Evening star., 1934-01-21
PARK BODY FAV0RS
DISTRICT AIRPORT
AT GRAVELLY POINT
Planning Commission In
dorses Position Taken by
Its Officers.
KING SAID TO AGREE
ON PROPOSED SITE
Group Declares for Closing Military
Road if Another Route Is
Provided.

Development of Gravelly Point as the
best available site for a model municipal
airport was favored yesterday by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission in voting to sustain the
position taken by its executive officers
at a recent congressional hearing.
Senator William H. King of Utah,
chairman of the Senate District Com
mittee. who attended the session, was
said to have expressed himself as fully
in accord with the attitude of the COM
mission that Gravelly Point, just south
east of the Virginia terminus of the
Highway Bridge, was more preferable
site than any other now being studied
by officials and various groups
At the same time the Park and Plan
ming Commission expressed its Wiling
ness to do what it can to help the sit
uation created by the menace of the
Military road. which bisects the Wash
ington Airport. Closing of this road to
public use was favored by the commits
sion it was announced provided an
other suitable road could be provided
in the vicinity to take care of traffic in
and out of Washington.
Costs Not Studied,
The commission did not go into the
question of costs in connection with the
development of Gravelly Point, which
previously has been estimated at ST.
100000. The planning body has made a
close study of the airport situation dur
ing the past six years, as Frederic A.
Delano, its chairman, recently informed
the House Military Affairs Committee.
For that reason it was not necessary
yesterday to go into details.
Until the Gravelly Point or some
other site is developed for the proposed
municipal airport. the commission yes
terday indicated it would be glad to CO.
operate in necessary development of
the Washington Airport For this rea-
son it would interpose no objections to
the closing of Military road and, in
fact, indicated its approval of such
plan, which has many advocates in
Washington.
mission approved several pending legis-
latiVe matters and also heard report
from John Nolen, jr., director Of plan
ming. on the progress of work involving
some eight civil works projects in the
District. His report was accepted. 1t
is hoped soon to put some OF the II
technicians engaged through civil works
funds at work on transportation sur
vey and a sociological survey of hous-
ing conditions in the Southwest area.
Southwest Survey Proposed
Mr. Nolen said it was proposed to
make the Southwest survey in connec-
ton with the real property inventory
undertaken for the District rent inves-
tigation. If residents of this area in
the Southwest are to be moved from
alley and slum quarters into better
homes it was pointed out it was neces-
sary to make a close study of all the
families involved. Income, the number
Of wage earners per family and other
questions will be involved in the pro-
posed survey, all tending to establish
the capacity of the families to utilize
better homes.
c. w A. workers also are engaged in
completing a set of alley maps in
Washington undertaken several wears
ago. This would give a complete rec
ord OF every alley dwelling and the To-
cation of alley squares. 1t would estab-
hsh the means, also, of ascertaining
alley houses which should be con-
demned as uninhabitable.
The commission indorsed the Dis
trlct of Columbia-V Virginia boundary
bill introduced by Representative Smith
OF Virginia to re-eStablish the boundary
so as to enable certain property owners
to force claims against the District gov
eminent in connection with the devel-
opment of the George Washington Me-
mortal Boulevard. A hearing on the
proposed boundary legislation will be
held Thursday morning before the
House Judiciary Committee
King Norton Bill Approved.
Approval also was given the King
Norton bill providing for the transfer
OF small strip of land from Govern
ment to private ownership at Huide-
koper place running into White Haven
Park, In return for this strip the
Government would receive from private
owners a piece of land on which are a
number Of fine trees which the city
planners are anxious to have preserved.
Passage of the bill will make possible
the development of the site as recrea-
ton center leading up to private rid
ing stable.
Plans were submitted for Unit No.
in the development of Rock Creek Park.
This area involves land newly acquired
starting from the District line and run
ming up the Bethesda Silver Spring
road. The area will be developed with
planting and horseback trails
Extension of Prospect place through
Wisconsin avenue to Thirtieth street,
as recommended by the District Com
missioners, was approved so as to
facilitate traffic. The Commission,
however, was not ready at this time to
indorse plans for extension of the
thoroughfare to Thirty street,
beyond Georgetown University and out
In the direction of Conduit road
Mr. Nolen was appointed technical
representative of the Commission to CO.
operate with the Public Utilities Com
mission and take a proper part in any
transportation survey which may be di-
rected This is a question which may
be decided soon. Civil works tech
nicians now employed on various local
icbs would be transferred to undertake
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