Evening star., 1936-12-14
PARK PROSPECTUS
FIFTH COMPLETED
Progress Plan, Looking
so Years Ahead, to Be
Finished Shortly.

A progress plan. which will outline
present and future developments in
the Washington park system as far as
about 20 per cent completed, c. Mar
shall Finnan, superintendent of the
National Capital Parks, disclosed to-
day. This program. which has been
under way for about a year in the
Branch of Plans and Design of the
National Park Service, will be speeded
up between now and July /, he said
now that the intricate groundwork
has been laid.
Akin to the master plans" being
worked up for the various national
parks, the progress plan for the Ma
tional Capital Parks will be available
for use should emergency or other
funds become suddenly available for
expansion, the authorities explained.
In some cases, the plan will record
details Of prospective development as
far as so years to come.
Extensive Data Secured.
Surveyors were sent out and secured
Typographical maps on which to build
improvements. A vast amount of en-
gineering data has been secured on
each Of the Washington parks. This
includes the exact positions of all the
electrical conduits, water lines, sew
ers, gas lines and other services, so
that if it Is necessary to do construc-
ton work, the park authorities will
have real information available, OIL
cials declared.
The progress plan will be utilized
for maintenance and development.
Park officials pointed out that the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission does the actual planning
for the areas and decides what future
development shall be undertaken.
Further, the commission acquires land
for parks. Fairgrounds and recreation
centers.
Thomas c. Vint, chief Of the Branch
Of Plans and Design, and Malcolm
Kirkpatrick, resident landscape archi-
tect of that group of the National Park
Service who is attached to the Ma
tional Capital parks. are working on
the progress plan. James G. Lang
don, who for many years was associ-
ated with the Washington park sys-
tenn. began work on the plan year
or so ago. but he has now returned to
California.
Cost Estimate Included.
Each park here may have as many
as 20 separate maps in the progress
plan, Finnan explained, pointing to
the great mass Of detail that will be
embraced in the program, when COM
pleted. The plan will contain cost
estimates and details of actual future
construction.
II another Public Works Admins
tration program comes along locally
or similar program is launched, the
Washington park authorities will have
ready-made plan to execute without
delay and the necessity for working
up engineering and other data, Fin
nan asserted.
The park chief said the plan will
contain all pertinent data rs to con-
struction and maintenance for each
park. The plan will be divided into
these major groups:
!. The central area, including The
Mall and East and West Potomac
Parks.
2. Rock Creek Park.
3. Anacostia Park and Fort Dupont.
4. Smaller reservations and down.
town parks.
S. Fort drive, George Washington
Memorial Parkway and other circula-
tory traffic systems.
6. Other lands, embraced under the
1890 recreation system plan.
The progress plan, Finnan said, has
been made possible by q $4,000 Pub
lie Works Administration ALLEGATION
which Secretary Ickes made available.