Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-22
Parkway Plans
Being Stymied
In Both States
U. S. Budget Focuses
Maryland Legal Knot,
Virginia Lond Barrier

Further construction of the long
heralded George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway is stymied on both
sides OF the Potomac River, 1t was
learned today-in Maryland by a
legislative quirk and in Virginia
by land purchase stalemate.
This SOLDERING news followed
closely revelation in the Presidents
budget message yesterday that
funds are being asked to extend
the parkway under Key Bridge and
up Spout Run to connect with Lee
Highway.
At this point the parkway will
have gone as far as it can 60 in
Virginia until either:
/. The State and Arlington Coun-
ty agree to put up hah the amount
necessary to buy more land, or
2. The Smoot Sand and Gravel
Co. which owns virtually the entire
river bank from Spout Run upriver
to Chain Bridge agree to sell its
land by the square foot at what the
Government considers to be fair
price instead of by the cubic foot as
stone quarry material at price
the Government feels it cannot
pay.
Stumbling Block in Maryland.
On the Maryland side Of the river,
where land purchases have gone
more smoothly and acquisition is rs
per cent complete, no roadway can
be constructed because of legisla-
tive quirk in the Capper-Cramton
Act, under which the parkway is
being acquired.
When the act was passed in 1880
opposition from Senators who dis
liked seeing Maryland receive a
superhighway built at no expense
to the State insisted on amending
the act to require the roadway it
self be constructed by the State
Highway Commission.
Since this would place Maryland
in the position Of expanding funds
on Federal land, generally deemed
contrary to State law, no roadway
can be installed until basic legisla-
ton is amended.
The Maryland situation, however,
may be cleared up in time for road
construction. 1t is reliably under
stood that the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
land purchase agency for the prof.
,ect, soon will ask Congress to amend
the act.
Virginia Prospect Is Darker.
Not so promising is the outlook In
Virginia.
1t would be a simple matter to
purchase the Smoot property, or
at least a right of way through it,
If the question could be left to a
condemnation jury. But condemna-
ton proceedings cannot be started
until Virginia funds are forthcom-
ing. Under the Capper-Cramton
Act land purchases for the park
way are made half with Federal
funds. and half with funds from
other sources, either the State, the
county or land owners whose adj
joining property would be made
more valuable by the parkway.
Thus, to purchase the Smoot land
without State and county funds
it would be necessary to agree to
a price high enough SO that the
gravel company could consider half
the amount a donation.
Appraisal Of the property by the
cubic foot as quarry material, how
ever, SkyrOcketS the price beyond
any agreement the planning COM
mission is authorized to make.
The parkway projcct, when COM
pleted, would stretch from Mount
Vernon to Great Falls on both sides
of the Potomac. A bridge above
Great Falls is planned to link the
two sections and tie in with major
Maryland and Virginia road sys-
TENS.