The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1944-05-11
Richland VILLAGE
In no Danger Of
Flood From Dam
Engineers are told
details Of completely
planned community

GlISlIlcSIS are IOlu
details Of completely
planned community
Construction of the proposed
Umatilla dam, and the possibility
of its flooding the Richland town.
site area has caused considerable
speculation. The matter came up
for discussion before the Associ-
ated Engineers in Spokane yester-
day and the Spokane Review had
the following illuminating story
concerning the work at that point.
No buildings are being con-
structed under elevation 800 at
Richland, WASH, according to
discussion of the new city given
before the Associated Engineers of
Spokane yesterday by Don Rohrer
of Griffin & Lowe, who have the
subcontract for utility installation
design from G. A. PETERSON and as
sociates.
This accounts for the layout of
the city in five residential Sec
lions and a downtown business
district all separated by green
| ways, some of which follow the
course of two canals running in a
southerly direction through the
townsite.
Kadlec Unable to Come
1t. Col. Harry r. Kadlec of the
army engineers had been sched-
uled to give the talk, which at
tracted large group of engineers,
architects and metal men to the
Davenport. He was unable to
come, and Rohrer exhibited the
general plan of the community and
released certain information not
hitherto published.
G. A. PETERSON participated in
the discussion and supplemented
Rohrer's remarks. He confirmed
the previously published report
that separate village for Negro
| workers is to be established IL
miles west of Richland.
Richland was originally designed
as city of $500, but two in
creases haye brought the projected
1 PSAAAeaAACAt rPOpu1dtAOIl W x3,UOO,
said Rohrer. The two towns will
house all employees, existing bar
racks at Hanford being temporary.
| Much interest was displayed in
the 1900 prefabricated houses be-
! ing put up in the west edge of
Richland, electrically heated and
costing $500 up will, built-inS
and utility connections.
| Homes Above Flood Level
The highest known stage of the
Columbia at Richland was 354 in
the late '90s, Rohrer said, and it is
not expected that backwater from
Umatilla dam ever will reach that
stage, although it will make navi-
cation possible beyond Richland.
Some buildings were started at
the 800 level close to the old
state highway, mile north of the
business district, but they were
moved to a different location when
the ground water level proved
higher than anticipated.
Room will be provided for fu-
ture expansion, the parked green
way surrounding the business area
being block wide on three sides.
There will be a civic center equiv
alent to four city blocks along the
west side of George Washington
way, the main street, with the
postoffice and bank facing it on
the south, the hotel on the east,
the municipal building on the
north and the cafeteria and adj
ministration building on the west.
Each home area will have its own
grade school, and the high school,
already in use, is across low
parkway from the business center.
Some Plans Await Approval
Some parts of the design still
await approval by the army engi-
neers, and reporters were asked
not to print these details until they
become official. The water system
will be supplied by two surface
reservoirs of 100000 gallons each
and three elevated tanks of 100, 900
gallons each, two already COM
pleted. A sewage disposal plant is
situated two miles south of the
business area
Both train and bus service will
be provided for Richland residents
to commute to and from their
work.
ALI buildings of the old town
that could be saved are being
utilized, Rohrer said, few of
the better dwellings even being
left in the greenways, at least
until construction has caught up
with the influx of population.
Homes are occupied as rapidly as
flnished-in the case of the "pre-
fabs" within four hours after be-
ing unloaded.