Evening star., 1951-04-13
Planners Note
Dispersal Move
Effect on Area
Population Increase !.
Of SOC, 600 Expected
Outside District #
By Nelson M. Shepard

posed developments in the Metro
politan Area which President Tru-
man once said would require 'tre-
gior1al cooperation of the highest
order"
Predicting a population rise OF
100000 in the whole area by 1880
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission based re-
gional studies on assumption that
80 per cent of this increase will
occur outside the District of Co.
lumbia. That Is contingent upon
Government employment i'm the
central area being kept at its pres
ent level.
The current monograph dealing
primarily with regional aspects of
the 30-year master plan was de-
layed nearly 10 months in print
ing. It was a victim. the COM
mission explained, of the exces-
sive work load of the Govern
ment Printing Office. Since it sup
plements the broad recommenda-
tions of the initial summary re-
port on washington: Present and
Future" it was intended as the
second instead of the last in the
series.
Changes i'm Interim.
The planning picture in the
Metropolitan Area has changed
considerably since NCPPC pre-
pared the master plan in its en-
tirety. For this reason, Acting
Chairman A. E. Demaray said the
current monograph should be
viewed in the light of two major
events that have taken place in
the interim.
One Of these is the Presidents S
proposal for dispersal of Govern
ment employment centers to new
sites beyond the suburbs. The
other Is legislation designed to
reorganize the Planning Commis-
sion, extend its jurisdictional
authority to cover areas within SO
miles of the District and give
greater representation on the
commission to nearby Maryland
and Virginia.
The difficulties of future plan
ming may be visualized by the un-
certainty that either one of these
two measures will be approved by
Congress Immediately.
The pending report discusses
suburban problems - employment
centers, population denSities, re-
gionaI highways and expressways,
park extensions and the like
which will be greatly accentuated
if the dispersal program is author
lied. Mr.. Demaray said it will be
up to the local planning agencies
to cope with the detailed planning
necessitated. leaving NCPPC to
bridge the gap between the various
Federal construction agencies and
the local planning bodies. To
NCPPC would be left the over
all policy.
Amendment Asked.
For this reason the commission
requested Congress to amend the
dispersal bill so as to clarity these
relationships and authorize a small
sum for emergency aid to the
suburban agencies.
Anticipating an increase of
about 100000 in suburban popu-
lation, especially new Federal en-
ployment centers in Montgomery.
Prince Georges and Fairfax Coun-
ties, NCPPC urged the local juris-
dictions to maintain high stand
ards Of Zoning and land subdivi-
sion.
If the whole region is to provide
homes. for 600, 1000 more people in
the next 80 years, the report
stressed the amount of land in
residential use in the suburbs
would be doubled. No new indus
trial areas are contemplated but
new suburban business centers
would be needed and should bear
close relationship to the require
ments of the local population.
The section dealing with re-
gional parks stresses the fact that
the long planned George Wash
ington Memorial Parkway is the
chief feature of the whole regional
park system.
Stream Valleys Developed
Since the report was written,
small tributary stream valleys in
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties have been brought into
the regional park system, as pro-
posed by NCPPC. This has been
done under the Capper- -Cramton
Act through cooperation with the
Maryland-NCPPC. New legiSla-
ton to extend the financial bene-
fits Of the act to Virginia was
recommended. Arlington County
has shown interest in the develop
ment of the George Washington
Memorial Parkway above Key
Bridge and considerable progress
has been made in recent months
in acquiring needed land.
In matters of highway and
transportation facilities, the re-
port details recommendations
made several weeks ago by .NCPPC
for the regional area. calling for
system of grade-separated,
limited-access expressways ex-
tending deep into Maryland and
Virginia.
Few Rights-of- Way.
In discussing the proposed ring
route around Washington at a
radius of about 8 miles from
the center of the city, the re-
port warns that very little right
of-way for such a route is now
in public ownership. :"
On the railroad front, the re-
port called for widening of the
single-tracked Virginia avenue
tunnel. elimination of grade
crossings and an alternate cross
ing of the Potomac. This was
done as temporary war measure
at Alexandria.