not permit of any
future expansion. The field, however,
they said, will no doubt be of sufficient
size to meet present needs, but should
air traffic develop as predicted, it may
be overtaxed unless some new type OF
aircraft requiring lesser length of run
way than the present type is developed
The most suitable site for such en-
larged facilities, the Commissioners
said, appears to be at Gravelly Point,
recommended by the former board of
Commissioners, the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission and in
dorsed by numerous civic organizations.
THE advantages presented by the
Highway Bridge site over the Gravelly
Point site" the Commissioners de-
clared, ARE its shorter distance from
the city and the fact that on part of
the area two small fields, with some i'm
provementS thereon, are actually in use,
which makes it possible to start the
operation of a municipal field in a small
way Immediately upon the purchase of
the existing fields and to expand its
operation as the field is further de-
veloped.
Advantages Considered.
"These advantages are real, but their
importance should not be overestimated.
The greater distance to Gravelly Point
Is small matter, not seriously affecting
the use of the field, and the advantages
of a field in being are equally available
to air trafilc with the field in private
ownership, or II municipal operation
and control are deemed essential, might
be secured by leasing the field for a
term of three to five years pending
the construction of a permanent field
at Gravelly Point.
ITO Offset these advantages there are
the disadvantages Of inability to ex-
pand the Highway Bridge site, inter-
ference with existing public develop
merts, lack of facilities for Seaplanes
and the existence of certain hazards
surrounding the field in the form Of
bridges, railway embankments and in
dustrtal enterprises. The latter dis
l.