Evening star., 1946-08-01
Seven More Lots
Are Acquired
For Playground
Condemnation Plea
Planned to Aid
Cordozo, Jomuico
BY Rudolph Kouffmonn II

@NotAoIial SdplLdl paTk ana
Planning Commission said today 1t
had succeeded in purchasing seven
addltlonal improved lots for the
Cardozo playground at Ninth street
and Rhode Island avenue NV. It
intends asking the Justice Depart
ment to file condemnation proceed
lngs as soon as possible on remain
ing property needed for this and
the Jamaica playground at Church
and P streets NV.
Norman C. Brown, commission
land purchasing officer, attributed
success in obtaining the seven lots
at fair price" in part to recent
news articles which brought out
that property owners were blocking
purchase of the two sorely needed
recreation projects by asking ex-
oroltant prices.
Condemnation of the two prof.
ects, Mr.. Brown said, will bring the
hrst postwar test of what a con-
demnation jury thinks the fair
value OF improved property sought
for Fairgrounds ought to be.
Occupants Are Reassured.
Mr.. Brown sought to allay fear of
election on the part of present own
ers and tenants of condemned prop
erty by saying that individual ar
rangements will be made with occu-
pants to remain in their homes un-
til the housing shortage is eased.
Turning to future land purchases.
the commission today approved and
forwarded to the District Commits
slonere its 1948 land purchase bud
get This is based on priority rec
concentrations of the District Rec
reation Board and, as is customary.
no details of the budget were made
public.
The Office of National CAPITAL
Parks today submitted to the plan
ners its plans for an underpass to
take Military road under Sixteenth
street NV.
Indications were the plan would
be approved. The District Highway
Department is understood to favor
the park plan in principle.
Road to Become Fort Drive.
Under the plan, Military road
at this point is to become the
Fort drive-a modern dual-road
parkway proposed to link the Civil
War fornfications of the city, now
neighborhood parks, and ease cross
town traffic congestion.
The underpass, which will include
four ramps connecting the drive
with Sixteenth street and Missouri
avenue, is a major feature of the
Rock Creek section of the proposed
parkway.
Originating near TWenty-seventh
street and Military road NV, this
section OF the super-road is to cross
the intersection of Military road
and Oregon avenue via an overpass.
swing past Fort DeRussey, cross
Rock Creek and Beach drive on a
new bridge above the present Mill
tary road bridge, and skirt the
Rock Creek golf course to pass
under Sixteenth street and tie into
the Fort Stevens area on Georgia
avenue.
Fairfax Problem Up.
Threatened subdivision of prop
erty on the proposed right of way
for the George Washington Memo
rial Parkway in Fairfax County will
be major matter for consideration
of the commission at its midsummer
meeting.
John Nolen, jr., commission di-
rector of planning, said he expects
the planning agency to call for a
conference with Fairfax County and
State officials to see if plans to sub
divide property earmarked for the
parkway can be headed off or modi-
fed
If control of property improve
ment is not undertaken, he said,
land values will rise well beyond the
amount the Federal, State and
County governments have planned
to pay. This condition, he said.
could mean We'll never have a
parkway on the Virginia side of the
Potomac" The project, as planned,
would connect Mount Vernon with
Great Falls on both sides of the
river.
Mr.. Nolen said the commission
probably would announce what &C
tlon it will take in the matter at the
second session of its meeting tomor-
roy.
The planners were to devote their
attention this afternoon to their
responsibilities under the District
Slum Clearance and Redevelopment
Act, just passed by Congress. Under
the act, the commission will have
the task of assisting the District
commissioners in selecting areas
to be cleared and in making pre-
llminary plans for redevelopment.
The group was to make a tour
OF the city this afternoon to look
over the five or six Capital areas in
greatest need Of clearance and re-
habilltation.
Tomorrow, besides considering
parkway problems, the commission
was to.
l. Consider revised plans for the
proposed Army Medical Library on
East Capitol street, with emphasis
on tree planting and a proposed
sub basement designed to extend
to the curb and provide under
ground parking and extra book
storage space.
2. Decide what changes it feels
should be made in the program for
retaining the Anacostia Flats.
3. Work on its 1948 playground
purchase budget.
kenney 10 HeIp Campaiun