Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11
WATER FRONT PLAN
RESTS IN ARCHIVES
Development Project Costing
$685., 900, Held Up in
House Committee.

The report ON the proposed improve
n1ent of the washington Channel
water front has now been pigeonholed
fer more than a year in the archives
of the House Rivers and Harbors Com
mittee and there it is likely to remain,
unless some action is taken to trans
late the 1851 900 program into reality.
An inspection of the Washington
Channel water front convinces an OBJ
server that much remains to be done
there. A couple of the piers have been
Condemned and wide variety Of rot
ting wharves greetS the eye.
1t Is now nearly six years since Con-
greSs, by the rivers and harborS act Of
March 3, 1925, directed the preparation
of plans and estimate of cost for the
Identification and terminal develop
ment of the water front on the north
side of Washington Channel. Follow
ing extensive investigation by the
United States Engineer once, under
the direction of Mai. Brehon Somervell,
former district engineer for the War
Department for the Washington area,
and by Mai. Gen. Lyle Brown, chief
of Army Engineers, the report was
transmitted on November 26, 1929, by
the Secretary of War to Speaker Long,
worth. Thence it was sent to the
Rivers and Harbors Committee.
Development Of Piers.
Pier and slip development without
railroad connections is provided for
under the development plan, which has
received the general approval of the
Commissioners of the District and
Lieut.. Col u. S. Grant, Sd, director
Of public buildings and public parks.
The plan contains a recommended
division Of the cost between the United
States and the District of Columbia.
1t is proposed to replace all existing
structures on the water front, with the
exception Of the Municipal Fish Wharf
with modern buildings. Head houses
and transit sheds are to be of brick and
tile with slate roofs and of modified
Colonial architecture. A total of six
wharveS is projected for immediate con-
struction and q portion Of the frontage
available Is to be reserved for future
additions. Yacht basins and small boat
anchorage are included in the plan.
The Army officials who drew up the
plan felt that Washington is not pri-
marily an industrial city. nor will it
ever be, so that railroad connections
with the piers and slips were omitted.
Such industrial developments as might
require ship-to-rail transfers can be &C
commodated in other locations, they
Buzzards Point is being pushed as
maritime commercial development.
Water Street Widening.
Under the improvement program,
Water street is to be made 160-foot
boulevard with separate lanes for
boulevard trafic, street cars and trucks
and marginal and central landscaping
The present four-line street car lanes
on portion of the street are to be re-
duced to two. To permit of direct con-
nectton between East Potomac Park and
crossing the Highway Bridge trafic and
proposed Just below the railroad cross
ing at the head of Washington Chan
mel. In the opinion of sponsors of the
plan, this will avoid the necessity of
crossing the highway bridge trafflc and
will eliminate much of the trafic con-
gestion now existing in that locality,
particularly during the cherry blossom
season and on Sundays
Mai. Somervell summarized his con-
illusions and recommendations on the
water front improvement in part, as
follows:
That the cost Of the entire project,
estimated at So, 691 $780, be divided be-
tween the Federal Government and the
District of Columbia, $685., 28O for the
AO1lACA dliO 0AtZ0S,ozV AOE tic ldICct.
That rentals from water front prop
erty be paid into a special fund to pro-
vide for its maintenance, the surplus
being covered into the Treasury and
used TO reimburse cost of construction.
That the various holdings of the
Treasury Department, District Of Co
lumbia, and the Chief of Engineers
along the channel be consolidated under
the Secretary of War and the improve
ment Entrusted to him, provided, how
street itself be under the Jurisdiction of
the Commissioners Of the District Of
Columbia