Evening star., 1943-05-21
Land d|sAcquired
In Northeast for
Flood Control
50 Lots Token Over
For Extension of
Watts Parkway
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

oollO4 Vi PloJCCL III I1lC 1NOl UllC1SU SCCs
ton. which eventually is expected
to save the District $1,000, 900, was
announced today by the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
Norman C. Brown, land purchas-
Ing officer, reported approval of a
condemnation award on some so lots
which completes the land acquisition
needed for extending the Watts
parkway between Minnesota and
Division avenues.
This is another step, Mr.. Brown
said, in the long range plan ito get
this troublesome stream bed in Gov
ernment ownership" While the
stream is small it has constantly
overflowed its banks in the heavy
rains and constitute a flood menace
to abutting property owners.
Funds Available.
Money is available, Mr.. Brown
said, to extend land acquisitions for
the parkway from Division avenue
to the District line.
The parkway project is being car
ried out as flood control measure.
District officials have estimated that
its development to reduce flood
damage would save the heavy ex-
pense OF constructing a storm sewer
for Watts Branch.
Before meeting in joint session
with the Fine Arts Commission and
representatives of nine national pro-
fessional groups to study postwar de-
velopments in Washington, the COM
mission also cleaned up some other
minor matters. One of these was
the reported final adjustment Of
jurisdiction over the Fort Wash
ington, Md, military reservation.
Piney Run Lots Acquired.
The commission also acquired 10
lots to round out a square in the
Piney Run parkway near Forty
second street and Benning road NE.
This land was obtained by con-
demnation. Piney Run is another
stream where flood control measures
are planned.
The adjustment of jurisdiction
over the acreage at Fort Washing
ton. owned by the National Park
Service, was made so as to guaran-
tee permanent outlet to the
George Washington Memorial Park
way.
Approximately one-half of the
reservation was turned over to the
Army for permanent adjutant
rnpnro1fc crhNol Of fho
barracks on the section of the res
ervation containing the old fort
are to be transferred from their
present sites to vacant land to be
used by the school.
Frederic A. Delano, chairman of
the National Resources Board, who
served as chairman of the Planning
Commission for so many years until
his recent retirement, was among
those attending the joint session on
planning for Washingtons develop
ment.
The Park and Planning Commits
sion. which is holding its monthly
meeting. met day later than usual.
That was to allow some officials to
attend the New York sessions of the
American Society of Planning Off,
cials and the National Association
of Architects.
To Discuss Changes.
Maj. Gen. u. S. Grant, Sd, chair
man, invited the heads of the nine
professional groups to take part in
the session with the Fine Arts Com
mission as the easiest way to orient
them on what is now being done and
what must be done in the way of
postwar planning. He will review
the prewar program dealing with
the National Capital park system.
Changes forced in this plan and
new activities brought about by the
war will be discussed
The chsirmen and the organiZa-
tions which they represent are: The
Committee of 100 on the Federal
City of the American Planning and
Civic Association. Charles F. Con-
saul; American Federation of Arts,
George Hewitt Myers; American In
stitute of Architects, c. c. Zanzin-
ger: Garden Clubs of America, Mrs.
Luis j. Francke; American Society
of Landscape Architects. Bradford
williams; American Institute of
Planners. Jacob L. Crane; American
Society of Civil Engineers, Harold
M. Lewis: National Sculptors' So
ciety, Edward Amateis, and the
National Society of Mural Painters,
Allyn Cox.
Memorials To Be Considered.
Postwar planning for the erection
of memorials and monuments also
will be considered at the joint ses-
sion.
These memorials originated in
Congress and sites for most of them
were designated. it was said, with
out due regard to the locations fit
ting the type or character OF the
monument. Despite the war, off,
cials said Congress is planning for
more memorials than in ordinary
times.
Proposed changes in zoning regu-
lationsj which now limit the height
of buildings to 10 feet also will
come up at the joint session.
During the afternoon, the Plan
ming Commission meeting alone. will
hear a report on the bill sponsored
by Senator Thomas of Utah, for
urban redevelopment in the District
of Columbia. The bill is now before
the Education Committee, Of which
Senator Thomas is chairman.
Patterned after similar legislation
for States, the Thomas bill makes
the District eligible for Federal
grants of aid and also provides for
local initiative in carrying out re-
development plans after the war.
Tombrrow's session of the Plan
ming Commission will deal mainly
with housing, population trends and
the distribution of Government en-
ployes.over war-swollen Washington
The problem of choosing outlying
districts, such as Suitland. Md for
new Federal Office buildings, offers
many perplexities in planning.
Transportation Studied.
The staff has brought up to date