Evening star., 1950-03-10
1ubeProposed
Alternative
.|nBridgeFight
Irving Root Offers
ldeo in Place of
Eost Capitol Span

under the Anacostia River was
proposed by a park official today
as planners continued a bitter
fight on Capitol Hill against a
proposed bridge at East Capitol
street.
The tube suggestion came from
Irving c. Root, superintendent Of
National Capital Parks, as a last
resort alternative to the District
Governments plans for a East
Capitol street span.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon
R. Young headed group of city
officials who are fighting for the
East Capitol site. which has been
rejected by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
The commission is insisting the
bridge be built farther down.
stream on the line of Massacnu-
sets avenue.
Departure in Plans Charged.
John Nolen, jr., director of
planning for the planning COM
mission. earlier in todays hearing
before q subcommittee of the
House District Committee accused
the District Commissioners of
having made a sudden departure
from long established develop
mer1G plans for the Anacostia
area.
MI. Root. in his turn, said the
stadium and sports center plans
for the foot of East Capitol street
would be wrecked if the Com
missioners win their fight for
their bridge plan.
I'VE would be better off just
to give the plan away or sink it
in the ocean," Mr.. Root said.
| To build a bridge as planned
by the city, he said, would
destroy Is years of work by the
park service in planning recrea-
tional developments in the area.
Would Abandon Stadium.
| Yesterday Gen. Young present.
ed the Commissioners arguments
favoring the construction of the
bridge at East Capitol street. Gen.
Young also called for abandon
ment of the proposed stadium and
sports center at the foot of East
Capitol street, declaring it an
inadequate spot for such recrea-
ton facilities.
The committee is considering a
. bill sponsored by Representative
Beall, Republican, and Repre-
sentative Sasscer. Democrat, both
OF Maryland, to place the bridge
on the East Capitol street line,
as urged by the District Commits
sioners.
Mr.. Nolen accused District Of
ficials of making a sudden de-
parture from development plans
mutually agreed to as far back as
1885. At that time, he. said, the
planning commission determined
there was no need for the future
construction of bridge on the
East Capitol street line. The
Commissioners, then, he added.
evidenced no interest in a bridge
on that site.
I'VE at the planning commits
sion have gone along in good
faith on this assumption" Mr..
Nolen said. Thereafter, he added,
a national memorial stadium and
sports center and other recrea-
tional developments were planned
for the area at the foot of East
Capitol street. To build a bridge
there, he said, would destroy
these plans so far as the intended
uses were concerned. He pointed
out that an East Capitol street
bridge would divide Kingman
Lake into three sections and
thereby prevent use of the lake
for boat racing.
Change in Plans Protested.
Mr.. Nolen today agreed that the
recreational plans and the East
Capitol street bridge plan were
not compatible. "As Gen. Young
said, you can't have both," Mr..
Nolen said.
He brought out that one ap-
iproach to bridge at East Capt.
tol street would. pass between the