Evening star., 1937-01-11
BROADER POWERS
URGED FOR BOARD
Special Fiscal Committee
Recommends Planning
Commission Change.

The proposal in the Presidents
special Fiscal Relations Committee to
clothe the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, to be renamed
the National Capital Planning Com
mission, with broad powers to aid In
determining the fiscal set-up here.
throws the spotlight of public atten-
ton on that small group, now housed
in the Navy Building.
Thomas S. Settle. the commissions
secretary. said the proposal OF the
fiscal group was "as great surprise to
us as to anybody" and declared that
he and his colleagues had no hint OF
what was coming. His group co-op-
Grated with the Presidents committee
and supplied 1t with information, in
cluding a number Of maps, history
of the evolution of the Washington
park system and other data, Settle
asserted.
The committee recommends that
the commissions powers be enlarged
ITO make it the one responsible agency
for physical planning and develop
ment of the District; that it be
charged. among other things, with
analyzing proposed capital improve
ments and preparing the estimates
Of the capital budget" of the District;
that its personnel be modified to in
clude representatives Of both govern
ments and local citizens qualified in
planning and engineering and that it
be relieved Of any administrative
duties.
Present Makeup.
As at present constituted, the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission has these ex-officio men,
bers: Chairman King of the Senate
District Committee, Chairman Nor
ton Of the House District Committee,
Maj. Gen. Edward M. Markham, chief
of Army Engineers; Col. Dan I.
Sultan, Engineer Commissioner of the
District. and F. A. Silcox, chief Of the
Forest Service. The chairman of the
group is Frederic A. Delano, who has
served in that capacity for many years
and is serving as resident Of the Dis
trict. The law requires that citizen
OF the National Capital hold member
ship on the body.
Other members are j. c. Nichols.
prominent real estate developer Of
Kansas City, Mo-: William A. Delano
of New York, outstanding architect,
and Prof. Henry v. Hubbard Of Har-
yard University, Cambridge, Mass,
landscape architect and city planner
80 Arno B. Camerer, director of the
National Park Service of the Interior
Department. is vice chairman and ex-
ecutive officer of the commission.
John Nolen, jr. son of the prominent
landscape architect of Massachusetts,
- Is the director of planning and Settle
k the secretary and legal adviser.
% Nichols, the two Delanos and Hub
bard are the -four citizens" men,
toned in the law setting up the COM
mission.
e Set Up in 1924.
In 1924 the National Capital Park
Commission was set up "to do for the
rest of the District of Columbia what
Washington and L'Enfant had done
In the old city" The two years after
this, when the need Of planning
commission had become obvious, the
law was amended and the organization
came to be known as the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion. which it has since remained.
The duties Of the commission are
set forth by Congress in this lam
suage: ITO develop a comprehensive,
consistent and co-ordinated plan for
the National Capital and its en-
virons in the States of Maryland and
Virginia, to preserve the flow Of water
in Rock Creek. to prevent pollution Of
Rock Greek and the Potomac and
Anacostia Rivers, to preserve forests
and natural scenery in and about
Washington and to provide for the
comprehensive, systematic and con-
tinuous development of park, parkway
and playground systems of the Ma
tional Capital and its environs."
The commission is charged with
sthe duty of preparing, developing
and maintaining comprehensive.
consistent and co-ordinated plan for
the National Capital and its environs,
which plan shall include recommends =
tions to the proper executive authori-
ties as to traffic and transportation;
plats and subdivisions, highways,
parks and parkways: school and IL
brary sites, Fairgrounds. drainage,
sewerage and water supply; housing,
building and zoning regulations; pub
lie and private buildings, bridges and
water fronts, commerce and industry
and other proper elements Of city and
regional planning"
Had Hand in Growth.
Pursuant to this the commission
has had hand in the growth Of the
city over the last II years, and under
the Capper- -Cramton park purchase
act has purchased land for parks,
Fairgrounds and recreation centers in
the District and co-operated with
Maryland and Virginia in various
problems. With the Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission 1t has co-operated in Gre
ating parks in Rock Creek and Sligo