Evening star., 1947-02-17
FederaICityHeId
Way toControI
DC. Expansion
Development Certain
In SuitIund Section,
Reynolds Believes
By Rudolph Kouffmonn II

By Rudolph Kauffmonn II
The Governments long-range plan
for a Federal City" development
adjoining the District on the east
would be a means of controlling the
development that is inevitable any
how in the Suitland area.
This was Public Commissioner w.
z. Reynolds comment today on the
proposal which has been worked up
by his agency for a 21st century
community of more than 0O,OO0
persons. Details of the plans were
published In The Sunday Star.
Mr.. Reynolds said his agency's
plans to erect about dozen Fed
= eral buildings at Suitland on land
already bought for the purpose would
be bound to cause the surrounding
area to grow into major suburb of
the city.
But, if this development takes
place at the whim of individual sub
urb developers, he explained, the
seeds of blight are sure to be sown.
Grew Out Of War Expansion.
Mr.. Reynolds said he had no idea
whether an attempt would be made
In the immediate future to have the
proposal put into effect. War expan-
sion of tine city originated the plan,
he said, but, as studies progressed, it
became evident that it applied as
well to long-range plans for the
Metropolitan area.
Those who have worked on the
plan explain that this has been the
history of nearly all city develop
ment. Individuals and families have
moved out to avoid congestion, leav-
ing neighborhoods behind them on
the downward path. This has result /
ed in series of moves, as each gen.
Grafton has sought to get away from
the living conditions of the preced-
ing one. /
But, they say, development can be
controlled so that the congestion |
which causes these moves would be
channeled to keep it out of residen-
tial neighborhoods. At the same time
residents can be kept in easy touch
with employment centers and stores.
Mr.. Reynolds said the plan makes
use of all the latest techniques
worked out by professional city
planners and that if the community
is developed over the next half CEN
tury it will be the first of its size laid
out to all-modern specifications.
Details in Early Stage.
The. plan was made to show the
type of thing that could be done to
solve the problems of city living. It's
details are In a very preliminary
stage, he said, especially those con-
cerning the special planning COM
mission that would have the task
of bringing the plan to reality.
1t is unlikely that the commission
outlined in the plan would be the
one actually proposed in the final
analysis, he added. A lot of work
would have to be done before the
scheme could be proposed in specific
terms.
Mr.. Reynolds said he wanted to
make clear that the plan was not
to replace the District of Columbia.
The Federal buildings to be built
at Suitland, he said, are planned
in addition to-, not instead of, the
buildings in downtown Washington
and those which may be constructed
along East Capitol street.
Public reaction to the plan today
in some cases took the form OF an
expression of fear that the plan
would further have the effect of
leaving the District with core of
Government buildings and a sur
rounding shell of low-value property.
Young to Study Plan.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon |
r. Young, who heads the planning
functions of the District govern
ment, said he could not comment
on the proposal at this time, but
intends to study the matter.
He said he had heard that busi-
ness interests in the downtown Sec
ton had expressed alarm that it
might accelerate the decentraliza-
ton of the downtown area and
lower land values.
This Gen. Young said, is bound to
be an important question in the
minds of the city government, too,
because of the tax situation.
Mr.. Reynolds said he felt the
plan would help the District. The
authors of the plan see it as pegging
values in the District by keeping
inevitable city development from
moving even further out eventually.
Lessons Would Be Learned.
In addition to this, they foresee
that the lessons learned in building
the modern community would
hasten the redevelopment the Dis
trict and other sections of the
Metropolitan Area into more pros
porous communities.
Chairman U. S. Grant, III, of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission could not be reached
for comment this morning, nor
could his chief assistant, the COM
missions planning director, John
Nolen, jr.
Therefore it is not known to what
extent the plan agrees with their
long-range views. The commission,
however, has long been an advocate
of the eastern expansion of the city
and has overlooked few opportuni-
ties to point out how undeveloped
the land across the Anacostia is and
the need for construction of Federal
buildings east of the Capitol.