Evening star., 1936-02-15
NORTHERN
PLANNING NEEDS
CITED FOR BOARD
Mayor of Falls Church Calls
Attention to Building
Expansion.
FUTURE DIFFICULTIES
FEARED BY DANIEL
Area of 80 Miles in Fairfax and
Arlington Counties Affected,
Memorandum States.

Urgent need for uniform planning
in Northern Virginia to PROVIDE 1or
q rapidly expanding population has
been brought to the attention OF the
Virginia State Planning Board by
Mayor L. P. Daniel of Falls Church IN
a memorandum citing facts about the
development of the area.
Mayor Daniel pointed out that the
whole section of Virginia adjacent
to Washington has long been in neeo
of unified planning. In many locan-
ties property values have been ao-
versely affected by lack OF cooper
tive effort on the part OF owners as
wen as community officials. Recently
parts of the section, notably Airing
ton County and the town OF Falls
Church have adopted coming laws,
but most of Fairfax County lacks
such an ordinance and there is a neeo
for cooperation between the various
Jurisdictions in the entire area.
Growth Spurts.
The section of Virginia that lies
within the metropolitan area OF the
Capital, Mayor Daniel said. Is ex-
periencing rapid growth, involving
subdivision of land, the laying out
and construction of new streets, build
ing of apartment houses, theaters,
business places and many new homes
Although the present building activity
Is considerable, the mayor polnteo
out. it is but the beginning OF
greater growth which will bring a
large increase in population and value
Of property
Most of Northern Virginia has
merely grown up" with virtually mo
building restrictions, Mayor Danlei
said in citing the imemdiate need 1or
well regulated planning. While Alex
andria has had more ett1clent sys-
tenn, only in recent years have Ar
lington County and Falls Church been
provided with a measure OF zonlne
and such necessities as water ana
sewerage.
Little Planning Hitherto.
The much larger area In Fairfax
County, Mayor Daniel said, has mao
little planning control under regu-
lations of community development
with exception of the recent require
ment of securing building permits.
Already, the report shows, a lack
of planning Is manifest in the many
difficulties experienced in providing
for installation and the joint use OF
utilities like water and sewage sys-
TENS by different jurisdictions. Be
cause of the increasing difficulty OF
cooperation between seperate jurisdic-
tions, it is believed time will bring or
many more complications.
Two essentials for growth and de-
velopment are seen in the installation
of water and sewage disposal plants
since the greater part of Virginia
building activity is taking place lr
communities that offer such service
In planning for the future, jurisdic-
tional lines must be forgotten in lay
ing out the lines, Daniel said.
. While Arlington County, Alexandra
and Falls Church are adequately sup
piled with water for the present ano
probably for a number of years tc
come, the greater portion of the
metropolitan area included in Fair
fax County Is not so fortunate, the
report states, hence consideration
must be given to that situation in a
planning study.
Problem of Future.
Attention is drawn to the fact, too
that other problems enter into a
program of planning that are equally
important for the future, namely, the
establishment of parks and play
grounds, control of public utilities and
services, zoning, building and sani-
tary regulations and the location, CO.
ordination and construction of roads
and streets.
In his memorandum Mayor Daniel
points to the fact the local metro
politan area embraces approximately
80 square miles, Arlington County and
Alexandria together about 30 square
miles, with Falls Church and portion
Of Fairfax County including so square
miles. The area also includes popu-
lation Of $4,000, based on census
reports of 1880.
The extent to which a carefully
planned development may influence
or bring about in the future a great
city in this section will not be deter.
mined on property values and addec
population alone, 1t is suggested, bu
rather on the thought that is usee
in planning, to provide such an at
tractive setting that will bring in {
desirable class of new citizens.