Evening star., 1937-12-17
PLANNERS ORDER
STUDY OF TRAFFIC
AND PARKING HERE
Special Committee Set Up
for Work by Chairman
DeIan0.
REVISION OF PROGRAM
ON GRAND PLAZA VOTED
New Project Will Have Especial
Reference to Federal Con-
struction Work.

A special committee to study traffic
and parking problems in the District
was set up today by Frederic A. Delano,
chairman of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission.
William A. Delano, architect men,
Der of the commission, will head the
special committee. Serving with him
will be Prof Henry " Hubbard of
Harvard University, landscape archi-
tect member, and j. c. Nichols of
Kansas City, Mo-, real estate devel-
oper, who also is member of the
commission.
The chairman authorized this group
to confer with other members Of the
commission and the staff in pursuing
Its study, which will have particular
reference to government building.
In the past the commission has
brought to Washington numerous
traffic experts to study the problem
and it now desires that the survey be
brought up to date.
The problem came to a head when
the commission voted this morning to
approve revised plans for development
Of the Grand Plaza, east of the De-
partment of Commerce Building, with
the proviso that there be no facilities
for parking of automobiles in that
area beyond temporary halts on the
roadways there. At present the site of
the Grand Plaza is used as large
parking lot, between the District
Building, Labor Department, Com
merce Department and Post Office De-
partment.
Following action by the commission,
Chairman Delano this morning au-
thorized transfer of the central park
ing strip on Conduit road, between
Reservoir road and Dalecarlia, from
Army jurisdiction to the National Park
Service.
Since Conduit road was widened this
area has been under the jurisdiction
Of Maj. Walter D. Luplow, district en-
Rineer for the War Department for the
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turned over to the office of c. Mar
shall Finnan, superintendent of the
National Capital Parks, which is un-
der the National Park Service. At the
same time. the commission directed
transfer of the jurisdiction of the
Washington Channel water front from
the District Commissioners to Maj.
Luplow.
Officials explained this is a tenn
porary measure to permit the Secre-
tary of War to have custody of the
area while Army engineers are carry
ing out improvements already author
lied by Congress and which now are
being held up pending appropriation
of funds from the District government.
Cooperation with Maryland au-
thorities to extend the Districts park
system into Prince Georges County and
alleviate flood conditions there, and
with Virginia officials to enable Fair
fax County to have its own zoning
commission, was on the commissions
afternoon program. Recreation CEN
ters, Fairgrounds and parks also were
engaging attention.
The Fine Arts Commission and the
planners, meeting jointly yesterday
afternoon, Endorsed the projected traf-
fic underpass at Dupont Circle, paving
the way for early appropriation of the
necessary funds by Congress. While
Scott and other circles have received
consideration for underpasses, only
plans for Dupont Circle were sufi-
GENTLY advanced to permit the two
commissions to pass on them.
William T. Partridge, the planners
consulting architect, made model of
the Dupont Circle underpass and this
was explained to the commissions by
Col. Dan I. Sultan, Engineer Commits
sioner of the District, an ex officio
planner himself, and Capt H. c.
Whitehurst, District director of high
ways. Under the plan, Connecticut
avenue traff1c-automobiles and street
cars-would travel through the under
pass, while Massac achusetts avenue and
other traffic would travel on the sur
face. The program will not interfere
AinoOh AoAAy "AOAA CAAC III CCCHG SlDG Ol LllC
circle, according to Thomas S. Settle,
the planners secretary.
The planners deferred until today
action on a report on the improvement
Of Theodore Roosevelt Island, submit
ted by Prof. Hubbard, Mr.. Finnan and
T. c. Jeffers, landscape architect on
the planners staff.
Yesterdays meeting of the two COM
missions approved final plans for the
food control levee at the rear of the
Navy and Munitions Buildings and
in the Monument grounds. E. A.
schmitt, senior engineer in the office
Of Maj. Luplow, presented these
plans. Further, with the provision
that the plans be made less formal for
the Columbia Island Plaza, part of the
Arlington Memorial Bridge develop
ment, the two commissions approved
them.
Mixed Tree Planting Advised.
Advised that "elm wilt" is making
serious inroads on Washington's IA
NOUS elms, the two commissions
agreed that in the future, there should
be mixed planting Of trees in the
parks, rather than depending on one
variety.
]. M. Upchurch, liaison officer be-
tween the New York 1899 Worlds
Fair and the Government exhibits,
appeared before the two, commissions
and they decided the Capital merits
IN outstanding location and space at
the fair.
The question as to whether the
regulations under the Shipstead-Luce
Act, giving the Fine Arts Commission
jurisdiction over the type of architec-
ture Of new buildings erected in the
vicinity Of public buildings and parks,
should be extended, was left to the de-
cision Of special committee.
Increasing Subsidies.
Japan Is increasing its subsidies to
companies complying with the law
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