Evening star., 1938-10-01
ACTION PREDICTS
DEVELOPMENT Of
EAST CAPITOL ST.
Planners Dedicate Area for
Government Buildings to
Balance Capital.
PARALLEL AVENUES
INCLUDED IN PLANS
Commission Approves Laying Out
of Fort Drive as Parkway
Encircling Washington.

Future development Of East Capitol
street Is a monumental avenue
flanked by governmental and semi
public buildings. serving as the key
stone Of . great development Of the
long-neglected East Washington sec
ton, appeared assured today.
Dedication Of East Capitol street.
from the Capitol to the Anacostia
Parkway, as site for future buildings
OF this character was agreed on late
yesterday evening by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion as one Of the last acts Of a highly
productive two-day session which
cleared the way for many vitality i'm
portant construction projects.
After long consideration of the ne
cessity for developing East Washing
ton to give balance to the National
nitely to set aside the East Capitol
street area for future smaller public
and semi-public structures.
The Government now owns a right
Of way of 100 feet along East Capitol
street. Alternative plans fixing vAri-
Gus widths up to 240 feet, the distance
between the Supreme Court and Ii
brary OF Congress buildings, were re-
ferred to the Co-ordinating Commit
tee for further study.
Plan for Future Action.
The commission also has determined
upon the future development OF Inde-
pendence and Constitution avenues
east Of the Capitol. 1t is planned to
widen both B street NE. and B street
Sc. and change the names to Con-
stitution and Independence avenues
as far as the Anacostia Parkway.
Curb and building lines for indie
pendence avenue west of the Capitol
were established yesterday at so and
100 feet, respectively, assuring a fu-
ture development of this section rival
ing that Of Constitution avenue
Similar action remains to be taken
east Of the Capitol.
As = result OF yesterdays action 1t
Is assured that future buildings for
which there no longer is provision
made in the Northwest section will be
given sites along East Capitol street
in positions to be determined by the
future fixing of building lines there.
Regarded as Of nearly as great i'm
portance was the approval by the
commission yesterday of construction
plans for the Fort drive, to encircle
the District from the Potomac River
near Chain Bridge to Blue Plains.
The plans call for a parkway type
OF construction similar to the Mount
Vernon highway, barred to CONNER
cial traff1c. Following the heights
which encircle Washington like the
rim Of a saucer. the drive not only
would connect the Civil War fortifi-
cations but would provide wide views
OF the city and nearby Maryland. 1t
Will avoid existing streets wherever
possible, it was announced by Thomas
6. Settle, secretary of the commission.
Approve School Plans.
The commission also approved plans
and a site for the Fort Bunker Hill
School, plans presented by the Alley
Dwelling Authority for purchase of a
number Of undisclosed sites for future
low-cost housing projects and plans
for enlargement of the District Jail,
including construction OF separate
execution room. The electric chair
now is set up in the dining hall.
The commission postponed until its
next meeting. October 21-22, action
upon plans for the Northwest Rectan-
gle, including the new War Depart
ment Buildings, for which plans now
are being. prepared.
The commission formally commend
ed the new Civil Aeronautics Authority
for its prompt action in settling
Washington's long-standing airport
problem. The commission had been
working since 1928, Mr.. Settle ex-
planned. toward a solution of the
problem and long had been in favor
of the Gravelly Point site. The plans
of the authority, Mr.. Settle said, cor
respond closely with those adopted
by the commission in 1885 for the
Gravelly Point development.
The commission considered the pro-
posal of Chairman Edward j. Noble
of the authority that q tri-city air.
port be established to serve Washing
ton, Baltimore and Annapolis in case
OF local weather conditions which
made close-in airports dangerous. It
was pointed out that the Washington
and Baltimore city lines are only 30
miles apart, and that many large
cities have regular terminals at dis
tances Of IS miles or more. The tri-
city airport project would tie in with
the Washington Baltimore parkway
plan approved by the commission, 1t
was pointed out.
John Nolen, jr., director of planning,
presented a progress report on a sur
vey Of the Anacostia Valley in Prince
Georges County now being completed
in preparation for 100000 land
purchase program for the Anacostia
Parkway which will serve as a por-
tion Of the Baltimore Parkway. The
survey is being made in cooperation
with the Army engineer ONCE and
the Maryland Park and Planning
Commission.
The commission cleared the way
for the development of the park tri-
angle north of the Commerce Depart
ment by transferring the tract from
the Treasury Department to the Ma
tional Park Service. It will come
Under care of the Once OF National
Capital Parks. which is expected to de-
velop the detailed plans for formal
park treatment. The commission also
dedicated to the District government
strips around the park for sidewalk
construction.
Other important action taken by
the commission at the closing session
yesterday included approval Of plans
for development of the former Tuber-
culosis Hospital site at Fourteenth and
Upshur streets NV. as a site for
Wilson Teachers College and q major
recreational area and plans for con-