Evening star., 1948-07-29
Proposal 10 Sell
AirbaseHighway
Irks Planners
Commission Hopes to
Get Federal Status
For SuitIund Parkway
Nelson M. Shepard

b<StSSu wv. ShCPoto
Fede planning officials were in
a qual y today over an unex-
pected army Department move to
sell the $4,000,000 military Suitland
Parkway connecting Boiling Field,
the Suitland CMd) public buildings
area and Andrews Air Force Base.
They feared it may be too late to
prevent the War Assets Admins
tration from disposing of this con-
Meeting link with downtown Wash
ington. unless Congress can be per-
suaded during the special session to
pass pending bills that would trans
fer it to the National Park Service.
That would give it the status Of the
Mount Vernon highway.
The question that puzzled half a
dozen interested Federal and Dis
trict agencies was: What would any
purchaser do with road 7 miles
long, believed entirely unsuited for
housing or apartment developments
over most of its 700-foot width?
Some officials termed the Army pro-
posal as impossible and others
went so far as to call the idea
"silly."
Official Notice Awaited.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission. which opened
its monthly meeting early today,
expected to be advised officially
about the Suitland Parkway plan at
tomorrow's session. Meanwhile, its
officials said the road would bring
only about one-tenth OF its total
DEVELOPMENT cost, estimated at
slightly less than $4,000,000," II
buyer could be found. Its sale would
undo the work of years Of planning,
1t was claimed.
1t was learned the Army Depart
ment, wishing to rid itself OF the
burden of maintaining the road.
had arranged for its transfer TO
WAA before July q, the deadllne
for declaring the property surplus
under existing law. 1t has been
paving the National Park Service
$1,000 per quarter year for main
tanning and policing the parkway.
Pressure will be brought to bear,
It was said, to get action on the
two bills now pending before the
Senate and House Public Roads
Committees. The Army. as well as
park and planning officials, are IN
accord on the legislation and of1-
cials said it could pass easily If re-
ported from committees.
Initiated Before War.
The parkway was initiated before
World War II. It was planned to
make downtown Washington readily
accessible to Government employees
In Suitland and also to connect
with Andrews Air Force Base. Dur
ing the war the Army received a
go ahead" signal from President
Roosevelt to build the project to
connect the two largest military air
fields in this area-Bolling and An
drews.
Now the Army doesn't need the
parkway, it was said. and when
Congress adjourned before the po-
litical conventions without acting
or legislation transferring the road
to the National Park Service, 1t felt
compelled to take other action be-
fore it was too late.
Suitland Parkway is a dual high
way with limited access roads and
several overpasses and underpasses,
built not only to avoid traffic haz-
ards but also to step up the speed
of military vehicles. The parkway
has never been completed. One
traffic lane is unpaved.
Two sessions were to be held to-
day by the District planners with
Virginia and Maryland planning
officials.
The Arlington County Planning
Commission was to be host at a
luncheon meeting at the Washing
ton Golf and Country Club for the
purpose of discussing zoning prob
lens. At 3 pm. the Federal group
was to meet in the Interior De-
partment Building with the Mary
land National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
Limited to Small Projects.
The Maryland officials are in
terested in the projects that can be
developed with the meager $150,000
appropriated by Congress for the
acquisition Of park lands in various
stream valleys in Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties. With Fed
eral officials they had sought
s1500,000 for such developments.
The District commission has been
asked to make definite recon-
mendation with respect to the Cap
ital Transit Co.'S plan to re-route
its lines on Pennsylvania avenue,
between Seventh and First streets
NV. A hearing will be held before
the Public Utilities Commission on
August IL
A plan for development Of the
Washington Monument Grounds in
time for the 1850 sesquicentennial
celebration will be considered by
the commission. Maj Gen. U. S.
Grant III, chairman, made such
suggestion in an address on July 4
At the centennial exercises for the