Evening star., 1943-10-22
PIannersIndorse
18Th , 17th Street
Name Changes
First Step Taken
To End Confusion
South of K Street
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

w 4plioou SNtil OIL al tlllCllU ofCI
precedents, Federal planners late
approved a suggestion Of
their former chairman, Frederic A.
Delano, that Fifteenth and Seven
teenth streets, south of K street
NV, be renamed Vermont and
Connecticut avenues, respectively.
for the convenience and comfort Of
many confused Washingtonians.
The next step in the re-christen-
ing campaign is for the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion to forward its approval of the
idea to the District Commissioners,
for the latter also have voice in
the matter.
Apparently the acceptance of the
District Commissioners was taken
for granted, as planning officials
said they would gladly draft the
proposed bill for submission to Con-
gress. The decision then would rest
largely with the Senate and House
District Committees.
Should the plan meet congress
sional approval. Vermont and Con-
necticut avenues. now ending at K
street, would extend southwark to
Constitution avenue. AS they should,
officials contended.
Close October Session.
Closing the October session, the
planning group met for the first
time with the Board of District
Commissioners to discuss long-range
postwar development projects in
Washington. So successful was this
informal pooling of ideas that fire.
quent meetings of the kind will be
held hereafter.
The Planning Commission also
studied the draft of proposed legis-
lation for the comprehensive re-
development of blighted areas in
Washington after the war. An i'm
portant phase of the proposed legis-
lation worked out by Alfred Betman,
planning consultant, is the acquisi-
ton Of city areas that could be sold
by the Government to private de-
velopers with a definite string tied
to each parcel.
Under the urban redevelopment
program, as outlined by Mr.. Bet
man, the planning group would
make a master plan of the whole
city in its relation to blighted areas,
zoning and mass transportation.
Next, the commission would MAXI
specific plans for improvements
needed or desired in certain areas.
Such improvements might take the
form of slum clearance projects, the
creation of new residential and busi-
ness districts, school and playground
sites.
Agency Action Needed.
Since the program Is dependent
upon public aid funds. it was pro-
posed that some Federal or District
agency be designed to acquire lands
by purchase or condemnation. For
years the Planning Commission has
taken on this role under the Capper-
Cramton Act.
Since the idea is to interest pri-
Vate enterprise in developing as
many of the areas as possible, the
land acquiring agency would be au-
thorized to sell the sites with pro-
vision written into the deed that the
property be developed according to
an approved plan. That should be
an lron-clad condition of the sale,
officials said. to insure CARRYING out
the Governments wishes in the ac-
qulred area. The stipulation would
apply to any sized tract of land sold
to private enterprise.
On the other hand, certain tract,
could be sold to the District Govern
ment, 1t was pointed out, for schools
and recreational areas.
Various phases of urban redeyel-
opment have been under study for
several months but no decision of
any kind was reached yesterday.
Projects Discussed,
The District Commissioners and
the planning group discussed such
postwar projects as the development
OF the East Capitol street area be-
tween B streets on the north and
south; a new bridge over the Poto-
mac River from Alexandria to Shep-
nerds Landing, extension of the
recreatlonal system and other prof.
ectS. A temporary bridge now serve,
shepherds Landing and Alexandria
as wartime eXpediency.
Planning officials said the Com
mlSsloners were especially interested
in providing more Fairgrounds in
congested areas of the city, and
thought these should be purchased
regardless of the cost. Closer CO.
ordination was urged, also. in PLAN
ming for new school and playground
sites.
1t appeared that the creation OF
huge sports center on the IS acres
available in the vicinity of Kingman
Lake at the eastern end of East
Capitol street would be made oues-
tlon of first Importance after the
war. For more than 20 years there
has been a continuous agitation for
the construction of a stadium on
this or some other site.
The District National Guard Ar