Evening star., 1944-12-14
Planners Begin
Buying Land
ForP|ayground
Action Affects Area
At Seventeenth and
Church Streets NV.

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission today ap-
proved some contracts for the
acquisition of land for a new play
ground at Seventeenth and Church
streets NV, one of several which
are to be developed in the central
area Of the city.
Norman C. Brown, land purchas-
ing officer, in reporting the action,
disclosed, however, the commission
had rejected a number of offers be-
cause of its belief that property
owners were setting the price too
high
Acquisition of another playground
site for the Seaton School at Second
and H streets NV. was deferred by
the commission. The District Com
missioners are not going to pur-
chase the school site in this area
until after the war, Mr. Brown
said, and the planning commission
will defer development of the play
ground for that reason. 1t will be
much easier, he said, for the school
site and playground to be purchased
together.
Agree on School Site.
The planning commission also
agreed on a site for the proposed
Birney School in the Barry Farms
section in Southeast Washington.
This is an area owned Jointly by
the Board of Education, the plan
ming commission and the War De-
partment, the latter having acquired
part of 1t for the Suitland Parkway.
When an agreement is reached be-
tween the joint owners the new
school will be put on part of the
combined land and a playground
on the rest of it.
The planners learned today that
the well-preserved Civil War earth
works known in the Chain Bridge
sector as Fort Kemble Park, and
so dignifed on local maps, are
not properly entitled to be called
a fort Official records show the
site was one for mere battery of
guns set up in the woods.
llC dAo(ofClJ ISlI fC1 u,
but the name today was changed
to Battery Kemble Park by the COM
mission.
1t happens that the park is one
of the units of Civil War fortifica-
tions encircling Washington that
the Planning Commission has con-
nected by the long projected Fort
Drive. Probably no official on the
commission would have bothered
about the slight "inaccuracy" but
for the fact that it was called to
their attention by the United States
Geological Survey.
Insist on Accuracy.
The Geological Survey is RESPONSE
bic for mapping every square mile
in the United States and it is a |
stickler for accuracy.
John Nolen, jr, director of plan
ming, will report on zoning recon-
and recent conference |
on postwar television stations in the
Washington area. Since television |
requires very high receiving towers,
the Planning Commission at its last
had suggested that all radio
companies interested should agree
in advance on possible sites. At
least six companies are definitely |
interested in establishing stations
here.
Tomorrow morning, the commits
sion will confer with Maj. Gilmore
D. Clarke, chairman of the Fine
Arts Commission on matters con-
cerned with transportation studies
in the District. Under consideration
will be the treatment recommended
for certain important street inter-
sections, such as Pennsylvania and
Constitution avenues NV.
The stadium bill, passed by Con-
gress and now before President
Roosevelt, also will be discussed to-
morrow. The Planning Commission
had advocated the building of a
stadium on the 150-acre area at the
end of East Capitol street. The
question of the site was left open
by Congress and nc doubt officials
of the Planning Commission will be
called on for testimony when hear
ings are held by the so-called
stadium commission