Evening star., 1934-01-19
FSTREET WIDENING
PLANS REFERRED
BACK FOR.STUDY
Federal Planners and Treas.
ury Architect Act After
Conference.
SITE FOR CHAIN BRIDGE
MEETS WITH APPROVAL
Arts Body Also Puts o. K. on
Beltsville Farm and Pam
American Building.

Original plans for widening F street
between Seventh and Ninth to expedite
traffic were referred back for further
study today by three groups of leading
Federal city planners and architects.
The National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, Of which Frederic A.
Delano is chairman, and the Fine Arts
Commission, with Charles Moore its
chairman, considered the situation In
the immediate vicinity of the old Pat
ent Office at joint session with Louis
A. Simond and others of the Treasury
Board of Architectural Consultants.
Other matters involving the Federal
Building program and the develop
ments in and outside the city limits
were considered at the session.
It was the general feeling Of the
three groups, according to Thomas S.
Settle, secretary Of the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission. that
traffic conditions necessitated q wider
F. street than originally proposed. It
had been planned to cut 31a feet from
the street line on the north side Of F
street. This would not give Sufflcient
width to make the street a two-way
traffic thoroughfare with the present
street car line running through II.
Suggestions were made that more space
could be utilized along the front Of the
Patent Office.
Urge More Extensive Study.
In view of the importance of F street
as a traffic thoroughfare, it was decided
to take no action on the matter at this
time and to give the question a more
extensive study.
The joint session approved, with
notifications, plans for the proposed
addition to the Federal warehouse at
Virginia and Maryland avenues SOUTH
west. These notifications were sug-
gested so as to make the building con-
form to the street line. The original
plans called for a building with straight
sides. but under the notifications sug-
gested the sides Of the building facing
the two avenues would be made al
an agile.
1t also was proposed to make the
height of the building conform to the
coming regulations.
Plans for enlargement and remodel
ing of the General Accounting ONCE
near the Pension office. were referred
for further study.
Bridge Site Approved.
The proposed location Of the high.
level bridge, a quarter OF a milo Above
the present Chain Bridge over Little
Falls, was approved by the three groups
This bridge is to replace Chain Bridge
and is designed to lead into the pro-
posed Marva Highway in Virginia when
that is built.
The new bridge connecting with the
proposed Marva Highway, 1t was said
would route great deal OF trafhc
around Washington which now goe:
through the city. 1t was estimated
$500 automobiles cross the Chain
Bridge every day. Oflcials believe ap-
proximately $500 cars daily would use
the new route.
BeltsviIle Plan Approved.
Among various projects taken ur
by the commission yesterday were
plans for development of the Ag-
riculture Department experimental farm
at Beltsville Md, and the proposed new
administration building Of the Pan
American Union.
Plans prepared for the work on the
experimental farm by A. D. Taylor
landscape architect, and Delos II. smith
consulting architect, were generally ap,,
proved. The commission also approved
the design for a new laboratory building
on the site, designed by Mr.. Smith;
This building will establish the type Of
all other buildings to be built in con-
nection with the experimental farm
They are to be brick buildings designed
in the Georgian style OF architecture
thus conforming to the architecture OF
many fine civic buildings in Washington
and mansions built along the Atlantic
Coast in Colonial times.
The commission was in conference
with DR.. Paul Cut, architect of the pro-
posed administration building Of the
Pan-American Union, as to the loca-
tion of this monumental structure. II
is proposed to erect it on the triangle
designated for it by authority Of Con-
gress at Nineteenth street and Constitu-
tion avenue. This new addition to the
Pan-American group Is designated as
one of the white marble buildings along
Constitution avenue west of Seventeenth
street that forms frame for the Lin
coin Memorial.