Evening star., 1939-09-14
Pa|isade Park
Land Acquired
By Commission
Purchase of 81
Acres Virtually
Completes Project

ouisition for Palisade Park along the
District shore of the Potomac River
from above Key Bridge to the Dis
trict line was announced today by
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission.
The commissions land-purchasing
officer and appraiser, Norman G..
Brown, reported that 81 acres lying
between the B. g. O. Railroad tracks
and the river and largely owned by
the railroad have been purchased.
The land runs from Maddox Branch
to the District distributing reservoir
on Conduit road and for a short
distance at the foot of Glover
Archbold Park.
Another important land purchase
was made public for the f1rst time
today as Mr.. Brown announced that
approximately 40 acres of land for
the Oxen Run Parkway in South
east Washington has been con-
demned for acquisition and that the
commission has formally ratified tie
condemnation award.
Aids Flood Control.
This acquisition, Mr.. Brown said,
not only establishes neighborhood
park but makes flood control pos
sible in this portion of the city.
A sanitary sewer Is now being
constructed in the OXon Valley,
but the necessity of installing eX-
pensive storm sewer facilities is
now precluded by the purchase OF
the land for a parkway, Mr.. Brown
said
The land condemned for acqui-
sition in this area lies in a strip
from Second to Thirteenth streets
and between Valley and Missis-
sippi avenues Sc.
Action also was taken today on
three other important land pur-
chases, Mr.. Brown said. The plan
ming body acted to acquire approx
imately II acres in four different
locations to straighten out the lines
Of Anacostia Park. The exact 10
cations were not made public.
To Complete Fairgrounds.
The commission also acted to
complete the Barry Farms Play
ground on Nichols avenue between
Sumner and Howard roads Sc. by
acquiring the street frontage neces-
sary to complete the project. Mr..
Brown said that the area being
acquired at this time is not large
but important to the project.
In another acquisition move. an
additional Civil War battery loca-
ton was added to the city's park
system when the commission acted
today to acquire Battery Ricketts,,
On one of the highest ridges in the
Southeast section with COM
rnanding view of the city. Approx
imately six acres are being acquired
where the old battery was located
Just west of Fort Stanton Park near
Erie street Sc. Other minor acqui-
sitions in various sections of the
city were also acted upon by the
commission at this mornings ses-
sion.
Impending land purchases in Ar
lington (VaD and Montgomery
(Md) counties for extension of the
George Washington Memorial park
way and tentative plans for the new
District National Guard Armory at
the end of East Capitol street were
also on the agenda of the commits
sion as it swung into action today at
Its first meeting of the coming
season.
Montgomery County is armed with
e150,000 as result of subscriptions
to a special parkway bond issue
which is to be matched with $780,
600 for planning commission funds
Arlington County has $45,000 avail
able which has been matched by
S45000 from the State of Virginia.
This 100000 is being matched by
$4,000 of the commissions funds.
Originally the Arlington-State-Com-
mission outlay was to have been
100000 but estimates proved that
only $1800O0 was needed.
ArmOry Plans to be Presented.
Tentative plans for the new ar
nory will be presented to the COM
mission by District Architect Nathan
C. Wyeth and discussion is ex-
pected to center around the adapta-
tion Of the armory to both military
ana community use.
The National Commission of Fine
Arts, which meets alone tomorrow
morning, and tomorrow afternoon
in joint session with the planners,
will also be in on the armory dis
cussion
Tomorrow's Program.
Other items to be taken up tomor-
row were zoning along the Mount
Vernon Memorial Highway where it
passes down Washington street in
Alexandria, changing of the Ship
stead Act map to include Lafayette
Square, land bounded by New York
avenue, the Potomac River and F
street NV, where the new War and
Navy Departments are to be placed,
and sections of Rock Creek Park;
status of current legislation affecting
the commission the extension of E
street from Seventeenth street east
to South Executive avenue, the pos
sibility of bringing the Columbian
Fountain, relic of the Columbian
Exposition of 1898, to Washington;
tentative studies of the proposed
new Navy Department and final
plans for relocation of the Mount
Vernon Memorial Highway at
Gravelly Point.
Water Front to Come Up.
On Saturday the commission is
to confer with the United States
Engineer Office on the development
of the Washington Channel water
front. The first two units of the
development work are now complete
In addition, the commission is to
discuss plans for comprehensive
survey of the entire District of Co.
lumbia water front with an eye to
Its eventual treatment.
Tentative plans for future grade
separations in the city, notably one
at Fourteenth street and Maine ave-
! nue. S.W., were to be presented to
the commission by John Nolen, jr.,