Evening star., 1947-03-21
Planners Hear Plea
Today for Airport
Near Kingman Lake

The Commerce Department was to
try toady to persuade Washington
planners to approve proposal to
build an airport for private planes
in Anacostia Park.
Assistant Secretary Of Commerce
William A. M. Burden was sched-
uled TO 60 before the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commits
sion this afternoon for the purpose.
The airport is proposed for the
land barrier between Klngman Lake
and the Anacostia River. 1t would
be used only by private planes. Its
advocates claim it could be fitted
into the picture without getting in
the way of other developments, such
as the proposed National Sports
Center at the end of East Capitol
street. and without creating danger
GUS conditions in that section of
the city.
Previously Rejected.
In late 1945 the Aero Club of
Washington submitted a plan for
this site, but the planners turned
it down on the grounds it would be
too costly to change the shape Of
Kingman Lake to accommodate the
landing field and that the strip
would be a menace to public safety.
The plan proposed by the club
called for runway 5000 by 500 feet,
a clubhouse and a parking lot for
planes
The Civil Aeronautics Admins
tration. which comes under the Com
merce Department, has backed the
club in its plan. CAA officials have
estimated that by 1856 there will be
between 1000 and 5000 privately
owned planes in the District. not to
mention those flown here on busi-
ness and pleasure trips.
The plan called for construction
of the strip under Federal-aid air
port legislation which would extend
to the District around 100000 over
a period ending in 1858.
Completing Highway Plan.
A major part of the planners
time today was to be spent putting
finishing touches on their highway
and transportation plan for the Dis
trict. They intend introducing the
plan at the Commissioners public
hearing Wednesday on the District
Highway Departments version of
how the course of transit and high
way construction should run in the
postwar era.
The planners, who are armed with
congressional authority to plan the
city's highway and transportation
system. are expected to bring forth
a plan which differs at least in
some respects from that of the Dis
trict.
Several other matters were to
come before the commission today,
including some held over from yes
terday's session.
Possible locations for the Districts
proposed Unemployment Compensa-
tion Board Building were to be dis
cussed at the request of the Com
missioners.
Fort Drive Considered.
The planners also we're to study
plans for the proposed Alexandria
Bridge across the Potomac, and they
were to look over the recreation
report of the social survey by the
Council of Social Agencies. The
report charges Washington has in
adequate public recreation facilities.
Yesterday afternoon was spent
discussing a simplified plan for the
Fort drive project.
Commission Chairman Maj. Gen.
U. S. Grant III, told reporters after
yesterdays meeting he would not
make details of the simplified plan
public until it is sent to the District
Commissioners for consideration.
The plan, he said, would be to
build the drive in sections without
the full number of grade separa-
tons called for in final plans and
to use existing streets to link up
the sections first conDleted