Evening star., 1941-04-19
Planners Add
5 Tracts for
Parkway
Condemnutions in
Virginia and Maryland
Are Contemplated

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission announced at
the close of its April meeting yester-
day the purchase, at a cost of ap-
proximately $4,000, of five land
tracts near the city on both sides
of the Potomac River for the George
Washington Memorial Parkway,
-Four of the contracts involve
land on the Maryland side between
the District line and the Anglers
Club near Great Falls. it was said,
and amounted to $4,000 of the total
expenditure. The land bought in
Virginia lies between Key Bridge
and Spout Run, extending some dis
tance up the stream itself. Thomas
S. Settle, commission secretary, said
the planning group considered Spout
Run an excellent place for a park
way, adding that road joining the
George Washington Parkway with
Lee boulevard was contemplated.
Condemnations in Prospect.
Although only one tract of land
was bought in Virginia, its pur-
chase brought to two-thirdS COM
pletion what is known as unit No. 2
of the parkway, Mr.. Settle said.
He said further negotiations in the
region had come to nothing and de-
oJo-eJ tho ,11o or,,ip0 oor,o ccio,, in
tended to undertake condemnation
proceedings to obtain the needed
remainder at an early date.
The commission also intends to
condemn what land it has been
unable to obtain through contract
on the Maryland side between the
District line and Great Falls, Mr..
Settle said. He declined to state
just how much territory would be
involved when such steps are taken.
Approval of two Alley Dwelling
Authority projects also was an
nounced yesterday, those in the
James Greek region. east of the
Army War College, and the Park
side Apartments. Planning and SUBJ
division of low-cost housing units
to be built in both localities were
considered, Mr.. Settle said.
The commission voted to turn over
control of the recently completed
Congress Heights Playground to the
District Commissioners.
To Study Population Growth.
Cooperating with the District
War Department engineers, the
planning group will undertake a
study of population growth and
distribution in the Washington re-
gion, it was announced. John Nolen.
jr. director of planning, recon-
mended participating in the study.
The commission agreed, Mr..
portant factor in determining pop
ulation growth in the District area
was the extent to which the Fed
eral Government would continue
to centralize its activities rere. A
division of the study will be de-
voted entirely to the Federal estab-
lishment he said.
A study of regional railroad prob
lens also will be made by the COM
mission, Mr.. Settle revealed. He did
not say just what problems would
be taken under advisement, but re-
vealed that the group last had made
such a study in 1927. Harland
Bartholomew of St. Louis, Mo, spe-
cial consultant to the Commission
on City Planning and Zoning, will
handle that groups part Of the
work, it was said.
To Clese Street.
To provide space for the new
General Accounting Office Build
ing, G place, which is located be-
tween Fourth and Fifth, G and H
streets NV, soon will be closed
at the commissions order. it was
announced. The commission also
was told that all agencies concerned
in the location of the new District
Court Building have agreed it
should be erected on the site of
the old Pension Office Building, Mr..
Settle said.
The commission recommended
that a bill prepared by Representa-
tive Smith, Democrat, of Virginia,
relating to a study of Highway
Bridge traffic, be extended to in
clude a survey of all existing and
proposed approaches to the city
across the Potomac and Anacostia
Rivers. This would include bridges
and tunnels, Mr.. Settle pointed out.