Evening star., 1941-01-17
6. %. BUILDING
IsApprov,ed by
Planning Group
Structure North of
Old Pension Office
To Cost S9,850,000

C1 al ASSOulVillS OLlSS ouAAA4A'S, w
be situated on the block north of the
old Pension. Office, now occupied by
G. A. O., at a cost of $9,850,0O0, were
approved today by the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission.
Thomas S. Settle, commission Sec
retary, said plans and preliminary
sketches presented by Louis Simon,
chief architect of Public Buildings
Administration, showed a building
very similar to the new Interior De-
partment Building - seven stories
with wings and penthouse setback
on the roof.
The 1912 budget asks Congress to
appropriate S5,000,000 to continue
purchase of the site and commence
construction.
Land already is being acquired
through condemnation and plans
drawn up under a S2,0O0,000 appro-
priation this year.
Mr.. Settle said that the Planning
Commission anticipates that when
the new G.. A. o. quarters are COM
pleted the old Pension Office will be
demolished and in its place erected
a new building for the United States
District Court for the District of Co.
lumbia.
Disagreement on Site.
However, there is disagreement
between the Federal judges on the
one side and the Bar Association
and Planning Commission on the
other as to the desirability of this
site for a new District Court.
The judges desire that the new
court be placed together with the
United States Courts of Appeals for
the District, Customs and Patent
Appeals and Claims and the United
States Board of Tax Appeals in
buildings flanking the proposed
memorial park to the late Chief
Justice Holmes Immediately east of
the Supreme Court.
The justices have pointed out that
1t is folly to assume the Govern
ment would agree to tear down the
old Pension Office Building now
when Office space is so badly needed
for defense purposes. They feel,
1t has been reported, that if the
District Court refrains from includ-
ing itself in the buildings proposed
for Capitol Hill it may be years
before any new building is realized.
Independence Avenue Widening.
The Commission today approved
plans to widen Independence ave-
nue. S.W. to 30 feet from Seventh
to Fourteenth streets and to con-
tinue 1t all the way to the Potomac
River in the same manner as Con-
stitution avenue. The avenue al
ready has been Widened westward as
far as Seventh street S.W. Plans
for the extension of the avenue
west of Fourteenth street were de-
scrlbed as only preliminary.
Henry Hanrahan, Arlington Coun-
ty manager; c. L. Kinnear, Airing
ton County engineer, and Frank l..
Deter, executive officer of the Arling-
ton Planning Commission, today
submitted plans to the commission
for new connection between Ridge
road and Lee boulevard where they
1ntersect. Present plans call for
Arlington Ridge road to underpass
the boulevard where the latter over
passes the Pennsylvania Railroad,
thereby doing away with the present
grade crossing. A loop, however,
must be provided between the two
highways.
Plans also were presented by the
Arlington officials to provide against
traffic congestion in the vicinity of
the Government new general pur-
pose Office building to be built at
Columbia pike and Arlington Ridge
road.
Traffic Control System.
A model traffic control system for
Washington was discussed at yester-
days meetings of the commission
with the District Commissioners.
Commissioner J. C. Nichols of the
planning body emphasized that the
National Capital owes a duty to the
country as whole, as well as to its
own residents, to clear the streets
of congestion and provide ample
parking facilities for visitors as well
as residents.
A plan by Traffic Director William
A. Van DuZer to level off the peak
of Washington's 9 am. rush period
was discussed at the session.
Would Move Schools Back.
1t was said Mr.. Van Duzer will
recommend that Government Offices
open at 15-minute intervals from
7:45 to 9;15 o'clock and that public
and private schools change their
opening time from 9 to $50 am.
Under the present set-up the peak
OF the traffic flow is reached between
$50 and 8:45 while 50 per cent of
the city's 10000 Federal workers
and all of the 10000 school children
are trying to reach their destina-
tions by o'clock.
Commissioner Nichols agreed that
changes must be made in the public
interest. Downtown Washington,
he said, passed the traffic and park
ing "saturation point" some time
ago. He added that individual sac
rifices will have to be made on the
part of the public if the present
congestion is to be relieved and
plans made for an increasing bur-
den due to the city's growth.
Drastic Parking Bans.
Mr.. Nichols said that drastic re-
striction of on-street parking would
stimulate private enterprise to pro-
vide off-street parking facilities, al
though care must be taken to pre-
vent a concentration of these
facilities in any one area.
The Commissioner said the meet
ing yesterday was to get the ball
rolling" toward a solution of traffic
problems rather than to make spe-
cific recommendations. These rec
concentrations will be made after
completion of joint parking survey
by the District and the Public Roads
Administration, the first of its kind
in the United States, and the report
being prepared by Mr.. Van Duzer.
Questions under consideration in
clude a PROPOSAL to finance parking