Evening star., 1936-01-30
PLANNERS URGE
DEVELOPMENT Of.
GRAVE[LY POINT
Recommend Airport Be
Constructed With P. w. A.
or w. P. A. Funds. ;.
SUGGEST CONFERENCE
ON NAMING OF STREETS
Hands-off Policy Adopted on Pro.
posal to Remove Car Tracks
Near Capitol.

The National Capital Park 2"d
Planning Commission went on r g d
as reindorsing the development of
Gravelly Point as the Districts air.
port, and urged that funds be secured
Immediately from the Public Works
Administration. the Works Progress
Administration or any other available
source to dredge navigation charnel
Of the Potomac River and begin fill
ing in for that airport
A report on the activity Of its
spokesmen before the House Judiciary
Committee in taking issue with the
District of Columbia Virginia Bound
ary Commission report was laid be-
fore the commission at the morn ng
session, and its spokesmen before the
committee we're instructed to continue
opposition to the report. The Plan'iig
Commission was informed thot rone
800 acres to which the United St7tes
now claims title, 200 of tllcm u~dor
water. would be taken from tt ~-~l-
eral Government without a ju /
proceeding.
AcpoSoi hifhSo VIA Sts
The proposal to change the Pc
OF Reno road to Oklahoma avenue. as
planned by Senator Gore. Democrat
Of Oklahoma. created a stir among
residents of that section. as evidenced
by the number of telephone calls
that came to the planning commission
headquarters today.
Tho
representatives of the planners, COM
missioner Melvin C. Hazen and Ed.
ward A. Dent, District surveyor, meet
Chairman King and the Senate Dis.
trict Committee, and Senators who
are interested in having their Sta os
more adequately named in thorough
fares here, hold a round table con-
ference. Priority would be given thoee
States that came into the Union f. {.
Among these are Oklahoma, q =.
Maine and Missouri, as we'll as -. :
and Arizona and other St"-o5.
Would Get Behind BIZ.
Under the commissions plan, t.,
Senators would sit down and viev a
map of Washington, select thorough
fares to be renamed n honor of their
States and then get behind a Joint
bill to be introduced specifically
changing the names.
! Settle called attention to the point
that Potomac avenue, which runs from
near the foot of East Capitol street
at the Anacostia River to the Army
War College, might be given consid-
Grafton. Branch avenue, from Randle
Park and Massachusetts, avenue, near
the Eastern Branch of the Anacostia
River, running southeasterly to the
District line, might be another. Bep-
ming road is a further possibility I =
remaining. Settle said.
Opposition viii Be Heard.
The planning commissions sc .
tary made it clear that opportun
would be given before the commit
OF Congress for opponents OF 81
name changing to voice their sem
ment. The commission. he said, la
no desire to force names upon any
community.
| The commission confirmed its for
mer action in suggesting that the four
Mall roads be given the names Wash
ington, Adams. Jefferson and Madison.
In the general legislation changing
the names of streets to those Of States.
the commission also suggested that a
| general clause be included which
would take care of future cases of
this character by authorizing renam-
ing upon joint recommendation of the
District Commissioners and the Plan !.
ming Commission.
A hands-off policy for the prese...
was adopted by the commission on tt
proposal to remove street car track
from the vicinity of the Cap..g
grounds. Chairman Norton of t,a
House District Committee referred
this proposal to the commission for
report The suggestion was to take
the tracks off independence avenue.
near the House Office Building, and
reroute them to c street. Inasmuch
as the whole problem is being studied
by the Public Utilities Commission
and less noisome street cars are be-
ing introduced here. the commission
went on record today as favoring
doing nothing about it at this time.
New Projects Discussed.
The projected new War Departments
and General Accounting Office,
which are being provided for in pend
ing legislation. were discussed by the
Planning Commission. Over half the
land necessary for the General Ac-
counting Office is already in pubic
ownership Settle told the commits
sion, and this represents thu b,giu-
ming Of placing new Government
buildings in the Southwest Triangle
to match that north of the Mall.
Settle explained that new Govern
ment buildings are not being con.
structed as rapidly as the old wartime
temporary buildings are being demol.
ished. A new building program is inn
perative. he said, as the Government
is losing floor space through the
demolition OF the old structures.
Tomorrow the Planning Commission
has arranged to hold a joint session
with the Fine Arts Commission, the
main case on the docket being the
disagreement between Secretary Ickes
and the Pan-American Union over
construction of the unions annex at
Eighteenth street and Constitution
avenue. Later today the planners
were prepared to inquire into the
problem as to whether a tunnel or
span at the Key Bridge would best
serve traffic requirements in the
George Washington Memorial Park
way. Replacement of Chain Bridge
will be discussed by Col. Dan l. Sui