Evening star., 1946-08-28
Grant 10 Confer
With Haw|ey on
Design
Planning Choirmon
Foresees Accord on
Nevins Troct Site
BY Miriom Ottenbero

In an effort to break the deadlock
over whether the Nevius tract in
nearby Arlington should be the site
of the new Washington veterans
hospital, Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III.
chairman of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
plans to met with Dr. Paul r. Haw-
ley, Veterans Administration chief
medical director, it was learned to-
day.
Gen. Grant said the position of
the planning commission was clear
If the Veterans Administration
will take the advice of the Fine Arts
Commission on the design of the
hospital and the design is suitable
the Park and Planning Commission
will approve the site.
| The design, all affected officials
agree, is the core of the problem.
Gen. Grant declined to commit him.
self on height or size restrictions
but Fine Arts Commission spokes-
man said neither the fine arts nor
planning officials want a SKY
scraper" hospital.
Demand Efficient Design.
Asked if Veterans Administration
architects had discussed the design
With the Fine Arts Commission, a
veterans agency spokesman said
this had not yet been done, but
added:
The Veterans Administration and
its architects will be glad to work
with the Fine Arts Commission and
attempt to arrive at an acceptable
design but under no circumstances
can they agree to a design which
impairs the efficiency of hospital op-
erations."
DR.. Hawley has stated fatty he
wants "skyscraper"-or 10-story-
building, which he believes is nee
essary to save personnel.
AT this point. all concerned
agencies apparently are sitting tight
and waiting for the next move
which may not be made until the
Federal Board of disqualification
meets next month.
Grant FOreSecS Settlement.
Gen. Grant said, however, he was
sure satisfactory settlement could
be reached in a matter of a few
weeks and that design suitable to
all parties could be worked out. u
Both the Park and Planning
Commission and the Fine Arts Com
mission" he said, have agreed that
the Nevius tract can be used for a
hospital if the design is suitable and
does not impose a building or a
group OF buildings just back and
over the Lincoln Memorial which
would be discordant and bad in the
general picture Of the area on which
the Government has spent so much
money"
He said the commission takes the
position this is something which
has to be worked out by the archi-
tects" but that it can be done.
Neither the Park and Planning
nor the Fine Arts Commissions. he
said, had imposed specific height
limitations but had specified that
the hospital not make a discordant
and conspicuous feature in the gen.
eral composition OF the Nations
Capital.
To Sound Out Requirements.
He said he was sure that if the
building was "inconspicuous as to
height and materials" and there
would .be plenty of trees, it would
not mar the vista across the Mall.
Gen. Grant explained he wanted
to meet with DR.. Hawley to find
out what the medical director felt
was needed in the way of hospital
requirements.
If the Federal Board of Hospitali-
zation wants a statement from the
Park and Planning Commission
Gen. Grant said, the commission
will say that If the Veterans Ad-
ministration works out design with
the Fine Arts Commission which is
suitable to the site, the choice of
the Nevius tract will be approved by
the planning group.
A Fine Arts Commission spokes-
man said that group felt a high
building was very inappropriate in
that locality and that keeping
buildings low was "the beauty of
Washington