Evening star., 1944-05-18
Planners Move
For Broadening
0fAuthority
Will Draft Bill;
Hubbard Named
For Third Term


draft bill carrying out the recen
recommendation of the Bulge
Bureau, approved by the President
which would greatly enlarge it.
powers and make it the officia
planning agency for Washington.
At the same time, it was an,
nounced that President Roosevelt
had reappointed Henry B. Hubbard
of Boston, one of the four member
of the commission, for third six
year term.
An act of Congress would be neces.
sary to enlarge the scope of the
commissions powers, and sources OF
Capitol Hill foresee long debatt
before the necessary legislation j.
passed, If at all.
President Praises Commission.
The Legislative Connmitte is com.
posed of Gen. Grant and A. E
Demaray. acting director of the
National Park Service They will bt
assisted by Secretary Thomas S
Settle. who is advisor on legislative
matters. A tour of outlying parl
areas will be made by the member.
of the commission this afternoon
They will inspect newly created
areas developed through the CO.
operation of the Maryland Park anc
Planning Commission
President Roosevelt in notifyin,
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, III, chair
man, of his reappointment of MI
Hubbard, praised the work of tn,
commission as follows:
THE National Capital is worth,
of great effort to preserve and en-
nance its character. 1t is a com
fort to know that this interest i
being well cared for by you anc
your associates on the commission.
Former Harvard Dean.
Mr.. Hubbard, member of the archi
tectural firm of Olmsted & Hubbard
has rendered valued public service,
Mr.. Roosevelt said in expressing hi
pleasure that the member was will
ing to serve another term.
Mr.. Hubbard has attended al
monthly sessions of the commission
during the past IL years. He is &
former dean of the Harvard Schoo
of Planning. Other presidential ap.
pointees on the commission include
j. c. Nichols, Kansas City, Mo; Will.
liam A. Delano, New York City, anc
Gen. Grant, who recently was di
rected by the President to devote hi
full time to the Craftsmanship.
Among matters of local interes
coming up before the Federal plan.
ming group today were recommen.
dations of the District Commits.
sioners that new avenues in the city
be named for the States of Ohio
Missouri, California and Wash
ington.
These alone among the 48 States
of the Union are unrepresented at
present in Washington system of
avenues, although there is a Cali
fornia street in the Northwest sec
tion. In former years there was an
Ohio avenue, but it was eliminated
some years ago in making way for
Federal improvements in the area
south of Pennsylvania avenue.
1t is unlikely the question will be
determined finally today, for the
existence of California street some
what complicateS matters. That
street probably will be renamed.
Freight Bridge Problem.
During its tWo-day session the
commission will discuss such mat.
ters as the proposed reconstruc.
ton of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
freight bridge in Anacostia, prob.
lens in zoping and suggested legis.
lation broadening the commission!
own powers.
The bridge plan presents a knotty
question for the group, as Johr
Nolen, director of planning, pointee
out the need of co-ordinating thu
plan with the proposed development
of the Anacostia parkway.
Reconstruction of the bridge /:
recommended as an emergency
measure. 1t is just north of the
John Philip Sousa Bridge. Plan,
call for elevation of the railroad
tracks, which would place the
Anacostia parkway on the lowel
level.
The time element also enters into
the discussions. Whether the work
must be instituted at once or post.
poned until after the war is W
to the planning group TO pass on
Other matters on the agenda in
clude a progress report on the Balti
more-Washington parkway projec
and recommendations for proposed
amendments to zoning regulations
on which public hearings will bt
held May 26. One of these recon.
mendationS was initiated by thu
commission a year ago to give The
municipal government better con
troll over the height of buildings il
the downtown area.
Educational Institutions"
Another would revise the existin
regulations under which educationa
institutions are permitted in resi-
DENTAL districts. Under present in
depreciation, trade associations ar
construed as educational institu
tions" and several such headauar
tiers have been established on prin
cipal residential streets. The pro
posed amendment would ban sucl
trade headquarters in the future.
Studies made by staff member
of the commission will be presented
tomorrow on a number of matters
such as factors entering into post
war planning for Washington an
the extent of Slum or blighted area
in the city. Another study will dea
with factors to be considered il
planning the location of new school
in the midcity area.
Because the commission was re
sponsible for the general recreation
plan for the District, it will conside
a recommendation submitted to i
from local authorities for the in
clusion OF community recreationa
facilities in the design of futur
school buildings. The types of ia
cllitleS to be provided for indoo