Evening star., 1950-04-28
Planners Invite
New Proposals
TO Flight S|un1s
Rescind Stand on
Marshall Heights,
Allowing 'Unifreeze'
By Nelson M. Shepard

SlVe attack on the local Slum sit
uation" were invited today as a
next step in the Districts redevel-
opment program, following the
recommendation of Federal plan
ners that the Marshall Heights
area be abandoned as a project.
This policy will be pursued by
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, as the
initiating agency, independently
of whatever action the District
Commissioners may take regard
ing Marshall Heights. 1t is fully
expected, however. that District
officials will back up the planners
in directing that the freeze" be
lifted on Improvements in the con-
troversial area. The freeze" was
applied at the Districts request
last May.
Steadfast refusal on the part of
Congress to appropriate any funds
for the redevelopment of Mar
shall Heights or for the District
Land Agency. so long as that prof.
ect was being considered, resulted
in the planners action late yes
terday. Senator Sparkman, Dem
ocrat, OF Alabama had advised the
planners. reluctantly enough, to
abandon the plan. They had
sought So million.
Early Proposals Asked.
A study of conditions and slum
areas will be made by the Co
ordinating Committee on Redevel-
opment and Housing, appointed by
the Planning Commission, with a
request that recommendations be
submitted before the next plan
ming session June 14-16. That
committees proposals, the reso-
luton also declared, Should, if
practicable, have at least the in
formal advance concurrence of
the Housing and Home Finance
Agency, and of the District Com
missioners."
Several locations in the central
area of the city have been sue-
gested for redevelopment. but
there was no discussion yesterday
OF probable sites. On the Co.
ordinating committee are Hillyard
r. Robinson, chairman, member
OF the planning commission:
Tracy B. Augur. chairman of
National Capital Housing Author
lty; Mark Lansburgh, chairman of
the District Redevelopment Land
Agency, and William H. Cary. jr.
/ director of the Health Depart
ment's Bureau of Public Health
Engineering.
The action on Marshall Heights
was voted unanimously on mo-
ton OF Secretary Thomas s. Settle.
The resolution authorizing aban-
donment Of the project was
adopted "in principle" with the
understanding that the exact text
would be subject to consultation
between Corporation Counsel Yer
non E. West and Mr.. Settle.
Reverse Steps Required.
Under legal procedure, the Mar
shall Heights project must "un-
done" in the same manner in
which it was first authorized. The
District Commissioners. having
requested the freeze" now must
give 10 days notice of a public
nearing at which to consider the
planners action.
After the Commissioners have
acted. they are required to notify
the planners. who, in turn, must
notify the District Redevelopment
Land Agency.
In connection with the proposed
attack on local slums, John Ihlder.
executive director of National
Housing Authority, was invited to
report on the status of that
agency's housing program. It has
funds for building 1000 housing
units for low-income families.
Mr.. Ihlder was asked to report
within two weeks plan that can
be worked in with the proposal of
the planning commissions CO.
ordinating committee. Any rede-
velopment program, it was said
must tie in with the housing plans,
Young's Plan Passed Along.
Also referred to the co-ordinat-
ing committee was the recent re-
port made by Engineer Commls-
sioner Gordon r. Young for
ameliorating slum conditions in
the area. This includes the i'm
portant scheme for expediting the
condemnation of insanitary dwell
ings and buildings.
The planning officials approved
ideas for their .Sesquicentennial
exhibit, which will be displayed
in the Corcoran Gallery of Art on
or about July 1. It will cost SIS, 600
For awhile. the conference room
was turned into a studio as "mov-
les" were taken of the commission
The pictures were taken for the
Sesquicentennial film being COM
:: piled by the National Gallery of
Art.
Oscar Stonerov. who designed
the $350,000 exhibit of Philadel-
phia planning, is advising the
commission on its own exhibit.
>. Chairman William N. Wurster
of Cambridge, Mass. will take his
official leave of the commission
, today. His term expires Sunday
! and he asked President Truman
not to reappoint him because he
is moving to San Francisco.
Gonzaga High 10 Present
Annual School Play tonight