Evening star., 1946-11-15

OF Proposed Center
In Chevy Chose Area
The campaign to make over e. v
Brown School into recreation CEN
ter and public library branch moved
. step forward today with the Board
Of Library trustees joining the Dis
trict Recreation Board and the
Chevy Chase Community Council II
asking the Commissioners for. q re-
hearing on the project. 3
The Commissioners already have
expressed their willingness to dis
cuss the project and the council
has requested q conference.
The decision of the library board
70 join in the appeal came at a
meeting yesterday at which q dele
cation from the Chevy Chase Com
niunity Council presented its case
for the school.
Area VIII Need Library.
The delegation was led by Sam
r. Higger, who pointed out that
the Chevy Chase area, with its 30,-
900 population, would require q
larger library sooner or later and
that the cost OF remodeling the
e. v. Brown School would be about
one-fifth of the cost Of q new
building.
Joining Mr.. Higger in explaining
why the entire Chevy Chase COM
t11nity wants the e. ". Brown
School as a library recreation
center were Mrs. Proctor L. Dough-
erty. wife Of the former District
Commissioner, and Edward Stafford
secretary Of the Washington Gas
Light Co.
Public Librarian Clara w. Her
bert explained that the library,
now housed in three converted
stores at 3815 Livingston street
NV, already has outgrown its
quarters. Even If the lease on the
stores could be renewed after next
June 80, she added, the library
might be turned out of the stores
later and then-if the school prop
erty has been sold-it would have no
place to go.
Advantages Pointed Out.
Miss Herbert laid particular stress
on the advantages of having the IL
brary and recreation center under
one roof. She pointed out that boys
and girls learning hobbies at the
center would have ready access to
the books developing those hobbies,
such as books on birds, stamps,
crafts and current events.
MIR. Higger's statement to the La
brary Board follows:
/. Chevy Chase is q large, we'll
established community OF highly lit
crate people who do use the public
library and who would utilize more
adequate facilities to a much larger
extent.
2. Chevy Chase, In spite Of the
fact that Ii is one of the older good
residential areas of the city, is one
Of the few large, heavy populated
areas not served by an adequate H.
brary branch.
g. The present quarters may not
be available after the present lease
expires, next june 80. Other leased
quarters would be hard to find
under current rental conditions:
might have to be poorly and In
conveniently located; might cost
considerably more for floor area re-
quired; cost Of converting a build
ing or house might be quite large,
the operating cost of the branch
may be higher because Of the phys
ical arrangement of the premises.
School Building Better.
~. Even if the present quarters
could he retained the E. ". Brown
School building. which belongs to
the citizens, would afford superior
accommodations in every respect,
location, availability, space and fiex-
ibilty Of conversion.
IS. A new library building would
be costly. The last two such build
ings erected before the war cost
$150,0O0 and $4,000 besides the
cost Of ground. It would seem that
building costs for the forseeable
future are bound to be very much
higher. Furthermore, in the rela-
lively fixed, developed picture OF
Chevy Chase as an older established
residential community there is very
little space left for such a location.
suitable land obtained through pur-
chase or condemnation would be
very difficult and costly to obtain.
IS. The E. v. Brown School prop
erty is excellently, strategically
located. 1t is well served by trans
portation lines from downtown and
cross lines through the community.
1t Is actually at the heart of COM
transportation lines In
the area.
Once Housed a Library.
". This property has for well over
. generation been identified as
school and focus of public activi-
ties In the area. Many of our citi-
zens attended primary school here.
The building has at one time housed
the library branch. Successful rec
reational and citizen building prof.
ects have been carried on from here
In the past. The auditorium has
seen long and regular use for COM
meetings. The building can
readily resume and develop its po-
sition as the logical heart of an ac-
tive, progressive and useful COM
munity producing good citizens.
8. This area of Chevy Chase, with
approximately 10000 residents,
whose taxes represent higher indi-
vidual levels, sooner or later must
be served with a proper branch IL
brary in. proportion to its needs.
The conservation Of this property
now for community purposes will
take care Of our requirements now
and safeguard the proper facilities
for the future"
Two Housing Projects