Evening star., 1949-12-13
Sparkman Sets Par|e,
Tonight for Solution
On Marshall Heiohts

Un MdrSndII HeIghfs
Controversy over the stalled
Marshall Heights redevelopment
project will be aired tonight, when
the Sparkman subcommittee OF
the Senate Banking Committee
resumes its attempt to solve the
' city's slum-clearance problem by
round-table conferences.
MY hope is that we can work
this out" declared Senator Spark
man, Democrat, Of Alabama as he
closed the first public hearing last
night. He called the second ses-
sion for 7 o'clock tonight in the
Banking Committee room.
Colored residents of Marshall
Heights. who have opposed the
redevelopment project, are expect.
ed to register their protests to-
night, following strong recon-
mendation Of the plan last night
by District Government agency
spokesmeu.
The procedure - unusual fol
committee hearings-will be con-
tinued as Chairman Sparkman OF
the Banking Subcommittee on
Housing and Rents gathers around
the huge oval committee table
people from all four District agen-
cies concerned, from private
enterprise and from Marshall
Heights itself.
Congress Banned Funds.
Testimony yesterday brought
out the fact that Congress has
banned use Of funds, under the
new 1949 Housing Act. for Mar
shall Heights redevelopment. But,
at one point, Senator Sparkman
raised the question as to how the
plan would be carried out. "as-
summing" that funds were made
available.
Operation of the 1916 District
Redevelopment Act was outlined
by Mai. Gen. q. S. Grant III,
chairman emeritus of the Nat
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission.
Procedure under the act had
been followed by the planning
commission, he said, in developing
q master plan for the city and
selecting Marshall Heights as the
area in which to start.
-- John Nolen, jr., director OF plan
ming for the commission, laid
before the subcommittee a num-
ber of maps outlining results
of the survey made by the COM
mission and by the Health De-
partment. These showed, he said,
that 86 per cent Of the homes in
Marshall Heights were In need of
complete rehabilitation or demoli-
ton; 9 per cent were in need Of
moderate or major alterations,
and only 5 per cent were satisfac-
tory.
Senator Sparkman pressed for
an explanation on what would
happen to the people living In
Marshall Heights now.
Gen. Grant insisted there was
enough vacant land to rehouse all
the people in the area-a situa-
tion which does not exist in con-.
gested blighted areas, where 1t Is
hoped to clear out slums later. =.
Hilyard Robinson, architect, and
resident member Of the planning
commission, outlined a program
and procedure proposed to CO.
ordinate the work of the four
different agencies concerned with
redevelopment and housing. They
are: The planning commission.
District Commissioners, the Rede-
velopment Land Agency and the
National Capital Housing Au-
thority.
District Engineer Commissioner
Gordon r. Young explained that
under the Redevelopment Act 1t
had been necessary to freeze"
new construction and major re-
pairs in the Marshall Heights
area, since it had been selected
for redevelopment.
Mark Lansburgh, chairman Of
the land agency, told of three
years of vain effort to get funds
from Congress.
John Ihlder. executive director
Of the National Capital Housing
Authority, insisted more provision
should be made for housing the
low-income group in Marshall
Heights and in any other project
selected for redevelopment.