Evening star., 1944-06-23
|ckes Urges Planners
To Buy Land Quickly
For Downtown Parks

For Downtown Parks
From Yesterdays Late Edition.
Secretary of the Interior Ickes
today urged the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commits
sion to lose no time in acquiring
funds and lands for more parks
and Fairgrounds in downtown
Washington.
Invited to appear before the Plan
ming Commission to present his
views on orderly developments, Mr.
Ickes laid down a rather broad plat
form of immediate and postwar inn
provements.
He strongly favored, it was re-
ported, elimination of more slums
lin the downtown area especially
and preparation of a broad parks
and Fairgrounds program before
property values soar.
He favored single bridge across
the Potomac River to replace the
old Highway Bridge Capt. H. c.
Whitehurst, District highway direc-
tor, and the Bureau of Public Roads
have had plans drawn for two four
lane bridges.
Wants Buildings Moved.
He recommended prompt removal
of all tempor ~ Government build
ings in the Mall on Constitution
avenue and in other downtown park
areas as soon as the war is over.
Included among these, he said,
should be the old Navy and NUM-
tions Buildings on Constitution ave-
nue., built during the World War
Mr.. Ickes strongly urged the
elimination of all sewage from the
Potomac River by additional cor
rective measures in the District and
nearby Maryland and Virginia areas
! Opposing the construction of
power dams in the Potomac River,
he told the commission the area
below and above Great Falls should
be preserved for its scenic value.
In line with Mr.. Ickes' recon-
mendation that downtown areas be
bought for additional recreational
purposes, the Planning Commission
directed its staff today to draw up
a land purchase program for parks
and Fairgrounds to submit to Con-
gress. This is done annually under
the authority of the Capper-
Cramton Act.
8 Areas to Be Developed.
Mr.. Ickes expressed his keen ap-
probation when he learned that
$740.000 from these funds, first to
be made available in several years
under the act, will be used to de-
velop three large Fairgrounds in
downtown Washington.
In referring to the need for addi-
tional recreational space in the Dis
trict the Secretary said he had
always regretted that Rock Creek
Park had not been considerably en-
larged before residential areas were
built around it.
He cited the recent acquisition of
the Melvin Hazen Park as Illus
trating the foresight of the COM
mission in acquiring areas before
they are built up.
He warned there is no time to
lose before mapping out regular
program of procedure with respect
to obtaining funds from Congress
and acquiring lands in sections of
the city before values increase too
much. Mr.. Ickes said he felt very
strongly about the necessity of
clearing the slum areas and pro-
viding decent housing for the oc-
Parking Rules Opposed.
All-day parking of automobiles
along drives in the downtown parks
was condemned by the Secretary
who suggested that a comprehensive
system of car parking be. worked
out to eliminate this nuisance. He
however, that he had no
specific plan of his own.
This Is a matter that long has
held the attention of District off,
cials, and the Planning Commission
itself has advocated various meas
ures to eliminate all-day parking
in the Mall.
With reference to the proposed
power dam study now being made
by War Department engineers, Mr..
Ickes said that he has probably built
more power dams than any other
Government official. But he pointed
out that he was opposed to building
dams of any kind in the Potomac
River in Washington. He believed,
with others, that power Develop
ment at Great Falls would endanger
the c. & Q. Canal, which he had
acquired as Public Works admins
tra tor for restoration