Evening star., 1950-09-15
Area Planners
Seeking Data on
Site for Airport
Attention Is Turned
From Study Of Homes
For Low-Rent Groups
By Nelson M. Shepard


Federal planners turned their
attention today from suggested
locations for 1000 low-rent hous-
ing units to the more immediate
problem Of considering sites for
the Districts newly authorized
airport.
They hoped Secretary Of Com
merce Sawyer would comply with
their request for report if he has
4 definite site in mind at this time.
Under the airport bill, the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Comission must be consulted be-
fore the airport land can be ac-
quired.
Planning officials have studied
various sites for airports in the
metropolitan area. These studies
started during the war. Their
chief aim then was to single out
suitable locations within reason
ably short distances from the.
center of the city.
Will Review Sites.
Whether aviation officials have
. definite site to recommend at
this time was not known. Plan
ming officials are ready to review
any site suggested, but they hardly
anticipate any action at this
months session. which ends, late
today. -;
John Ihlder, executive officer Of
the National Capital Housing Au-
thority, on the other hand, pre-
sented roughly drawn boundaries
for six housing projects in outlying
areas and three general locations
for other units in the Northwest,
Southwest and Southeast sections,
respectively. Most Of the 1000
units are being planned as two
story, one family row houses.
The two-year program Of the
NCHA calls for approval Of plans
for the first 1000 units by April j.
The remaining 1000 units should
be ready for approval by March 1.
1852, it was explained.
$4,000 Available.
Mr.. 1hlder has SIC, 900 available
for the preliminary work, leaving
t4S0, 900 to draw and develop plans
for the balance of the housing
program which is to tie in with
urban redevelopment. The sug-
gested boundaries of six outlying
sites have not been determined
definitely, Mr.. Ihlder reported.
They are on vacant lands. srs-,I
The three locations in crowded
city slum areas, he explained, in
elude many alley dwellings which
would be demolished. MIR. Ihlder
said these were very bad areas"
Projects sponsored by the urban
redevelopment law would require
special study Of blighted areas in
order to determine proper types
of structures and development.
For this reason. the housing and
redevelopment programs must be
closely co-ordinated.
Agency Presses for Funds.
. John Nolen, jr., director of
planning. said there was a "rea-
sonable expectation" that the
NCPPC would be able to start
work on the District redevelop-
ment plan in "the near, future"
The agency is pressing hard to
get authorized funds.
The Planning Commission ap-
proved boundaries of the Friend
ship Playground in the northwest
section, which is going to be
turned over soon to the Recrea-
ton Board. The title is now
being cleared. The playground
site of nearly seven acres is at
Massachusetts avenue, Van Ness
and Forty-fifth streets.
Director A. c. Taylor Of the
Regional Highway Planning Com
mittee was commended for the
informative? charts he presented
showing origins and destinations
of traffic in the Metropolitan
Area. No action was taken by
the Federal group. They were i'm
pressed with studies showing how
the two Fourteenth street bridges
and the Key bridge would be
benefited by the construction Of
two new traffic bridges, one at
Alexandria and the other at
Nebraska avenue extended. These
suggested bridges have been under
study for some time.
Continued delay in fixing q
publication date for the Commis-
sion's long-heralded "comprehen-
sive plan" for the Washington
Metropolitan Area again was re-
ported. The Government Print
ing Office may be able to dis
tribute a summary of the report
after November l. The next
chapter for publication would be
devoted to housing and redevelop-
ment.