Evening star., 1938-06-18
OBJECTIONS AIRED
0NUNDERPASSAT
THOMAS CIRCLE
Planning Commission Fails
to Find Authority to
Sidetrack Project.
DOUBT OF TRAFFIC
RELIEF EXPRESSED
Finnan Sees Only Temporary
Benefts-Planners Aware of
Public Criticism.

~Se~~SAAAs
Despite growing opposition to tn
projected construction of the Massa
chusetts avenue underpass at Thoma
Circle, for which $530,000 has beel
appropriated by Congress, members o
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, at their June meet
ing yesterday, admitted they are pow
erless to do anything to halt tn
project or even to alter its majo
features.
Although District officials had in
dicated earlier that construction O
the underpass might begin by the mid
die of August, Capt. H. c. Whitehurst
superintendent of streets and high
ways, who laid engineering plans fol
the underpass before the commission
yesterday, said it would be about twt
months before the working plans ar,
completed
The underpass will be discussed fur.
ther with the Park and Planning
Commission at its July meeting, sched.
uled for July 1880, Capt. Whitehurst
said, adding that there is no possibil-
ity of final approval of the plans be.
fore that time
I'VE are aware that there is oppo-
sition to the Thomas Circle underpass
project" Thomas S. Settle, secretary
to the Park and Planning Commission
said.
Finnan Doubts Effectiveness.
Mr.. Settle said that c. Marshall Fin
nan, superintendent of National Cap
1tal Parks, in statement before the
commission yesterday, had expressed
doubt that the underpass construction
would prove a cure for the Massacfu-
sets avenue traffic problem or that it
would provide more than possibly a
temporary relief. The underpass con-
struction would result in destruction of
number OF large elm trees along
Massachusetts, avenue and would ma
terially change the character of that
thoroughfare, the commission was
told
AS a result of doubts cast upon the
ultimate value Of the project by Mr..
FInnan and Others, and unofficial word
received by commission members of
opposition to the underpass plans on
the part OF local citizens associations,
the commission yesterday made a re-
examination Of the law authorizing
the underpass construction and decided
1t is powerless to intervene even if it
desired to do so.
The law. it was pointed out, provides
Tor the construction of IAN underpass
at Thomas Circle in the line of Massa-
chusetts avenue in accordance with
plan and profile to be approved by
the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia, including necessary changes
construction, and reconstruction of
roadways. sidewalks, and curbing, con-
stfuction of and changes in sewer and
water mains, street and traffic lights.
and police-patrol boxes in
the vicinity of the circle, construction
OF and such changes in walkways.
landscaping, and so forth, of the
Thomas Circle park reservation as may
be approved by said Commissioners,
ETC.
No Authority Given.
There is nothing in the law, it was
pointed out, giving the Park and Plan
ming Commission any Jurisdiction in
the matter and, since the law specifi-
cally sets forth major features of the
plan beyond the power of any other
agency than Congress to alter them,
the Park and Planning Commission
is powerless to act except in an ad-
visory capacity as to details of the
project.
Powerless to act for or against the
project as 8 whole, the commission
limited its action to certain phases
Of the engineering plan for the prof.
ect outlined by Capt. Whitehurst and
Col. Dan I. Sultan, District Engineer
Commissioner, approving these details,
''in principle" it was announced by
Acting Chairman Arno B. Cammerer,
chief of the National Park Service.
There was nothing we could do
under the law except to work out the
best possible arrangement of details
for the project in accordance with
the mandate of Congress" Mr.. Settle
explained. I'm approving the plans
submitted by Capt. Whitehurst we
merely expressed our opinion that
they were within the scope of the law
and that we were satisfied with the
details as they had been worked out.
Our action does not constitute an ap-
proval by the commission of the prof.
ect as a whole, since that is a matter
beyond our jurisdiction under the law
as it was enacted"
The commission approved a con-
demnation award for acquisition OF
the final portion of the large Banne-
ker recreational area on the west side
of Georgia avenue north of Barry
place NV. The new section comprises
all the previously unacquired land
south to Barry place. A number of old
houses and buildings on the new Sec
tion will be torn down and the land
filled up to the grade of the remainder
of the area and developed as football
field. More than 100000 has been
spent to date on the acquisition and
of the Banneker area,
which serves section of the city in
which are located IL elementary and
junior high schools.
Norman c. Brown, land purchase
officer of the commission, also submit
ted contracts for a number of small
land purchase items which were ap-
proved by the commission. These
were chiefly for additions to play
grounds and details were withheld
until the transactions have been COM
pleted, in accordance with routine
commission procedure.
Approve Overpass Details.
The commission also approved fur
ther details of the plans for the K
street overpass at the Rock Creek and
Potomac Parkway. Final action on
the plans for this project probably
will be taken at the July meeting,
to the beginning of con-
struction late in the summer.
Nathan Wyeth, District architect,
submitted architectural plans for the