Evening star., 1941-07-25
A Staggering Project

The S35,O0O,OOO War Department
building project planned for Arling-
ton County, Virginia, is so Stagger-
ing in its proportions as to be diff
cult to grasp on short notice-and
the notice was so short that even
such customary planning agencies as
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission and the Fine Arts
Commission we're not consulted by
the House Appropriations Commit
tee before it reported the proposal
favorably to the House yesterday.
That the plan was drawn in haste is
evident from testimony given before
the committee. Brigadier General
Brehon B. Somervell of the Quarter
master Generals Department of the
Army, who was identified as author
of the plan, told the committee he
had not had time to confer with the
Fine Arts Commission He eX-
planned, moreover, that the Park and
Planning Commission was not con-
suited because "of course it is out
side of the jurisdiction" of the COM
mission. This view, however, is in
conflict with the act of April 80,
1926, which gives the commission
authority to develop a plan not only
for Washington proper but for Its
environs."
Since the record of the hearings
shows that the project was first de-
scribed to the House committee on
Tuesday of this week. it is natural
that questions should arise as to
practical as we'll as eSthetic aspects
of the plan. Disregarding the long
approved Northwest rectangle pro-
gram which called for the new War
Department Buildings near Virginia
avenue and Twenty-fr street and a
new Navy Building west of the Naval
Hospital, the new plan provides for
a structure on the old Arlington Ex-
perimental Farm large enough to
accommodate 10000 employees, about
$4,000 persons less than the present
population of Arlington County and
some $4,000 more employees than
work in all of the buildings of the
present Federal Triangle. The cost
will approximate that of New York
City's Empire State Building and the
area of its three floors will be about
double that of the Empire State
Building, according to General Som
ervell, although other figures contest
the accuracy of such comparison.
A building of such colossal size
requires adequate sewerage, water
and other utility services. 1t is
assumed the War Department and
Congress will take into consideration
the fact that Arlington Countys
water and sewerage facilities in the
proposed area already are under
going strain. County officials re-
Gently declared that new sewage
disposal plant and other equipment
would be required to serve any large
new Federal buildings on that site.
Bridge connections with Washington
are taxed to capacity by existing
traffic. The committee was told that
the bulk of War Department en-
ployes live in the District, which
means that additional facilities for
crossing the Potomac may be neces-
sary.
Surely Congress will not adopt so
farreaching and revolutionary a
project without affording the Park
and Planning Commission and other
interested agencies or officials an
opportunity to pass upon the tech
nical, artistic and other aspects of
the undertaking. 1t may well be
that careful studies by building and
planning experts will show that the
proposal is feasible and, in view of
emergency conditions, altogether de-
sirable. To ignore the advice of ex-
perienced planners, however, would
be serious mistake that might
bring disastrous complications later.