Evening star., 1947-09-19
3-WayS Study SET
On Parking for
u. 5. Employees
Commission Approves
New Laboratory at
Bureau of Standards

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission today agreed
on three-way study to be made Of
off-street parking for Federal EN-.
ployes and approved plans for .
new laboratory building on the Bu-
reau Of Standards grounds.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, III, chair
man, said the time has not been
set for construction of the labora-
tory. which will be Public Build
ings Administration project. Part
OF the building will be four stories.
Conferring with Public Building
Administration representatives, the
commission agreed to take part in
study of the off-street parking
problem in connection with the for
mer agency and the District Motor
Vehicle Parking Agency.
Calls Solution mot Easy"
Gen. Grant remarked that "solu-
tions are not easy to find" and re.
minded that any drastic provisions
for underground parking would
necessarily entail much added ex-
pense to building costs.
The zoning law authorizes garage
or parking facilities for commercial
buildings, but the building regula-
tlons make no provisions. New
apartment houses and hotels, how
ever, are required under regulations
to provide certain amounts of space
for automobile parking. How far
such provisions can be extended to
commercial buildings will be one
phase of the study.
The Planning Commission is in
terested in what other cities are
doing to provide offstreet or fringe
parking as a solution for increasing
traffic. Gen. Grant pointed out,
however, that it would be practically
prohibitive for Washington to build
subterranean garage under any
of the downtown parks because OF
water seepage.
Master Plan Publication Set.
The commission expects to enter
into a contract next week with
q famous consultant to prepare for
publication of a long awaited re-
vision of the comprehensive plan"
for the orderly development Of
Washington and its environs.
An outline of the proposed master
plan, which has been neglected for
Is years, was approved by the COM
mission yesterday. Gen. Grant was
authorized to retain professional
help next week.
Congress appropriated funds last
judy for the use of the planners in
preparing groundwork for carrying
out the $20,000,000 authorization
under the Urban Redevelopment Act
of 1916. It is expected $4,000 will
be used to ready the comprehensive
plan for publication.
Advisory Unit Authorized.
At the same time, Gen. Grant
said the commission also expects to
announce next week a list of 100 to
$50 public spirited citizens to serve
as an advisory committee on future
planning. Approval of the plan was
given yesterday.
Through these citizens, we hope
to get the reaction to comprehensive
planning, step by STEP" Gen. Grant
said. Business, professional, educa-
tional and civic groups are to be
represented on the committee.
Making slow progress on its
agenda, the commission left many
items for today's session.
1t approved plans for the location
Of the new Braddock light and
power plant in Alexandria, north of
the circle on the Mount Vernon
Memorial parkway.
Compromise Effected.
The approved location, about 100
or $50 feet from the river bank, was
compromise worked out between
the planning commission and the
power company, subsidiary of
Pepco. The planning commission is
maintaining a right-of-way along
the river bank at that point in the
expectation the Mount Vernon road
some day will bypass the heart of
Alexandria.
If Alexandria traffic becomes too
troublesome, the commission hopes
to obtain approval for the construc-
tion of an elevated highway follow
ing the river bank and connecting
with the main Mount Vernon road
outside the city limits. Gen. Grant
referred to the compromise worked
out with the power company as an
example of economy made possible
by planning in advance of actual
construction.
In exchange for moving the plant
back from the river side, the PLAN
ming commission got the United
States Engineers ONCE to agree to
make Potomac River water easily
accessible to the plant.
Thiofcr,he ( Dureae