Evening star., 1946-10-17
County Problem
On Freeway Up
Before Planners
Meeting Also Will
Consider Control of
Sports Center Site
By Rudolph Kouffmonn II

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission was to start
trying to unite Montgomery
County's knotty freeWay problem
today.
The commission. which started
its tWo-day October meeting this
morning, has been asked by Col E.
Brooke Lee and the Maryland-Na-
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission to determine whether
there is any way the proposed
George Washington Memorial Park
way could be allowed to carry free
way traffic from Cabin John into
the heart of Washington.
The local group, which has been
chief sponsor of the parkway pro-
posal, thus is faced with difficult
decision, In addition to discussing
the matter, members planned a field
trip to the Cabin John-G GEORGETOWN
area to see what, if anything, can
be done to accommodate the free
way.
Limitations Imposed.
On its latest proposed route down
Cabin John Creek from the vicinity
OF Rockville the freeway plans are
clear up to the Potomac River.
Then the planners are faced with
the following problems:
1t cannot use the Conduit road
Macarthur boulevard right of wav.
since this is limited by Army engi-
neerS to Six-ton 1oads
All legislation setting up the
parkway project has specified it
shall be for pleasure cars only, and
the freeWay is to carry all types Of
vehicles.
Possible alternatives are to run
a third road down the north shore
OF the river or let freewav traffic
use the parkway. The planning
body, however, is opposed to allow
ing anything but pleasure cars on
the parkway.
The commission also was to Law
plans for fighting any effort on the
part of the District National Guard
and the District Commissioners to
obtain exclusive control of the Ma
tlonal Guard Armory and adjacent
land earmarked for the proposed
national sports center at the end Of
East Capitol street.
Strong Advocates of Center.
An attempt to gain such control
lost out in last July's adjournment
rush. when a bill introduced by
Chairman Mcmillan of the House
District Committee at the request
OF Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox. COM
mandant of the guard, failed to
come to. vote.
The planners, strong advocates of
the sports center plan, do not want
/ the land controlled exclusively by
the guard and the District. Rather,
they feel the National Park Service,
which would administer the sports
center, should have primary control
of the land and at least some au-
thority over the armory,
The commissions staff was to Law
before it an outline of the Wash
ington master plan which the plan
ming body is supposed to make
under the Districts new slum clear
ance and redevelopment law.
A master plan must be made be-
fore individual slum clearance and
rebuilding projects are planned. This
plan must cover streets, schools,
parks, Fairgrounds, transportation,
utilities and host of other things.
Other Matters on Agenda.
-Four other matters on which the
commission is cooperating closely
with the District government also
were to be considered:
| l. What advice is needed from
the commission on the drafting of
a master transportation plan for the
city. The Commissioners have set
up special committee to draft
plan based on subway and high
speed road recommendations made
in the last few years.
2. Progress made by its staff so
far in analyzing Engineer Com
missioner Gordon r. Young's $685.
100000, siX-year Improvement plan
for the city. Brig. Gen. Young has
invited the commission and civic
and professional circles to sharp
shoot at the plan to get it in shape
for the new Congress.
3. What additional tracts occupied
by public institutions in the District
should be added to so-called Capital
clearance legislation likely to come
before the next Congress. Such
legislation, at the last session, called
for a survey to determine whether
the Soldiers Home, st. Elizabeths S
Hospital and other tracts could not
be put to better use if these insti-
tutions were placed outside the
District.
The commission also was to decide
how it will cooperate with the
Washington Board of Trades new
Citv Planning Committep