Evening star., 1943-07-22
Backing Of Planners
Sought by Randolph
To Develop Capital

Chairman Randolph OF the House
District Committee today asked the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission to cooperate with the
committee in postwar planning fot
permanent development OF WASH
ington.
In a letter to Thomas s. Settle,
commission secretary, Mr.. Randolph
called attention 10 plan now being
developed for the demolition OF cer-
tain houses and the establishment
of permanent parkways. In this
plan number of streets were
marked for boulevard construction
Chairman Randolph explained
that the District Committees studies
for postwar development of the Cap
ital indicate that street planning
comes first, with later developments
for transportation, and that he hopes
to get co-ordinated cooperation
from all agencies looking toward
postwar development. He had pre-
viously written on this subject to
Engineer Commissioner c. w. Kutz
Calls Attention to Report.
In his letter to Mr.. Settle, Chair
man Randolph called attention to
a report of preliminary survey a
year ago by the District Department
of Highways, as directed by a joint
resolution of Congress This in
cluded a recommendation that $50
900 should be provided to make
the detailed surveys, engineering
investigation and estimates of cost.
No appropriation has been made for
this purpose.
Chairman Randolph wrote to Mr..
Settle that in view of the fact eff
fective transportation planning and
city planning must be closely CO.
ordinated, the committee would ap-
preciate If he would submit plans
he has developed so that a COM
plete, timely picture could be had
as a basis for the surveys in the
highway report.
He also asked that a tentative
estimate of the initial sum needed
for the work of the Capital Park
and Planning Commission be sub
mitted to the House District Com
mittee as early as possible
Two HaIbor Projects Listed.
Commissioner KutZ, in answering
Chairman Randolph's request, dis
closed today that two Washington
Harbor projects have been designed
for postwar construction. One is for
the Potomac River Virginia Chan
mel This calls for removal of rock
pinnacles upstream from the Airing
ton Memorial Bridge to Easily Point
The surveys. plans and specifications
have been completed for removal of
1912 cubic yards of rock at an eSti-
mated cost of $4,000
The second approved project is for
the north side of Washington Chan
mel. This provides for construction
of five commercial piers, three yacht
basins, various buildings and freight
and passenger sheds. Construction
on this project was discontinued in /
November, 1912, in accordance with |
orders of the War Production Board, !
when the project was 40 per cent
complete
BY special authority and allot-
ment surveys, plans and speciica-
tions for completing this project
are now in progress. A tentative
schedule provides for the completion
of these plans in October, 1914
However, these tentative plans look
for the completion of pier No. for
excursion lines by September l this
year and for yacht basin No. 3 by
December 81.
Also of interest are studies now
under way in Washington engineer
district (rivers and harbors) for
the comprehensive development of |
the water resources of the Potomac
and Rappahannock Rivers drainage
basins. In addition to flood con-
troll, these reports will deal with
hydro-electric power development !
control of stream pollution and low
flow experimentation.
Will Provide Added Work.
1t is anticipated Col. Clarence
RenshaW, engineer in charge of the
Washington rivers and harbors dis
trict says that the Rappahannock
River report will be completed in
September of this year, 'and the (
report on the Potomac River early /.
in 1914 A report also is being pre- |
pared in compliance with a public |
law approved August 28 1887. on a
preliminary examination and sur
vey of the north branch of the Po-
tomac River and its tributaries in
the vicinity of Keyser, w. Va. This
report will be covered in the COM
prehensive survey of the Potomac
River basin.
Col Renshaw reports that all |
these Potomac River projects, de-
veloped as result of these studies. /
if found economically feasible and /
if acceptable to Congress, will pro-
vide additional postwar construc-
ton work for the Washington !
area.