Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-09-22
Realty Official
New Bill
ToC|ear S1uns


With Herbert Nelson
On Compromise
Herbert Nelson. executive vice
president of the National Associa-
ton of Real Estate Boards, met with
Federal planning officials today in
an effort to reach a compromise on
pending urban redevelopment legis-
lation. ...
The issue between the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission and real estate interests,
both national and local, hinges to a
large extent on the participation of
public housing authorities In the re-
development of the Capitals slum
and blighted areas after the war.
While details of a compromise
bill, which Mr.. Nelson presented
to the commission today, were not
made public, it was said the meas
ure appears to eliminate all pub
lie housing authorities in urban
redevelopment." That is in direct
conflict with the bill already in
troduced in Congress representing
the views of the planning commits
sion.
The Nelson bill, however, goes
beyond the measure drawn up by
the Home Builders Association by
recognizing the authority of the
planning commission and the Dis
trict Commissioners in what was
said to be "a proper way"
Consultant At Conference.
Omcials said the Home Builders
Association seeks to "sidestep"
them.
Alfred Betman, the consultant
who drew up the planning commits
sion's bill. joined in the conference
today. Much of the time was spent
discussing the membership of the
proposed official board that would be
set up to plan for the development
of certain areas and direct who
should do the WORK.
Since Congress does not recon-
vene until November IA, the Plan
ming Commission Is in no haste.
Oficials said it is possible they may
offer some amendments to their own
bill.
Mr.. Nelson had conferred infor-
mally with planning officials pre-
viously on this subject, and his ap-
pearance before the group today
was a result of joint suggestion.
No other matters on the monthly
agenda were taken up this morn
ing.
Parkway Plans Cited.
Grading ana paving is expected
to start before next July on the
newly-approved Washington-Balti-
more parkway route from the Blad-
ensburg Peace Cross to the far side
of Fort George G. Meade, via Green
belt and the Agriculture Expert
mental Station, the planners re-
vealed.
The dual highway. with interven-
ing park strip, eventually will come
down alongside the Anacostia River
oficias said, to join the proposed
South Capitol Street Bridge. They
the final agreement on the
route as most important achieve
ment' to benefit the two cities.
The commission approved the
RI In To- -
Yesterday, acting on a final report
submitted by H. j. Spelman, Dis
trict engineer of the Public Roads
Administration. From the military
post into Baltimore, officials said
the route is entirely up to the State
of Maryland.
The Planning Commission also ap-
proved two bills introduced in Con-
gress TO change the name of Bladens-
burg road in the District to Ohio
avenue and that of Nichols avenue
east of Anacostia to Missouri ave-
nue.. There was no objection to
these redesignations, as they do not
involve any interference with the
present system of street naming.
Property Sale Approved.
Approval was given to the sale of
three acres of the property of the
Columbian Institute for the Deaf to
the District government as a site for
a new receiving home. The acreage
is near Brentwood Park and was
made useless when Mount Olivet
road was cut off.
Transfer to the District of piece
of small park strip at Rhode Island
avenue and M streets NV. to
straighten out the west-bound traffic
into Rhode Island avenue also was
There will be no interfer-
ence with the small monument on
the park strip erected as a memorial
to Catholic nuns who died in war
service. Permission for the transfer,
however, has not yet been obtained
from the Park Service.
Tomorrow the planning officials,
accompanied by j. c. Nichols of
Kansas City, Mo, will visit sites
chosen for temporary mobile hous-
ing units in sections east of the
War College. Several hundred of
these units are to be built to relieve
the acute shortage" of housing for
colored families in the area, it was
said. Max Wehrly of its staff re-
ported on the sites yesterday.
John Nolen, jr., director of plan
ming. has brought up to date COM
plete map survey of hospital loca-
tons and facilities in the District.