Evening star., 1946-08-02
FWA 10 Weiqh
List Of Sites for
Center
Planners Will Ask
1o48 Funds for Work
On Memorial Parkway
BY Rudolph Kouffmonn II

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission today for
warded to the Federal Works Ad-
ministration secret list of IL pos
sible sites, ranging from 10 to 25
acres, for the proposed District hos
pital center.
At the same time the National
Parks Service indicated it would
ask 1948 funds to start construction
of the George Washington Memorial
Parkway on the Maryland side of
the Potomac between the District
and Great Falls.
The hospital center act, as well
as parkway act. which would
cancel a quirk in legislation set
ting up the memorial parkway but
now preventing its construction, are
now awaiting the Presidents sig
nature. Under the act the FWA
would select the hospital site and
construct the center.
Plans Fund Request.
Arthur E. Demaray, associate
park service director, as we'll as
Planning Commission executive Of
ficer. said following the commits
sion's meeting this morning his
agency plans an early request for
funds to start building the parkway
to Great Falls.
The parkway is one of four in
the country which rate all-Federal
road funds each year in the Interior
Department Appropriation Act.
The act passed yesterday and
waiting for Mr.. Truman's signature
would clear the way for the first
time for construction of this section
of the parkway. The Capper-
Cramton Act of 1880, which author
lied the parkway, was worded SO
that the roadway would have to be
built with part-State funds, an inn
possibility since the right of way
is Federally owned.
This wording did not apply to
that part of the parkway proposed
for the Virginia side of the river.
From rs to 30 per cent of the right
of way from the District line to
Great Falls has been acquired by
the Planning Commission, and the
remainder, T. S. Settle, commission
secretary, said today, will be con-
demned in the near future to clear
the way for road construction.
Army Revisions Approved.
The commission today approved
Army revisions to plans for the
proposed Army Medical Library, to
be built in the block bounded by
East Capitol street, Third and
Fourth streets and A street Sc
The revisions call for novel build
ing scheme in which trees will be
planted between the sidewalk and
the building rather than at the
curb, and for a subbasement ex-
tending to the curb line to provide
underground car parking and extra
storage space.
1t called for further study by
Army engineers on plans to widen
Cabin John Bridge by 10 to IL feet.
Fear Skyrocketing Values.
Before the meeting opened yes
terday the commissions director of
planning, John Nolen, jr., explained
to the press that if showdown on
subdivision of the land needed for
the roadway is not called, skyrock-
citing property values may force the
Federal Government to abandon the
project.
At a meeting yesterday devoted
to the problems facing it in pur-
chasing land for the Fairgrounds in
the District and its responsibilities
under the recently passed District
Slum Clearance and Redevelopment
Act, the commission told its staff
to study further National Park
Service plans for an underpass to
carry Military road under Sixteenth
street NV.
The commission said 1t liked the
plan submitted but wanted addi-
tional study made Of some details
including sidewalks.