Evening star., 1935-03-17
NORTHWEST SITE
FOR RECREATION
CENTER IS URGED
Representative Dies Heads
Committee Pushing New
Project.

institution moves to Glenn Dale. Md,
in 1896, comes this weeks announce
ment of the formation of special
committee to secure recreation
center in another Section-around
Powell Junior High School,
The committee is under chairman
ship of Representative Martin Dies,
Democrat, of Texas. who lives at 1925
Hobart street and whose 13-year-old
son, Martin Dies, jr., attends the
Powell School. Other members Of
the committee represent all civic, re-
ligious, patriotic and school associa-
tions of the area which are being
asked to indorse the project and
actively urge its completion.
Last week this committee began
operating and so far two groups have
indorsed the petition. To all groups
within the area affected by the plans
copies of the petition have been sent.
For the next three weeks action will
be taken on the proposal by these
groups, although nearly all have at
one time or another approved similar
plans.
Boundaries of Area.
The area covered in the measure
includes that bounded on the north
by Spring road. on the south by
Florida avenue, on the east by Elev-
enth street and on the west by Piney
Branch Parkway, Geological and Rock
Creek Parks; the number of residents
therein is held to be about 10000,
including 5000 white children at
tending public schools. This latter
ngure is augmented by those children
both above and below school ages.
The area contains approximately
Sl2 square miles and is said to be
one of the most densely populated
in the city, there being numerous row
houses, apartments and an extensive
business district, with the result that
juvenile delinquency is much larger
than when compared With other
sections, the report states.
Raymond j. Bowen, president,
Mount Pleasant Citizens Association,
reported at the last meeting that the
only available playground spaces
within this area are those connected
with public schools which are ex-
tremely limited in size and number.
The largest playground within the
area is the Central High School Sta
dium which, Bowen declared, is in
the extreme southeast corner Of the
area and is not suitable for a general
playground or recreational center.
One other small space, known as
Mitchell Park, is in the extreme
southwest corner and is even less suit
able than the eastern site, he said.
The only remaining area. the re-
port states, Is adjacent to the Powell
School and consists Of four parcels
of land broken up by existing build
ings.
Powell Location Preferred.
The committee believes the proper
central location for the project is at
the Powell School and the land new
available should be utilized in addl-
ton to the purchase of other land and
the closing Of portions OF certain
streets.
The four parcels now owned by the
District, but broken up by privately
owned property, total $4,000 square
feet.
That property desired to be acquired
includes that facing on Hiatt place
running south from the Powell School
to Irving street and on the west side
of Hiatt place north from Lamont
street to the rear of the existing apart
ment houses, together with the land
on both sides of Lamont street west
from Hiatt place to Sixteenth street,
and a small piece of property, now
interfering with the present play
ground, located west of the Powell
Annex.
The property to be bought totals
l15,255 square feet and has, the re-
port states, the value taken from tax
records, of s297,o15.
An additional $4,000 square feet will
be made available by the abandon
ment of Hiatt place and Lamont street
facing the property either already
owned or to be acquired, and will be
closed to traffic.
The total area for the proposed cen
ter, including the land now owned,
the land to be acquired, and that
gained by the closing of streets, totals
216,O55 square feet which Is only
modestly comparable with the stand
ard accepted for recreation centers."
Cost and Service Shown.
Using 5000 as the number of chill
dren to be served by the project 1t Is
shown that there would be only 49,
square feet for each child where there
should be 100 square feet. There
would be only 3.6 square feet for each
Of the $4,000 residents the center Is
intended to serve.
The cost per square foot of the
property to be acquired IS shown to be
s2.57: the average cost of property to
be acquired and that gained through
the closing of streets is $2.36; and the
average cost per square foot Of the
total area when completed Is only
$l.37, it is shown.
H. c. Phillips, president, Citizens
Forum Of Columbia Heights, and sec
retary Of the Columbia Heights Busi-
ness Mems Association, said the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the citizens
group approved the petition at meet
ing Monday night and will recommend
similar action when the group meets
Tuesday. The Columbia Heights
Business Mems Association, he said,
approved the measure Tuesday night
at its meeting.
In addition, the Mount Pleasant
Citizens Association Endorsed the petit
tion on its twenty-f1fth anniversary
ut q meeting or March 9.
Endorsed BY Many.
Mrs. Margaret H. worrell. presi-
dent of the Columbia Heights Citi-
yens' Association, and another signer
to the petition said her association
has for many years sought recrea-
tional project similar to that now
urged. Formal action will be taken,
she said, when the association meets
In April
other civic leaders who have in
dorsed the proposal and the groups
they represent are: S. Jay McCath-
ran, IT., chairman, Legislative Com
mittee of the Powell Parent Teacher
Association and the Citizens Forum
of Columbia Heights; Mrs. Horace L.
Richardson Of the Powell Parent
Tea cher rroun. Mrs. Joseph F, RAN