Evening star., 1932-02-23
HIGHWAY CLOSING
BILL IS FAVORED
J. c. Nichols Holds Yearly
Maintenance Saving of
100000 Would Result.

Purely as "a sound, practical, busi-
neSs-like matter, which should appeal
to every one" and ito preserve the pic
turesque beauty of the National Capt.
tai" the pending street closing bill Is
being urged by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission. 1t
will result in saving of at least S3,-
OOO, 900 and some 100000 year In
maintenance costs.
This is emphasized in letter from
J C. Nichols of Kansas City, member
of the Park and Planning Commission,
to Mrs. Mary T. Norton, chairman OF
the House Committee on District of
Columbia Legislation, who had recently
asked him to give her some reasons
WHY this legislation should be passed.
I'VE have been greatly handicapped
in planning efficient layout OF streets
within the District" Mr.. Nichols eX-
plains, ION account of the checkerboard
nlan of streets which has been I'M
pinged upon its beautiful topography
AS matter of fact there are few
American cities" he insists, where
there is greater need for the laying out
of curved streets adapted to its par
ticular topography.
Would Preserve Beauty.
"It is cnly in this way we can pre-
serye the picturesque beauty OF the
District, save a greater percentage OF
the forest trees and at the same time
effect a very large saving IN the un-
necessarily heavy expense OF grazing
streets according to the checkerboaro
plan and thereby forcing immense grad
ing costs on the adjoining properly.
Mr.. Nichols points out that there are
some $500 acres CT land, as yet unde-
fla niStTiHt where
essential that We abandon much OF the
gridiron plan and use more emclent
street layout. There are many IN
stances where streets have never been
developed, although they have been
dedicated and where the owners them
selves would be very glad to have the
street closed in order to develop mere
efficient street plan. AS it Is now, TINS
can only be done by special act OF
Congress, and a subdivlder Is usually
not willing to wait many months until
Congress meets in order to find out If
he can use this mere efficient plan, and
in order not to suffer delay he will pro-
ceed according to the present gridlron
plan.
Could Save S3,OO90OO.
eve believe" said Mr.. Nichols, that
on the remaining $500 acres we could
the passage of this bill and saving OF
something over 100000 per year In
maintenance.
THE advent of the automobile" he
ennphasized has made it unnecessary
to have such short blocks as were Tor
merly planned, and by adopting more
efficient street plan by the use OF longer
blocks we will be able to eliminate
great mileage of unnecessary sloe
streets This does not mean that there
would be any important major street
Eliminated. and, in fact, it would en-
able us to plan q greater number OF
major streets to take care OF through
trafic.
"All modern city planners" Mr.. Nlcn-
OILS points out, realize that a standard
lied street plan, with practically ALI
streets the same width and the same
length, is unsatisfactory to meet
modern-day needs and are advocating
greater variation in street widths ana
block lengths so as to give greater
street capacity where needed and less
street capacity in purely residential
areas. particularly single residence Sec
tionS.
THE street closing bill, as proposed"
he saws gives every property owner
full right for hearing and the collec-
ton of damages, if any. The Real
Estate Board of Washington already has
indorsed it and many OF the SUBDIVISIONS
are already coming to our commission
for advice and suggestions as to the best
street plan and its best adaptation to the
general street plan OF the District. Yet
when we tell them that no change can
be made until Congress meets they are
frequently unwilling to undergo the en-
gineering expense to make up studies
for the new street plan, due to uncer-
tainty OF the action of Congress and the
delay involved. ]
This bill is safeguarded by the fact
that the closing of any street must be
approved by the District Commission
ers and also the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, the latter
commission being neutral body,
charged with the responsibility for look
ing to the welfare of the District as a
whole and from the national stand
point, and, of course, the District Com
missioners will always have regard for
the needs of the District.
1T is my judgment, due to my ex-
perience in having built more than 125
miles of streets in the Country Club
District (Kansas City, where the streets
are laid out to ft the contour of the
land, that this is more important than
any other legislation which has been
proposed for the development OF the
District so far as the efficient develop
ment of the Capital is concerned. 1t
has always particularly appealed to me
because its purpose is both economy
and greater beauty. have always felt
1t was one means by which We could
save the taxpayers an immense amount
of money to compensate them some
what for the cost of our park, play