Evening star., 1941-11-14
Plan 10 Extend
independence
Ave. Approved
Question Of Spon for
Tidal Busin Not
Yet Settled
By HENRY A. Muslin.

One Of the Districts knottiest
highway problems resulting from
placement OF the new War Depart
ment Building in Arlington County
was brought closer to solution today
when the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and National
Commission of Fine Arts, meeting
Jointly, approved plans for extension
of Independence avenue from Four
teenth street to the Lincoln Me-
mortal plaza
One phase of the extension project
was not definitely decided, however.
and was referred to the District
Highway Department and United
States Engineer Office for flnal de-
cision. This was whether to span
the north end Of the Tidal Basin by
bridge or causeway.
A heated debate is known to
have been stirred over the method
Of spanning the Tidal Basin, the
Planning and Arts Commissions
favor a causeway, principally be-
cause OF its effect on the aesthetic
aspects of West Potomac Park. The
engineers, on the other hand. feel
that a bridge would be utilitarlan
and would not interfere with the
flushing function of the basin.
Use of the causeway. 1t was said,
would necessitate filling in approx
mately 2 acres Of the basins over
all area of IL acres.
Ask Consideration of Gate.
In passing the problem on to the
engineers, the planning and hne
arts groups asked that consideration
be given the basin intake gate on
GEORGETOWN Channel. Enlarge
ment, thev feel, would compensate
for any impairment OF the oaSin S
flushing capacity resulting from
causeWay fill
Thomas S. Settle. Planning Com
mission secretary, said that capt
n c. Whitehurst. District director
of highways, has estimated the cost
of the bridge or cauSeway as nearlV
equal. 1t was not revealed What
the figure would be in either case.
Yesterday, the planners lndorsed
two bills before Congress which
would invest the Zoning Commission
with definite authority to require
future public and private builders
to provide off street parking space
n or adjacent to new structures.
One of the measures approved
Yesterday would amend the Zonlng
Act of June 20, 1888, to give the
Zoning Commission the power 10
make private constructors INCLUDE
parking facilities ''in the building
or elsewhere for owners, occupants,
tenants, patrons and customers OF
their buildings and for the 'busl-
nesses, trades and professions con-
Quoted therein
Recommends Change.
The other bill, applicable to Fed
eral buildings, would require that
space readily accessible to such
buildings shall be provided and
maintained for parking Of automo-
biles and motor vehicles OF 20 per
cent of the persons employed in such
building
However, the Endorsement OF the
second measure contained the rec
ommendation that it be changed tn
read 10 to 20 instead OF simply
70 per cent of employees.
Action on another proposed zonlng
change to permit home owners IN
A-restricted and A-semi-restricted
sones to take in more than two
roomers was sidetracked pending
public hearings on the legislation
December g.
The planners took the stand that
unless the hearings established the
fact that a clear majority OF home
owners desire the change, and that
unless it can be shown that the
change would constitute ma
terial remedy" for the defense hous-
ing shortage. it was not desirable
Act on Postwar Plan.
The Planning Board also voted
Yesterday to cooperate with the
Federal Works Agency and National
Resources Planning Board in the
six-year, postwar Public Work
Reserve program. The Resources
Board is asking the help of all
State planning agencies in drawing
up the program. which contemplates
expenditure of $1,000 900 900 or
IS 900 100000 in an effort to stave
of postwar depression.
Mr.. Settle said the group hoped thai
such jobs as clearing the Mall OF
temporary defense Office buildings
and developing the city's recreation
system could be undertaken as part
OF the Public Work Reserve pro-
gram.
Approval was given defense hous.
ing projects at the ST. Elizabeth!
Hospital Farm, where 10 units art
being built for Army personnel a
Boiling Field: an Alley Dwelling Au
thority undertaking of 300 units OF
Stanton road Sc. and the Metro
poiitan Life Insurance Co.'S larg'
project In Alexandria, Va.
Approve Girls Dormitory.
Approval of the insurance Arm
project, however, was given will
the proviso that it should not in
tertere with the proposed alternat'
route to U. s. Highway No. l
vhichis planned from the intersec
tion OF Arlington Ridge road ant
Columbia pike in Arlington to For
Belvoir. Va.
Likewise approved was the pro
posed dormitory for bachelor girl
defense workers at Fifteenth ant
Euclid streets NV. Approval her
also was subject to the building
A>ine sot hanL nf thu hlIildinu lin