Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-16
FORT DRIVE ROUTE
PROPOSAL STUDIED
. BY CITY PLANNERS
Make Inspection Trip
Through Areas of Prospec-
tive Improvement.
COMMISSION CONTINUES
OFFICE SITES SURVEY
Development Of B Street Under
COnsideration-Traffic Report
Asked of staff Later.

Initiating an entirely new policy,
members Of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission today went
on an outdoor inspection trip to view
areas Of prospective improvement in
the National Capital, instead of hold
ing a round table conference over q
mass of maps and statistics.
The proposed Fort Drive, which will
link up q group of Civil War forts en-
circling the city, was the immediate
objective of the commission. which set
aside the whole day, to view the his
toric forts and the sites Of the pro-
jected modern automobile thorough
fares that will link them up as an in
teresting phase of Washington's park
system development.
DeIano and Grant Lead.
The commission left its headquarters
In the Navy Department Building
shortly after 8 O'Clock this morning.
The party was led by Frederic A.
Delano, chairman of the commission,
and Lieut. Col. u. S. Grant, Sd, vice
chairman and executive officer II. T.
Morsell, land purchasing expert for the
commission, was to point out specific
areas necessary to be purchased. The
Federal Government already has &C.
quired almost halfsof the land necessary
to make the fort drive a reality.
The estimated cost of the fort drive
was placed about three years ago by
Charles W. Eliot, I'd, director of plan
ming Of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, roughly at
about $2,750, 900 for the land"
Making the inspection trip are: VIII
liam A. Delano of New York, Mai. Gen.
Lyle Brown, chief of Army engineers:
Horace M. Albright, director of the
National Park Service, Interior Depart
ment; r. Y. Stuart, chief of the Forest
Service, Department of Agriculture;
Frederick Law Olmsted of Brookline,
Mass, and j. G. Nichols of Kansas
City, Mo, all members Of the commits
sion. Mr.. Eliot and c. L. Wirth, land
scape architect Of the commission, went
along with the members to acouaint
them with details of the entire project.
Study Department Sites.
Considerable time was devoted by
the commission late yesterday to the
proposed locations of the new War and
Navy Departments, but it was decided
to continue study with reference to
where the buildings will ultimately be.
placed. A special committee, consist
ing of Chairman Delano, Maj. John g.
Gotwals, Engineer Commissioner of the
District, and Col Grant, submitted a
report on the subject, but this was
not made public.
The commission also turned its at
tentlon to the improvement of B street.
south, which will ultimately be extend
60, under present plans, to the Potomac
River. The commissions staff was
charged with studying traffic conditions
In that area, particularly in the vicinity
OF the new Department Of Agriculture
group. Two overhead passaReways.
across B street, south, will link up the
two units In the Department Of Agricul-
ture, but Capt e. N Chisolm, jr COM
mission engineer, explained today that
THESE overhead passageways will be well
out OF the way of traffic.
Further discussion resulted on the
propoSed monumental entrances to the
District, as sponsored by the Garden
Cluo OF America, and submitted, on
DenaH OF the organization, to the COM
mission by Mrs. Frank B. Noyes.
The commission now feels that II has
accomplished its task In this matter.
following the special study made by w.
=. Partridge, its consulting architect.
1t Is understood that the Fine Arts
Commission proposed to give further
attention to this problem.
More Details on Circles Asked.
Following study Of the plans show
ing the development of squares cir
cles and plazas in the city, as drawn
up by its staff, the commission request
ed more detailed examination Of this
problem.
The commission approved in princi-
pie the proposed change in Michigan
avenue between First and Harvard
streets. and directed its staff to make
q further study, taking advantage of
the topography of that section. This
change is designed to relieve traffic
conditions there, and to secure a more
direct thoroughfare in that area.