Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-02-04
D. {. Urged 10 Change
Planning Board 10
Sa|aried Group
FuII-Time Chuirmun
And Four Civilians
Proposed by Adviser

Reorganization of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion with membership that would
include a full-time salaried chair
man and four part time paid civil
ians was proposed yesterday by AL
fred Bettman, chairman of the Gin
cinnati City Planning Commission,
at luncheon meeting of the Com
mittee Of One Hundred of the Fed
eral City at the Washington Hotel.
At present, the commission men,
bership consists Of four citizens who
serve without pay, one of whom is
chairman; the chairmen of the
House and Senate District Commit
tees, the District Engineer Commits
sioner. the heads Of the National
Park and National Forest Services,
and the Chief of the Corps Of En-
gineers.
Mr.. Bettman, q consultant who
frequently serves the commission,
also suggested that it should be
mandatory that all matters relating
to planning should be submitted to
the commission for its consideration.
At present. projects are sometimes
carried out by Government agencies
without consulting the body.
Mandatory to Read" Report.
1t also should be mandatory, Mr..
Bettman said, that agencies at least
read" the commissions report.
Frederic A. Delano, chairman of
the commission and chairman Of
the Committee of One Hundred, re-
iterated his announced intention of
resigning from the commission and
also urged again its reorganization
ito meet present changing condi-
tons" Mr.. Delano offered his res
ignation nearly a year ago, but was
prevailed upon to serve until the
reorganization had been under
taken. The Budget Bureau has been
conducting study looking toward
this end and two of its representa-
tives were present at yesterdays
luncheon.
Mr.. Bettman, who has drawn up
planning statutes for a number of
States, suggested that the present
ex oficio members of the commits
sion be shifted to the commissions
Co-ordinating Committee, at pres
ent composed of Is members repre-
senting various departments of the
District government. He would also
add to this committee the head of
the Bureau of Public Roads and one
who represented the agency in
charge of erecting Federal buildings.
Correlate Activities.
This committee is set up to CO.
ordinate the planning activities of
departments with jurisdiction over
streets, Fairgrounds. schools, coming,
etc. With the ex officio members on
the present planning commission
added, it would also correlate the
planning activities of the legislative
branch with the administrative
agencies.
Arguing for the smaller commits
sion, with the larger co-ordinating
committee, Mr.. Bettman said the
setup would make for less unwield-
mess when the commission had to
make decisions. In addition, he
pointed out that ex of1cio members
usually are very busy men" and
often send substitutes to the COM
mission meetings.
planning is no off-and- ON sub
ject," he said. 1T must have q
continuity"
However, If community preferred
having the ex officio members on
the commission itself, they should
not outnumber the civilians, as the
latter are often "a little tirnid in
resisting a Government Official" he
said.
longtime Objective.
As to the degree of weight that a
commissions opinion on a project
should carry, Mr.. Bettman said that
in communities that have the city
council form Of government it usual
~ should take more than majority
Of the council to override the COM
missions recommendations.
In washington one might sug-
gest leave it to the President to
make the final decision but from
what I read in the papers he is a
very busy man." the speaker con-
tinued. II would suggest that the
agency making the final decision at
least be required to read the COM
missions opinion"
As a long time objective, Mr.. Bett-
man urged creation of a planning
board that would have jurisdiction
over the entire Washington area,
including Maryland and Virginia.
but for the immediate present he
suggested an increase In the volun-
tary cooperation between the plan
ming bodies Of Z area He also