Evening star., 1943-05-21
Plal!nningGroups i!
Study Wartime
Effects on D. {.
Nine Cooperating
Agencies Sit In
On Session
BY NELSON NJ. SHEPARD,

Velopmept Of Washington and it
environs was under study today BY
the two Federal groups most con.
cerned in carrying them out.
Sitting in at this study with thu
National Capital Park and Plan
ming and Fine Arts Commission.
were the chairmen of nine nationa
professional associations. Thes.
groups. having ce-operated in ths
past, are now equally interested ir
seeing that the war is not permitted
to disrupt completely the carefully
worked-out plan of the Nationa
Capital.
The Park and Planning Commits
sion, which is holding it's. monthly
meeting, met day later than usual
That was to allow some officials tc
attend the New York sessions of the
American Society of Planning OFF,
cials and the National Association
Of Architects.
.i 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 chairmen and the organiZa-
tons 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 ir
Congress and sites for most of then
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
ciaIs said Congress is planning fol
more memorials than In ordinary
times.
Proposed changes in zoning regu-
iations which now limit the. height
of buildings to ITO 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.
To Take Up Parkways.
The commission also will take up
matters affecting several Of the
parkway projects in the city One
of these involves the establishment
of boundary lines for the Suitland
(Md) Parkway.
A definite settlement of divided
jurisdiction over acreage in the Fort
washington military reservation also
was expected to be reported today
A compromise agreement has beer
worked out between the National
Park Service and the War Depart
ment, which operates the Adjutant
Generals School on the site.
The property is owned by the Ma
tional Park Service and the Army
has "squatter's rights" for the dura-
ton of the war 1t is planned. how
ever, to make the Army school a
permanent one.
Tomorrow'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. Tor
new Federal Office buildings, offers
many perpleXities in planning.
Transportation Studied.
The staff has brought up to date
rather extensive studies showing
how Federal employment has beer
distributed about the outlying sec
tions, the Pentagon being anothel
example. The report Is OF January l
Studies also have been made o
the transportation problems involved
In this distribution. For one thing
officials reported. thousands OF EN-
ployes have to transfer two or mor'
times from buses and streetcars tt
get to work.
One particular study of this kine
has been made in connection with
the $500 employees Of the Genera
Accounting Office established in con-
nection with Mclean Gardens or
Wisconsin avenue.
The recent report of the Fedora.
ton of Citizens Associations Com
mittee on Housing, referred for stud.
at the last meeting, will come up to
morrow for possible action. Thi
presents a comprehensive plan TO
dealing with the wartime housin,
situation in the city.
Stream Pollution Studied.
Stream pollution in the washing
ton area is a matter with which thu
Planning Commission Is greatly con
cerned at this time. Maps, show
ing sources Of Potomac pollution il
the whole Washington region, viii
be presented This study was mad'
in cooperation with Maryland ant
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