Evening star., 1935-10-19
ACT OF CONGRESS
WILL Be REQUIRED
FOR ART GALLERY
Permission Must Be Oh.
tanned for Mellon CoI|eC-
ton Structure.
NEW SITES PROPOSED
TO PARKS COMMISSION
Henderson Castle and Dean Prop
erty Among Locations Which
Will Be Studied.

A special act of Congress will be
necessary to grant permission for erec-
ton of the art gallery to house the
Andrew w. Mellon collection on Con-
stitution avenue, between Twelfth and
Fourteenth streets, the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission
was advised today by its counsel,
Thomas S. Settle, who also is its sec
retary.
Settle explained that an existing
act Of Congress prohibits erection of
even public building on park prop
erty. Indications are the commission
favors the site along Constitution ave-
nue.. which is on property under juris-
diction of the National Capital Parks
and is part of the Mall. If the Gov
ernment itself is barred from erecting
one of it's own buildings on the Mall,
Settle argued it will be necessary for
those sponsoring the new art gallery
to ask Congress for official permission
to erect the s1O,O00,o0O building on
the Mall.
An act of Congress was necessary to
enable the End Division to erect its
World War memorial on the White
Lot on Constitution avenue between
Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets,
Settle pointed out.
Other Sites Proposed.
The commission has ben asked to
consider locations for the erection of
the art gallery on the site of Hen
derson Castle, Sixteenth street and
Florida avenue, and the Dean prop
erty at Connecticut and Florida ave-
nues, and a citizens association wants
it placed on Sixteenth street near
Kennedy street at the abandoned
reservoir.
During the current discussion The
commission has taken no official stand
on the site, but those close to it say
1t is inclined to side with the old
Public Buildings Commission which
assigned site in the Mall.
Today's session of the commission
was devoted to consideration of the
height of the new Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing Annex, to be con-
structed on Fourteenth street at the
rear of the extensible building. near
the central heating plant; the second
division memorial project; co-opera-
ton with Arlington County. Va, and
possible settlement by compromise of
conflicting property claims arising
out Of the D. C.-Va. boundary dispute.
John Nolen, jr., the commissioners
director of planning and Settle have
been working as a special committee
cooperating with Arlington County.
Today the commission proposed to
discuss various properties relating to
the boundary dispute, some of which
the Government itself Is vitally con.
cerned in, such as the Washington
Hoover Airport and Reaches Run on
the Mount Vernon Memorial High
way.
Housing Plan to Be Discussed.
The Berwyn Heights, Md, housing
development, sponsored by the Re-
settlement Administration, will be
considered by the commission, mas
much as it borders on the projected
Washington ton-to-Baltimore Parkway.
Commission members were the
guests of G. Marshall Finnan, super
intendent of the National Capital
Parks, at picnic lunch yesterday
in one Of the newly developed areas
In Fort Dupont. The members in
spected these areas: expressed them
selves as beng pleased with the grad
ing work on the Washington Monu-
ment grounds as part of the flood
control program to protect the new
Government buildings; inspected the
Washington channel improvement
proposal along Water street; looked
at the Hoover playground at N and
Canal streets southwest, as well as
the Cardozo playground at H and
Canal streets, in addition to the re-
cent land transfer properties there
that will permit added recreationaI
facilities.
The commission ordered the COM
pletion of acquisition of a number of
small tracts of land necessary to
round out Fort Dupont, which will
be the second largest park in the
city, extending some 400 acres.