Evening star., 1947-10-28
Business Area
Project Put0ff
||nFa||sChurch
Largest Owner Shifts
Position to Oppose
Trade Center Plan

The Falls Church Town Council
last night voted to table until De-
cember 10 a proposal of the town
planning commission for the devel-
opment of a central business section
after the project met with vehement
opposition from all the major land
owners involved.
Guy N. Church, owner of the
largest tract of land in the pro-
posed business center, which would
parallel South Washington street
between Fairfax and Broad streets,
changed the position he had taken
before a recent meeting of the PLAN
ming commission in favoring the
project and decided he was opposed
to it IF it involves any condemna-
ton of land on the part of any Of
my neighbors"
Mr.. Church indicated that he
might bring in other plans for the
development of his part of the
project but other large land holders
said they had no intention of doing
anything with their land at this
time.
Warning on "Slum Area" Given,
The proposal to designate the area
as shopping center on the towns
master plan was presented by Ed
ward c. Knouse. chairman Of the
town planning commission, and Col.
H. c. Person, former State planning
engineer of Vermont and member
OF the town planning commission.
Both men declared that the addi-
tlonal business area was needed to
prevent the central business section
from deteriorating because of trafic
congestion and lack of parking IA
cilities. They pointed out that they
had considered all safety factors"
and that the project would greatly
benefit the land owners involved.
Larue Van Meter, town attorney,
declared he was amazed that the
land owners aren't jumping at the
project" He went on to say that
every land owner would receive more
front footage under the plan than
he now has. He declared that "a
slum area is developing in the heart
of Falls Church" and warned that
the property owners had better
bring a plan of their own soon or
1t will be too late"
After the planning commission
had stated it was going to push for
the project, Burns N. Gibson, Fair
fax County supervisor and former
Mayor of the town, asked the
council and the commission to
consider rezonirg 6 acres which he
owns near the central business dis.
trict for business purposes. Mayor
Fenner S. Hazelgrove told The Star
he intended to push for the rezoning
OF Mr.. Gibson's property since the
other property owners did not ap-
pear interesbed in the plan of the
commissions
Amendment Sought.
The council authorized the COM
mission to attempt to work out an
agreement with the county planning
commission for an amendment to
the towns subdivision ordinance
which would give the town author
ity over the construction of streets
and other public utilities in an area
2 miles adjacent to the town.
A progress report on the survey
for the proposed 24-inch water main
from Dalecarlia Reservoir to Falls
Church was received from Sargent
White, who is associated with
Bernard Locraft, Washington civil
engineer. Mr. White reported that
his firm had run into considerable
difficulty in estimating the cost of
the project and asked an. extension
until November 10 for the prepara-
tion of the reports.
After short public hearing the
council voted to uphold its previous
decision denying an application on
behalf of Talmage Thorne for the
rezoning of two acres on Wilson
boulevard near Seven Corners from
residential to multiple dwelling.