Evening star., 1937-01-24
PLANS DRAWN Up
FOR SAILING BASE
Lieut.. Matteson Also Sub.
mits Cost Estimates to
Committee of Federation.

Committee of Federation.
Plans and general construction esti-
mates for proposed municipal sail
ing base have been furnished the
Federation of Citizens Associations
Public Welfare Committee by First
Lieut.. w. j. Matteson, District Engi-
neers of the War Department.
An estimated cost Of $4,000 was
given by the War Department for
constructing the sailing base, exclu-
sive of boats and equipment.
The proposal started with Lawton
B. Mellichampe-who is Skipper Nell
Champe Of WJSV-when he appeared
before the Burroughs Citizens Asso-
citation and asked Endorsement OF the
proposal several months ago. The
Burroughs group approved the meas
ure and referred the matter to the
federation for Endorsement. In the
federation the matter was placed with
the Public Welfare Committee, head
ed by John A. Remon.
Purposes Are Explained.
In a report to the federation at its
last meeting Remon explained the
purposes of the proposed sailing base.
1.-THE thought behind the suggestion"
he explained, lis to provide facilities
which will enable and encourage boys
or men to engage in the clean sport OF
sailing. The benefits to be derived
are both recreational and welfare in
character"
Briefly, the plan provides for con-
struction Of slips for anchoring sailing
boats and a building which would
house lockers, supplies, lunch conces-
sion and serve as club house for boat
users. Instructors would be employed
and a number of slips would be avail
able to be rented to sailing boat
owners, Remon's report pointed out.
Preliminary estimates indicate that
revenue secured from rental of boats
and slips would be more than sufti-
cient to operate the enterprise.
Location Tentative.
Matteson, in drawing up plans, 10
Gated the project at the end OF ?
street southwest on Water street ad-
jacent to the Army War College
however, he declared, he in no way
implied the War Department favors
this location over any other. F. E.
Smith. also a member of the fedora
tion committee, explained no plans
have yet been made as to where the
project would be located If con-
structed, since many factors must be
considered. Some of the problems
which would have to be met include,
accessibility to the public, wind di-
rection and intensity and harbor IA
cilities.
When the District Engineers OF the
War Department were asked for plans
the committee was told that specif1ca-
tions were drawn for sailing base to
accommodate IS boats rather than Il
as was originally planned. 1T Is
doubtful" Matteson wrote, that more
than $4,000 or $4,000 could be saved
in the estimates by cutting the capacity
from IS to II boats" The larger size
also reduces by more than half the cost
per boat Of the project and therefore
would result in much easier manner
Of insuring operating expenses.
The base of 35-boat capacity figures
to a cost Of about $4,000 per boat
whereas the 12-unit base would
amount to a cost of s4,700 per boat
Division of Costs.
The costs, as submitted by the War
Department were divided as follows:
Physical costs, using untreated timber,
$4,000; engineering and contingencies,
$4,000; creosoting pile and other
timber, $4,000.
The federation is anxious at this
time, Smith explained, not to take any
action which will jeopardize plans for
securing the proposed s1,650,000 water
front development which has already
been advocated. This development
project was authorized In the last
rivers and harbors bill before Congress
but funds were not appropriated at
that time.
The Federation Committee secured
the delegates Endorsement of the SAIL
ing base project and were successful
in having the matter referred back to
the committee so that it can "at the
proper time aid in the realization of
the project, and in such a manner as
will not delay or jeopardize other pend
ing water front improvements. The
committee will also study proposed
locations for the sailing base and make
suggestions at a later time,