Evening star., 1938-03-18
GROUP IS NAMED .
TO STUDY SERIES
Of PARKING LOTS
Whitehurst, Van Duzer,
West, Nolen and Keech
Choice of Officials.
DIME-A.DAY CHARGE
APPROVED BY ALLEN
Representative Dirksen Calls on
Seal to Draft Bill to Provide
Purchases.

Possibility of establishment of a
series of municipality owned parking
lots in or near the downtown section
will be studied by committee of
District officials appointed today by
District officials.
Previously. Commissioner George E.
Allen had given his personal support
to such plan under which charge of
10 cents would be made for all-day
parking. The committee is headed by
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, director of
highways. Other members are Traffic
Director William A. Van Duzer, AS
sistant Corporation Counsel Vernon
West, John Nolen of the Park and
Planning Commission and Richmond
B. Keech, vice chairman of the Public
Utilities Commission.
Dirksen Asks Draft.
Appointment of the committee fol-
lowed Immediately on a request by
Representative Dirksen, Republican. of
Illinois that District officials make a
survey of the accommodations now
available on all privately owned park
ing lots in the business section.
At the same time he asked Corpora
tion Counsel Elwood H. Seal to draft
a bill providing for the purchase or
condemnation of these parking spaces.
and their operation as a municipal
enterprise.
Information sought by Mr.. Dirksen
includes the location of the parking
lots, the area of each, names of the
owners and the assessed valuation.
He also proposes to request Govern
ment officials to supply him with data
with respect to parking lots on Federal
property. particularly the one in the
rear of the District Building.
Wants Priority Of Lease.
Since the District cannot acquire
the Federal property now used for
parking purposes, Mr.. Dirksen said the
United States should give municipal
authorities priority in leasing these
spaces.
Purchase of the privately owned lots
at a fair and reasonable price" will
be Mr.. DirkSenS first aim. If the
owners refuse to sell, he said, the Com
nissioners would then have authority
under the proposed legislation to. con-
denim the property lin the public in
terest." Such condemnations, he be-
lieves, would be held legal by the courts
in view of the fact that automobiles
are no longer luxury but necessity
and that it would be 'in the public
interest" to give the owners an op-
portunity to park them off the public
streets at reasonable rate.
All-day parking fees ranging from
40 to so cents, he declared to be "ex-
orbitant."
Mr.. Dirksen is confident the Dis
trict could acquire and operate the
lots at a small margin of profit on a
10 cents day fee. if the cost is
amortized over period of years.
Control Held Unsatisfactory.
Proposals under consideration by
several members of the House District
Committee, of which Mr.. Dirksen also
is member, to place the parking lots
In the category of public utilities and
give the Public Utilities Commission
authority to control them and fix the
parking fees are not regarded BY him
as satisfactory. He pointed out the
lots would remain in private owner
ship under this plan, and that a sub
stantial reduction in existing parking
ices might not be possible.
AS soon as Mr.. Seal completes the
draft of the proposed bill, Mr.. Dirk
sen said he would introduce it and
seek its early enactment into law.
commissioner Allen said he would be
In favor of the bill Mr.. Dirksen pro-
poses.
Il haven't made a study of the finan-
cial and legal problems involved"
said Mr.. Allen, but it strikes me off,
hand As a good idea. Certainly. there
Is shortage of garage space and ex-
pansion OF parking lots having cheap
rates should help to relieve congestion.
1T may be necessary to buy addi-
tional sites for parking lots, if the
plan is adopted. Study would be
needed to determine the need, the cost
and the time required to recover the
capital investment"