Evening star., 1943-04-16
Rent Control
And Housing Up
Before Planners
o.,
IhIder to Be Heard;
Fort Washington
Negotiations Progress

Problems OF housing, rent control
and the elimination of blighted areas
in war-swollen Washington were
being considered today by the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission and expert consultants.
John Ihlder, executive officer of
the Alley Dwelling Authority, and
Alfred Betman. chairman OF the
Cincinnati, Ohio. Planning Commis-
sion. consultant on proposed legis-
lation for urban rehabilitation, were
on hand this morning to present
their views. An all day session was
in prospect to wind up urgent mat
ters on the April agenda.
Meanwhile. progress was re-
ported in negotiations for the en-
largement of Arlington National
Cemetery and postwar uses to be
made of Fort Washington These
were matters which first came up a
month ago.
Impressed" on Housing Tour.
Members of the commission were
very favorably impressed with a
number of new developments in the
vicinity of Alexandria and the
Pentagon Building which they in
spected yesterday afternoon. Two OF
the projects, housing developments
for Pentagon workers, are said to be
the largest in this area.
The commission has agreed, 1t was
reported, to work out a master plan
for the Army and the National
Park Service looking to permanent
division OF the 400 acres of the Fort
Washington reservation. A. E.
Demaray, acting executive officer
for the commission, has been in con-
ferences with Brig. Gen. Herbert G..
Holdridge, commanding officer of
the fort.
The problem is complicated be-
cause the Army is planning to main
tain permanent Adjutant Gen.
erals School on the reservation. The
school now occupies one-half Of the
whole area, but the old installations
OF Fort Washington are not in use.
Barracks to Be Shifted.
The National Park Service owns
the reservation and wishes to pre-
serve the fort as an historic shrine.
since it is located at the Maryland
terminus of the Fort drive. Mr..
Demaray reported that several bar
racks now on the property will be
moved after the war to the area
occupied by the Adjutant Generals
School.
3 Some OF the forts barracks now
are being used by the Adjutant Gen.
erals Schooitand their removal to
vacant land on the Army's side of
the reservation is suggested. Mr..
Demaray also said it is contem-
plated that any further construc-
tton work to enlarge the school
shall be on vacant land.
While in the sPentagon area the
commission inspected the new
Henry G. Shirley Parkway now
under construction between the War
building and Fort Belvoir. The
two housing projects are located on
the route.
The darlington housing project,
built by the Defense Homes Corp,
has $500 family units. 1t is being
occupied. Officials estimated its
population will grow to $1,000 per-
sons. majority of whom will be
Pentagon workers. The project is
within a 10-minute ride of the War
building.
Plan Pleases Members.
The other project. built by Metro
politan Life, is known as Park Fair
fax and will accommodate 1900
families or about 1890 persons. It
is within eight minutes ride of the
Pentagon.
Both projects are of the Williams
burg Colonial style of architecture
and the apartment units have the
appearance of semi-detached homes.
Members of the commission were
particularly pleased with the gen.
eral layout. which has been care
fully planned. They have been
somewhat caustic at times in re-
ferring to other areas in Arlington
County which have suffered from
lack OF proper planning and zoning.
The commission announced that
1t will approve plans for a SUBJ
division west of Memorial Circle
outside of Alexandria on the Mount
Vernon boulevard. This site was
also inspected yesterday. 1t con-
sists of several acres and plans call
for service road connecting with
the boulevard.