Evening star., 1938-01-21
GRAVELLY POINT
AIRPORT IS URGED
Construction Model Field
at Cost of $4,746,00O
Outlined at Hearing.
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,

Construction of a 500-acre model
commercial airport, with runways from
$500 to $500 feet in length. could be
completed on the Gravelly Point site
within two years at an estimated
cost of $4.746,000. according to testi-
mony before the House Public Build
inds and Grounds Committee at the
opening Of hearings today on the new
Smith airport bill.
Maj Walter D. Luplow. district
Army engineer, submitted plans pre-
pared for the District Airport Commis-
sion last spring showing a proposed
airport filled to level above any an
ticipated flood and providing runways
Of more than the minimum lengths
required by the Bureau Of Air Com
nlerce for the highest commercial air
port rating.
This plan calls for the filling Of 3l9
acres Of present water area, some Of
which has been partially Allied during
the past summer by the dredging Of
1000 900 cubic yards Of material from
the Potomac River channel.
The airport would include SO acres
Of privately owned land on the Vir-
ginia shore, SO acres now under the
jurisdiction of the National Capital
Parks and Is acres under the juris-
diction of the Bureau OF Public Roads.
The plan would provide a north and
south runway Of $500 feet. an east
west runway of 1000 feet. which could
be extended to $500 feet. and two
other runways of 5000 and $500 feet.
Stresses Need for Airport.
Immediate construction Of q new
airport for Washington is urgently
needed, Second Assistant Postmaster
General Harllee Branch told the COM
mittee. He testified that perform
ance out OF Washington Airport is bad
and trafiic is becoming daily more con-
gested there" Bureau of Air Com
merce restrictions on the use of the
airport, in the interests OF safety, Sc
riously handicap operations and make
it dificult to improve service out Of
Washington, he said.
washington Airport is one Of
which We are all ashamed" Mr..
Branch declared. 1T is not of sum-
cient size and does not provide the
necessary facilities. Something is go
ing to have to be done, or we will have
to curtail service here"
Mr.. Branch said the Post Once
Department is not concerned with any
particular airport site, but warned
the committee 1t would destroy or
minimize the value Of any airport by
putting it too far OUT
Deiano Approves Site.
Frederic A. Delano, chairman Of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, told the committee that
although he is committed to the pro-
posed airport site at Camp Springs,
Nd. in the. report of the District Air
port Commission, Of which he was 4
member, he believes the 0ravelly
Point site unquestionahly is the best
"closerin" location. Had the COM
mission been empowered to name an
alternative site, it probably would
have selected Gravelly Point unani-
mously. he said.
Mr.. Delano said he believed the
Camp Springs site could be developed
within year into model "all- wealth.
er" airport. He said the Gravelly
Point site probably could be prepared
within two years.
Representative Smith, Democrat, Of
Virginia, author Of the bill, told the
committee in opening the hearing that
1t is. "a matter Of ccAmon knowledge
that washington Is urgently In need
Of = new airport, and that no testi-
mony Is needed on that point"
Chief arguments in favor Of the
oravelly Point site, he said, ara that
It 10 only 10 minutes from the business
section, that 1t will accommodate sea-
planes as well as land planes, that It
ats in with the park plans for WASH
ington and that it allows for future
expansion. The. main objections are
that it is too close to Boiling Field
and that it IL subject to river fogs, he
admitted.