Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-24
Health Center
Site Is Chosen
By Planners
RuhIond's Agreement
Reported; Northwest
Location Kept Secret

A site already chosen for the long
awaited health center In the lower
Northwest area will be made public
as soon as funds to build the center
are made available, the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion announced yesterday at the
close of its May session.
Thomas S. Settle, commission sec
rotary, said Frederic A. Delano, COM
mission chairman, and District
Health Officer George C. Rutland
were lin complete agreement" as to
the site, but declined to make it
known at this time. Mr.. Settle said
the agreement had been reached
after series of conferences between
Mr.. Delano and DR.. Rutland in
Guiding tour of possible locations.
Some time ago DR.. Rutland in
dicated he favored using the land
adjacent to and owned by Homeo-
pathic Hospital at New York ave-
nue. and Kirby street NV.
Funds Being Sougth.
The assurance that funds for cree
ton of the center would be sought
during the current hearings on the
District budget was given several
months ago by the District Commits
sioners.
On two previous occasions, the
Planning Commission held up the
health center project by rejecting
DR.. Ruhland's request for use of the
triangle Of park land bounded by
New York avenue. First and M
streets NV. The commission took
the stand that the triangle. a part
of the original L'Enfant plan, was
essential to the city's park system.
Unanimous Endorsement of the
s44 100000 highway improvement
program submitted by Capt. H. C.
Whitehurst, District highway direc-
tor, was voted yesterday by the
commission. Also approved was the
suggestion that the program be
financed by raising the present 2
cent tax on gasoline to cents.
Capt. Whitehurst spent several
hours before the commission out
lining various phases of the study.
Approves Recreation Schedules.
Acting on a report submitted by
Milo F. Christensen, acting CO.
ordinator of recreation, the commits
sion approved the two $4,000 prior
ity schedules for developing District
recreation centers submitted to the
Commissioners week ago. Thirty
of the So recreation centers covered
in the entire program would be af-
fected by the two priorities.
The two schedules are part of
s5,580,700 program for park and
recreation development and were
selected for advancement by the
Board of Education.
With its approval, the planning
board recommended that efforts be
made to obtain the necessary money
Staff members of the commission
will meet Monday with the Alex
andria Val City Council to map a
comprehensive coming plan for
Washington street. it was announced
Recent requests that erection of
unsuitable structures on Wash
ington street be permitted resulted
in request by the Alexandria City
heads that the Planning Commission
assist with the preparation of long
term coming provisions, Mr.. Settle
explained.
Protest Zoning Change.
He said the commission has writ
ten a letter to the Fairfax County
va Board of Supervisors protest.
ing a coming change in the area
south of Fort Hunt near the Mount
Vernon Memorial highway. The
area now is restricted to single
family dwellings, but the county
board has been asked to permit
construction of apartment houses
there, Mr.. Settle said pointing out
that apartments would mar the
scenic properties of the highway and
result in traffic congestion.
John Nolen. jr., director of plan
ming, announced that the Virginia
State Highway Department has I'M
dertaken a study of the commits
sion's proposal to extend a road
southwark from Arlington Memorial
Bridge to effect a juncture with
U. S. route No. near Fort Belvoir.
Mr.. Nolen explained that the COM
mission long has considered it advis-
able to provide a southern approach
to the bridge through Fairfax and
Arlington Counties. Such a road
would bypass Alexandria as a part
of the main route to the South, he
pointed out.
He also announced the commission
was considering plan to build a
tunnel beneath the Potomac be-
tween Marbury Point, on the Dis
trict side, and the traffic circle
north of Alexandria.