Evening star., 1936-12-20
:COORD|NATED PLAN
FOR FAIRGROUNDS
SCHOOLS STUDIED.
Revival of Recreation Com.
mittee to Modernize Pro.
gram Is Suggested.
IMMEDIATE PURCHASES
OF LAND ARE FAVORED
Senator King Cites Need for Ac'
ton Before Suitable Ground
Is Subdivided.

Washington's programs for new
school construction and new play
grounds and recreation centers should
be dovetailed in the opinion of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. which suggested az ls
closing two-day meeting yesterday
afternoon the 1880 Recreation Com
mittee be revived to modernlze the
whole program.
The planners will consult imme-
diately with the District Commission
ers. the Board of Education. the Ma
tional Park Service and the Library
authorities. with a view to reVlVlng
without delay the Recreation Commit
tee. on which these agencies had rep
resentation. A five-year school build
ing program is under consideration at
this time. and this brings to the fore
again the problems of providing ade-
ouste recreational facilities, not only
for children of school age but for
adults, as well.
Senator King, who is an ex-ofncio
member of the commission as chair
man Of the Senate District Commit
tee. presided in the latter part OF the
session, as Frederic A. Delano, the
chairman, was called to the White
House. The Utah Senator said he
favored the purchasing Of land needed
for future school and recreatlonal
needs at once, before the ground is
subdivided. In years to come, when
= improved. it will be that much more
m anOl1irp he said
The commission has been reluctant
to permit the ground purchased by
1t specifically for playground and re-
creational purposes to be utilized for
school sites No action on this point
was announced as result Of yes
terday's session.
BaIIou Presents Problem.
DIR. Frank w. Ballou. superintend-
ent of schools, appeared before the
commission and presented the Board
of Educations problem in providing
sites for new schools that must be
constructed in the near future. He
requested that certain recreatlonal
areas be made available as school sites,
but the exact locations were not an
nounced.
AS result of this proposal, the
commission advocated that the Re-
creation Committee be revived. This
was the group that formulated the
1880 recreation plan, which the COM
mission has been following in pur-
chasing land for new Fairgrounds and
recreation centers.
THE commission felt that this was
a matter of the utmost importance
in the development of the city and
that it would be in the interests OF
all concerned to coordinate the school
building and recreational system
plans" said John Nolen, jr., director
of planning, following the commits
sion's deliberations.
Nolen pointed to the success OF the
1880 plan. in citing the situation at
the Takoma Recreation Center. at
Fourth and Van Buren streets, where,
he said, there is to be. 9 junior high
school, adjacent to the stadium, to
provide indoor facilities needed to sup
plement the outdoor opportunities.
The National Capital Parks has con-
structed a swimming pool at the Ia
koma Recreation Center and other
facilities are planned.
Cooperation Required.
The Board of Education and the
National Capital Parks Office, as well
as the Playground Department of the
District government, would have to
work in harmony in the develop
ment of the joint program for schools
and Fairgrounds and other recrea-
tional facilities, if the commissions
suggestion for a revived program is
carried out.
In cities where there is set-up
similar to Washington's it is GUS
tomary to refer plans for schools and
recreational facilities to the planning
body, Nolen said.
A request from the Council of So
eial Agencies that the commission
make a study of camp needs in the
Washington area to fit into the re-
gional park system was laid before
the planners by Nolen. He pointed
out that one of the most acceptable
of these is at Chopawamsic. Va, near
Quantico, where submarginal lands
have been acquired by the Federal
Government and two camps for un-
derprivileged children of Washington
were in operation during the past
Summer. The commission agreed to
make such study.
The commission is undertaking
study of areas suitable for future
Government building sites and it is
known that the Southwest is receiv-
ing attention. Nolen, who laid a
progress report before his colleagues,
made 1t clear the study Is being made
20 that plan can be prepared should
Congress make funds available for
new buildings. The new Army and
Navy Buildings will be constructed
In the vicinity of New York and Vir-
ginia avenues, in the so-called North
west Rectangle. 1t Is understood that
the projected new Social Security
Building and any others that may be
authorized are being considered in
the study.
Master Plan Considered.
The relation Of the new buildings
to the commissions master plan for
the central area of the city-from the
Capitol to the Potomac River and K
street southwark to the railroad tracks
lis being given detailed attention,
Nolen said. The Governments Buils-
ing Committee includes representa-,
tives from the supervising architects
ONCE, procurement division. Treasury
Department; the division of Govern
ment space control of the National
Park Service, Interior Department,
and the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
Final approval was given by the
commission to the plans for the
, boundary Of the new unit Of Rock
Greek Park, in Maryland, extending
from Connecticut avenue to the rail-
(see RECREATION Page B.3)