Evening star., 1942-05-06
Arlington Site
Picked for 200
|Dennountab|es
IhIder Reveals
A. D. A. Plans to
| Civic Federation

The Alley Dwelling Authority will
build 200 demountable houses on the
Boyd tract behind Fort Myer in
Arlington, Va, as soon as the Army
makes the land available, John
Ihlder. executive officer of the A.
D. A. told the Arlington County
Civic Federation last night.
The Army is using the site now
for equipment, Mr.. Ihlder said. The
200 homes to be built there will be
a part of the 1,750 dwelling units
which the A. D. A. intends to build
in Virginia this year, he declared.
Top cost of each home, accord
ing to Mr.. Ihlder. will be $4,000.
He told the group that this was not
sufficient figure to permit the
units to support themselves as far
as cost to the county is concerned.
However. the Federal Government
will make up the difference, Mr..
Ihlder indicated.
For War Department Workers.
The houses will be located in
groups of three or four, which Mr..
Ihlder said would make a more at
tractive appearance than If they
were detached but separated by
only a short distance. They are in
tended for use by workers in the
new War Department Building in
Arlington.
Walter P. Hudgins, project de-
| velopment assistant with the A. D.
A., told the federation that every
piece Of property within a two
mile radius of the new War Depart
ment Building was being examined
| for possible use as building site.
Land to be used, he explained, must
be level, available to sewer and
water service and must not cost
more than $500 an acre.
AS to sewer and water supply for
the new homes, Mr.. Ihlder said that
survey of existing facilities was
being conducted. He assured fed
Grafton members that present facili-
| ties would not be curtailed.
Provision would be made for ad-
ditions to county schools rather
than new schools, Mr.. Ihlder said,
since a new school probably would
not be necessary.
Fate After War Not Predicted.
Ernest Simpson. member of the
Lee Boulevard Purity Squad Of the
federation, which has fought to keep
the boulevard free of commercial
ism, asked Mr.. Ihlder what assur-
ance there would be that the houses
would be torn down after the emer-
gency was over.
Nobody can make any promises
these days." Mr.. Ihlder said I'VE
hope that these houses will be torn
down. That's as far as we can CO."
I'VE must provide shelter for the
war workers pouring into Washing
ton," he said. The longer we wait,
the more handicaps we will have to
overcome.
The proposed $4,000 dormitory
units which will be built in the
metropolitan Area to house war
workers will present a bombing haz-
ard, Mr.. Ihlder admitted, but he
emphasized that the danger of an
epidemic through over-c r W d d
housing was even more severe.
To prevent further over -crowding,
Mr.. Ihlder said the Federal Govern
ment may be forced to ask workers
to come to Washington and to leave
their hamilieS at home. He also
said that the Government might
find it necessary to ask Washing
tonians in non-defense work to leave
the city.
The families of the men who
come here alone will help prevent
a postwar population shrinkage.
Mr.. 1hlder declared. Their coming
here after the war will help COM
pensate for those who will leave,
he said.
The group authorized its Legisla-
tive and Legal Action Committee to
c1rcularize a petition asking the
circuit judge to appoint committee
which would draw a tentative char
ter for Arlington as an incorporated
city. The Arlington incorporation
bill passed by the General Assembly
states that incorporation action may
be brought either through a petition
or action OF the County Board.
The board has previously refused
to pass the necessary resolution.
Action of County Manager Frank
G. Hanrahan in urging county resi-
dents to pool their automobile facili-
ties was approved by the federation
in a resolution stating that all pri-
Vate cars in the county should be
| ODerated at ful1 rapocifv