Evening star., 1945-07-02
Letters to The Star
DisaereesWith Commissions Plan
To Retain East Capitol Street


To Retain East Capitol Street
TO the Editor Of The Star:
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission proposes a plan
for the future development of the area
extending east of the Capitol TO the
Anacostia River, between B street Sc.
and B street NE, which streets would
be widened and become Independence
avenue Sc. and Constitution avenue
NE, respectively. The idea Is to re-
move all buildings in the area, then
gradually build up the cleared space
with new government buildings as needs
arise. The undersigned wishes to pro-
test this proposed development as archi-
tecturally defective, lacking in vision,
inadequate, and unworthy of Washing
ton. 1t is with regret this protest is
made. The NCP&P Commission has
rendered and continues to render q
service to the city of Washington the
value Of which is incomparably greater
than its cost. Not once or twice, but
on occasions too numerous to mention,
the Commission has prevented "devel-
opments" which would have marred and
SCARED the architectural and scenic evo-
luton of Washington. The Commission,
as rule, keeps watchful eye on every
proposal that would tend to hamper the
harmonious development of this great
city. 1t more than once has been ac-
cused of being too idealistic, but seldom
as in this instance, of failure to take
the long view.
The Commissions proposal to clear
off the entire area in question, and to
widen the boundary streets into extern
sions of Constitution and Independence
avenues are excellent 1t deserves the
support of every civic body and every
individual interested in seeing that
Washington grows steadily greater and
grander. But to clutter this area with
a new conglomeration of buildings would
be most lamentable error, violating
the spirit of grand planning, and the
spirit of the plan of Washington. The
development of the Mall, that delight
full area between Constitution and In
dependence avenues extending west from
a beautiful and adequate setting for
the Capitol, the Washington Monument,
the Lincoln Memorial, and the Govern
ment department structures and art
galleries to the north and south of it.
The Mall is ever an inspiring sight,
seldom failing to bring expressions of
pleasure and admiration from all who
fax. &Ha fref -
central feature of Washington should be
continued also east Of the Capitol, and
should be kept inviolate from buildings,
except well-placed statuary or noble
memorials. New Federal structures when
needed, should be placed on large, ade-
quately Handicapped sites north and
south Of the Mall and adjoining it. The
Commissions unfortunate proposal to
place Government buildings in the ex-
tended Mall area would evolve in just
such clutter of big buildings on made
quate sites as mars the Triangle from
the Federal Trade Commission building
at Seventh street to the Department of
Commerce at Fifteenth. The proposal
to retain East Capitol street is badly
conceived. There would then be three
busy highways, with resultant traffic
risks, and two long rows Of miscel-
laneous Government buildings, forming
an architectural hodge-podge, all with
inadequate settings and faulty sites,
the buildings having no architectural
relationship to each other, but creating
traffic congestion, crowding and ex-
treme monotony. The Commission ad-
n1its the latter by stating Cor at least
its publicity states) that the designs
of the buildings would be varied Ito
relieve the monotony." This is like
telling man who is suffering from a
starvation diet to change from beans to
rice! I believe everyone truly inter-
ested in seeing Washington adequately
planned for future development will
favor the proposals of the Commission
to purchase all the ground to the east
of the Capitol which it proposes to
purchase. 1 believe they also will favor
making the entire area an inviolable
extension Of the Mall, with East Capitol
street entirely eliminated.
ROSSEL EDW. MITCHELL.