Evening star., 1942-02-20
Arlington Faces
Decision on
Public HOUSING
Honrohon Opposes
Plan; IhIder Cites
Necessity 7

s>SSSSs/
A decision is imminent on the
question of whether the District
Alley Dwelling Authority shall con-
struct about 1,700 housing units
In Arlington County, Va, in the
face of offers by private enter
prise and other governmental
agencies to construct higher type
and permanent grade of housing,
County Manager Frank c. Han
rahan declared today.
John Ihlder, executive officer OF
the A. D. A. Is expected to appear
before the County Board tomorrE
morning with a proposal to locate
about 1,700 pre-fabricated houses in
Arlington.
Efforts by the County Board and
myself to protect the orderly plan
ming of Arlington County. particu-
larly against cheap housing in the
guise of national defense, are about
to reach a Climax" Mr.. Hanrahan
declared.
Ihlder Expresses Surprise.
Mr.. Ihlder expressed surprise at
Mr.. Hanrahan's statement in ad-
vance of the board meeting, where
he said he had hoped to discuss
with an open mind" with Mr.. Han
rahan and the board of members
the question u housing for the bene-
At of the entire Washington area.
Denying that he had exerted any
"pressure, Mr.. Ihlder said he plan
ned to ask the board what areas
would be available for the con-
struction of additional housing units
and ask the members cooperation
in finding sites for badly needed
houses in the metropolitan area.
IF private builders will put up
the necessary houses" Mr.. Ihlder
said, I'VE will be more than pleased.
What we are interested in is get
ting adequate housing facilities
for defense workers" His aid, said
Mr.. Ihlder, is to supply the neces-
sary housing-public or private-to
meet the existing emergency. Fail
ure to meet that emergency, he said,
might prove to be a major catas-
trophe.
Standard to Follow.
Recognizing that the defense
workers of this area are mostly of
the white collar" grade, Mr.. Han
rahan said he and the County Board
have worked for the past several
months to avoid the construction OF
large numbers of cheaply construct
ed homes such as are found in the
industrial communities of Norfolk,
Newport News and Portsmouth.
'Tn the past two years" the county
manager asserted, private builders
have spent more than $4,000, 900
building homes and apartments OF
the better class, which meet Our
lawfully adopted building and zon-
ing regulations.
1--WE have endeavored to cooper
ate with the ever increasing popula-
ton resulting from Government ex-
pansion, and it has been necessary
to deal with a great number Of hous-
ing agencies, each of which is ap-
parently independent of the other.
We have received splendid cooper
alton from these agencies and we
believe we have convinced them that
1t is to the better interest of the
Metropolitan Area that they at least
have some standard to follow in
Arlington County so that after the
emergency the surrounding commu-
mites, as well as ourselves, will be
benefited"
Unnecessary Pressure"
Arlington has received unsolicited
commendation in Washington news
paper editorials, national planning
magazines and other publications,
the result of the county's efforts to-
avoid large numbers of cheap
houses, he said.
Now it appears that within the
last week something has happened
to subject us to unnecessary pres
sure from the Alley Dwelling Au-
thority represented by Mr.. Ihlder.
1--WE do not believe that such a
large number of cheaply constructed
houses should be placed in Airing
ton. Some years ago our citizens
voted bond issues for water, sewer
and sewage disposal systems be-
cause they recognized the need for
maintaining a healthy community.
The citizens had sufficient foresight
to provide these facilities for today.
1--WE have been subjected to pres
sure from builders and spectators
in neighboring Fairfax County to
connect large developments there
with our water and sewer systems
That would result in placing their
land in competition with that of
Arlington without the taxpayers of
Fairfax County having to pay for
benefits that Arlington citizens have
been paying for and are still pay
ing for.
Use War as Argument.
~Since the beginning of the
emergency and particularly after
our involvement in war, these same
builders and spectators and certain
officials of Fairfax County, in CO.
operation with the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, are
endeavoring to have legislation
passed by the General Assembly to
force Arlington into a position to
accept responsibility for the lack of
proper. facilities in adjoining urban
communities.
1--WE have applied for Federal as
sistance to increase our water and
sewer systems to meet unprecedent-
ed population increases. To my
mind these funds have been with
held SO as to be held as a club over
our heads and require us to supply
services to other communities which
they do not have because of a lack
Of foresight and aggressiveness."
"I don't feel that clubs should
be held over our heads and
pressure employed at this critical
time when most of the housing
agencies have appreciated our efforts
to expand in an orderly manner.
There are several thousand more
housing units planned to be con-
structed in Arlington with r. F. c.
%ho,, will o,x~ nxv,x1