Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-15
Institution Would House Mod
els and Photographs Show
ing D. C. Development.
MEANS OF FINANCING
PROJECT ARE DISCUSSED
Commission Favors Taking Land
From Both Sides of Piney Branch
Road in Widening.

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission turned its atten-
ton today to potential sites for the
proposed Washington Museum that
would house objects of peculiar in
terest to the National Capital, and de-
bated ways and means of financing the
project.
Shortly after the opening of its
three-day January meeting the COM
mission heard an explanation of the
museum by Mrs. Merritt o. Chance,
former president of the Women's City
Club. She pointed out that it is high
ly desirable to preserve photographs
and models of various locations in
Washington, which already have been
torn down or are about to be oblit-
Grated, with Uncle Sam redrawing the
map of downtown Washington.
Women's Aid Appreciated.
The commission passed a resolution
thanking the Women's City Club for
assisting it in its planning work for
the District.
The commission urged immediate
passage of the proposed legislation to
widen Piney Branch road to 80 feet
from Butternut street to the underpass
beneath the Baltimore 81 Ohio Rail-
road tracks, near the District line. The
commission went on record as favoring
the widening by taking property from
both sides of the thoroughfaTe, instead
Of from only one side, as projected under
the highway plan. Unanimous opinion
was secured upon this point. Should
the bill fail Of passage at the current
session of Congress, the commission eX-
pressed the desire that the District
Commissioners acquire whatever land
may be necessary for the improvement
of Finey Branch road, without delay,
using their own judgment as to how
best to proceed This improvement is
deemed necessary in order to eliminate
he traffic hazards at the Chestnut grade
crossing, which has long been source
of contention in municipal discussion.
Alley Home Bill Favored.
The bill designed to eliminate WASH
ington's alley dwellings over a period
of 10 years, received the sanction of
the commission. The commission like
wise favored the general street closing
bill, which would clothe the District
Commissioners with authority to blot
out streets that are deemed unneces-
sary. The stamp of the commissions
approval also was given to the new
traffic bill. which is based largely on
the findings of its own traffic expert
DR.. Miller McClintock, director of the
at Harvard University.
The commission went on record as
favoring the acquisition of the Heurich-
Smith tract at Columbia road and Nine
tenth street for park purposes, but in
sisted that the purchase money should
not come from the fund given the COM
mission for acquiring park and play
ground sites in the District.
Plans for the Municipal Center, as
recently brought up to date, were ap-
proved by the commission, but A. L.
Harris, municipal architect, was asked
to make additional studies Of the exact
location of the building on the two
street cars through c street. Tomorrow
the commission proposes to go over the
route of the Fort drive, which would
link up a group of Civil War forts, en-
circling Washington