Evening star., 1946-05-21
Board Of Trade
Offers Plan for
Wafer Front
Army Engineers Told
Of Need for Better
Horbor Facilities
By Rudolph Kouffmonn II

BY Rudolph Kouffmonn II
Washington should take full ad.
vantage of her greatest natural re.
sources-the two converging rivers
and their shores - William Nc.
Manus, vice chairman of the River
and Harbor Committee of the
, Washington Board of Trade, today
told Army engineers studying future
waterfront developments.
p MIR. McManus testified at a hear
Ing conducted in the Interior De-
!, partment auditorium by Col. Donald
= G. White, Army district engineer
for the Potomac, Rappahannock
and Patuxent watershed, which is
the first step in an attempt to
create a master plan for the future
improvement of the Metropolitan
Washington waterfront.
Attention to improvement. devel.
opment and Identification of water.
ways has not been in proportion tt
other city facilities, Mr.. McManus
said. Individual but unrelated i'm.
provements have been suggested
guided by special interests rather
than requirements of the entire city
he added.
Offers Recommendations.
Mr.. McManus accompanied his
statement with a list of specific
recommendations which the Board
of Trade would like to see put into
effect.
l. Construction of terminal and
connecting rail facilities for suitable
freight traffic.
2. Segregation of recreational
pleasure and sporting facilities from
heavy freight facilities.
8. Early completion of Washing
ton Channel improvements already
authorized.
4. Expansion of Washington Chan
mel improvements, together with
separate terminal facilities for ex-
cursion steamers operating out of
Washington.
5. Improvement of yacht club IA
cilities.
s. Construction of additional pub
lie marinas and anchorage areas.
Sea Scout Base Urged.
7. Construction of a Sea Scout
base.
s. Construction Of a municipal
sailing base.
8. Construction of municipal canoe
bases and race courses.
10. Removal of the Hains Point
mudfats and expansion of the Pres
ident's Cup regatta course.
IL. Beautifcation of the Potomac
and Anacostia River fronts.
II. Reduction of pollution.
Improvement of Parks.
13. improvement of park areas
adjacent to the river.
IA. Construction of a seapIane
anchorage.
IS. Construction of small boats
docking facilities on Riverside drive
along the Anacostia.
Is. Early completion of the Ana
costa seawall.
II. Relocation of the Anacostia
Railroad Bridge at higher level
18. Removal of the old Aqueduct
Bridge abutment near Key Bridge.
Single Quay Predicted.
A single quay paralleling the Po-
tomac River to which ships would
be moored for unloading and load
ing, plus an elevated highway, were
forecast today as one means of
streamlining the Alexandria water
front by John Nolen, jr., director of
planning for the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
Mr.. Nolen told the engineers the
planning commission would like to
see a real plan" for Alexandria S
rundown water front. He said the
plan could be achieved if the Fed
eral Government was to obtain the
right to build the elevated highway
in exchange for relinquishing other
waterfront rights.
Referring to large charts of the
area, Mr.. Nolen demonstrated how
the highway would carry the Mount
Vernon Memorial highway around
Alexandria and past Hunting Greek
estuary, where large-scale boating
facilities are planned.
Urges Cold Storage Plant.
Others testifying were Harry T
Thompson, assistant superintendent
of National Capital Parks; Harold
A. Kemp, District director of sani-
tary engineering; Milo F.. Christian
sen, District of Columbia recreation
superintendent; Carl Budwesky
Alexandria city manager, and Leslie
G. Wilson, commodore of the Sea
Scouts division of the Boy Scouts
Of America.
Mr.. Kemp inserted testimony from
District agencies whose work is con-
nected with the water.
j. T. Kennedy, District director OF
weights, measures and markets, rec
commended a cold storage plant on
Washington Channel for the use OF
local fish merchants, who now must
store their produce as far north as
New Jersey.
Today's hearing must be followed
by a preliminary investigation re-
port by the engineer Office and later
if that is approved, by the chief OF
Army Engineers, by a detailed sur
vey leading to rivers and harbors
legislation to serve as the basis fol
future appropriations.
School Head to Speak
Arlington School Supt. Fletcher
Kemp will discuss school improve