Evening star., 1937-12-18
TRAFFIC SURVEY
AIM OF PLANNERS
Commission Approves Rec
reation Centers and Prom.
ises Flood Control Aid.

The National Capital Parks and
Planning Commission today prepared
to launch traffic and parking sur
vey of the city after it had approved
plans for new Fairgrounds and recrea-
ton centers and promised to continue
its cooperation with Maryland and
Virginia authorities to improve the
metropolitan area here.
The Bureau of the Budget and
Congress will likely be asked shortly
to make funds available under the
Capper-Cramton Parks Purchase Act
so that Prince Georges County, Md,
may extend the park system Of the
District and at the same time aid
in flood control The commission
agreed to make a new study Of the
boundaries to be embraced in the
projected parks on Indian Greek, Sligo
Branch, as well as the Northwest
Branch of the Anacostia River, in
the lower valley of which the Federal
Government is developing park
system in the District. Appraisals
of the land involved likewise will be
made. I
Creation of these areas as parks
will insure that private interests will
not build upon them and to this
extent will aid in solving the flood
problem in that section of Prince
Georges County, especially at Bladens-
burg, Thomas S. Settle, the commits
sion's secretary. said.
Flood Control Explained.
Maj. Walter D. Luplow, district
engineer for the War Department for
the Washington area, appeared yes
terday afternoon before the commits
sion and explained the problem Of
flood control in the Anacostia River
Basin to the planners.
Recently the county commission
ers of Prince Georges County passed
this resolution, which was read to the
planners: .,....t
That this honorable body of county
commissioners notify the members of
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission that the commits
sioners are In favor of an additional
7-cent levy to provide for the pur-
chase of park lands, signifying that
this board strongly urge their early
action toward this end
Montgomery County has already
availed itself OF the terms of the
Capper- -Cramton Act, with the result
that Rock Creek, Sligo and Cabin
John Parks now are being developed.
Shopping Center Approved.
The Planning Commission approved
plans for the development of shop
ping centers on Connecticut avenue
abutting Soapstone Valley.
Among the recreational projects
considered and approved were those
relating to the Takoma School, to
be constructed at Fifth and Sheridan
streets NV. to flt into the Takoma
Recreation Center: Stevens School,
the new school at Banneker Recrea-
ton Center, Randall Recreation Gen.
ter at the Canal street reservations
and Rosedale Playground. These
plans were submitted by Lewis r..
Barrett, the Districts co-ordinator of
recreation, following extensive work
by his special subcommittee, on which
the Board of Education, the District
government, the Planning Commis-
sion and the National Capital Parks
are represented. They were drawn
up under the supervision of Mr.. Bar
rett's Subcommittee on Plans and
Design. .-....' r...
The commission sanctioned the ac-
ton Of Mr.. Settle and its director
Of planning, John Nolen, jr., in as
sisting Francis P. Miller Of Pickens,
Fairfax, Va, delegate to the Virginia
State Legislature, in drafting legis-
lation to authorize Fairfax County
to have its own zoning commission.
Under the projected legislation any
county in Virginia would be EN-
powered to set up its zoning COM
mission, Mr.. Settle declared.