Evening star., 1950-04-26
Land Acquired
Fer Parkway
0nWattsBranc1
FIood-ControI Plan
Advanced by Verdicts
Covering 63 Parcels
By Nelson M. Shepard

By Nelson M. Shepard
Completion of land acquisitions
for the long-proposed Watts
Branch Parkway in the northeast
section. which also sets the stage
for a flood control program ex-
pected eventually to save the
District SIS million, was an
nounced today by the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
Col. v. E. Stack, land purchas-
ing officer. obtained approval, at
the opening April committee ses-
sion. Of condemnation jury ver-
diets covering 50 small parcels
along the length of the parkway
For these the Government will
pay $4,000. making the overall
cost of land purchases $194,517 for
the parkway.
Watts Branch enters the Dis
trict near the east corner running
westerly to an underpass of the
Pennsylvania railroad near Deane
avenue. from which it extends
through Anacostia Park to the
river.
Streets Inundated.
1t is a meandering stream which
oVerhOWS it's banks and mandates
surrounding streets and dwellings
during heavy rain because there is
not a straight and efficient chan
mel for carrying off flood waters.
The parkway will eventually
prove an important traffic artery
in rapidly growing section.
Surveys made before the war
Col. Stack said, indicate that the
flood control program would save
the District the cost of inclosine
the stream in a storm sewer
Estimates of such a saving are as
high as SIS million.
In other actions related to land
acquisition. the planning commits
sion approved agreements involv-
ing seven houses along the east
side of Second street NE. facing
part of the Union Station railroad
yards. This area will be added to
the recreational area of the Logan
Elementary School.
Purchase Along Canal Approved.
Approved also was a purchase
contract covering a 1,00O-foot
frontage along the C. & o. Canal
from Cabin John Gardens to Lock
No. 8. This involves about three
and one-fourth acres, of gently
sloping wooded area. The acquisi-
tion received earlier approval of
the Maryland planning commits
sion.
Another addition to the right
of way for the Fort Drive also
was approved, involving the pur-
chase of lot at the corner of
Twelfth place and Jasper road
Sc. 1t will permit closing of a
stub of the unopened Jasper road
from a point where it now inter-
sects at Fort Drive rightway west
to Twelfth place.
The commission paid tribute
today to the completion of a
half-century of service to Wash
ington on the part of Frederick
Law Olmsted of Brookline, Mass,
nationally known landscape archi-
tect and one of the commissions S
charter" members.
Served on Arts Commission.
Mr.. Olmsted, 79, was a guest of
the planning group when the
resolution was adopted. He was
member of the 1900 Mcmillan
Commission authorized by Con-
gress to carry out the original
L'Enfant plan for the treatment
OF the Mall. When NCPPC was
created in 1926, he was named a
member and served through 1882.
He also served for years on the
Commission of Fine Arts.
Planning officials said Mr.. Ohm
sted never lost his primary in
terest in the orderly development
and Identification of Washington.
Since he retired from the planning
commission. he has frequently
been consulted by that group.
Wurster's Final Session.
This is the final planning ses-
sion for Chairman William N.
Wurster, whose resignation be-
comes effective Sunday. He is
moving his Office to San Francisco
and also has resigned as dean of
architecture at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. President
Truman has not yet indicated who
will be appointed to succeed him.
The commission has a crowded
including action on the
controversial Marshall Heights re-
development plan. The monthly
meeting will recess Friday to en-
able Mr.. Wurster, Director of
Planning, John Nolen, jr., and
others to appear before the Sem
ate District subcommittee on Ana
costa River bridge plans.
I'VE will do our level best to
block the East Capitol street cross
ing in the Senate" Secretary
Thomas S. Settle said. The bill
already has House approval.