Evening star., 1951-09-14
Planners Seek
Directions on
Area Council
Soy Bill Should
Wuit on Solution to
Suburban Obstacles
By Nelson M. Shepard

py INStSOH W. SHSpotO
Federal planners came out into
he open today to reveal how they
would like to have Congress set
lp specific directions for forming
md regulating the controversial
Regional Planning Council, pro-
posed for inclusion in a new
NCPPC reorganization bill.
Before the bill should be offered
FOR introduction, they stressed, it
would be most helpful to iron out
with suburban planning agencies
all existing obstacles relating to
the organization of the proposed
council.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is now
engaged in writing it's own bill
as a substitute for the Inflated
measure. which was withdrawn by
a Senate District subcommittee
on August %. For the reasons
stated, NCPPC took no action
late Yesterday but 'irected fur
ther ironing-out conferences with
suburban officials.
John Nolen, jr,. director of
planning, announced the commits
sion has given the staff explicit
information on how it should go
about discussing these issues with
representatives of Maryland and
Virginia planning agencies. This
means, no doubt. long interim
before the bill is finally drafted
for Congress.
Question of Nominations.
Specifically. the questions at is
sue which NCPPC hopes can be
written into the legislation and
accepted are:
The number of members on the
council and how they shall be
nominated and by whom. How
the council should function and
under what powers.
These issues are vital to both
the Federal planning group as
well as the suburban agencies,
which heretofore have sought
more representation in planning
involving the Washington area
than NCPPC was inclined to
yield.
The original bill was discarded
because of the inability of all
concerned to agree on reorganiza-
ton of the Federal commission.
The straw that broke its back
was a proposal that two of the
eight members of the commission
be named by each State. two by
the District Commissioners and
two by the President. NCPPC Of
f1cials held that the Federal in
terests in the Metropolitan Area
are paramount.
/ Maryland and Virginia then
would have had an equal voice
with the Federal representation.
as well as an equal voice with
the combined Federal and District
representation. While the District
members could have been expected
to support the Federal views. and
vice versa. there was always a
possibility that a shift,to the other
side on some issue would have
found the Federal members OUT
voted.
Approve RedeveIopment.
Meanwhile. a House bill intro
duced by Representative Smith.
Democrat, of Virginia proposed
setting up new area council and
restricting NCPPC to District
planning. With this deadlock.
NCPPC sought to reconcile diff
ferences, with a result that it is
drafting new legislation.
Before recessing yesterday to in
spect the approaches to the new
East Capitol Street Bridge site.
the commission approved the Ma
tional Capital Housing Authority's
plan for a new outlying redevelop-
ment area in the Southwest. 1t
also authorized the staff to in
vestigate the possibility of finding
some suitable institutionally owned
grounds in the Michigan Park
area that would serve as a play
ground.
\ District Highway Director John
IN. Robertson, who directed the
bridge survey, will present the
formal structure and approach
Iplans at today's final session. From
what the planning officials saw
yesterday, they indicated some re-
vision of the approach plans may
be necessary. But that would not
necessarily block general approval
lat this time.
\ Would Divide Lake.
Revised plans for the bridge call
flor it to divide Kingman Lake
on a line with East Capitol street.
In all, SO acres of use and recrea-
tional land are in the process of
being acquired.
The two elevated approaches on
the west side would go around an
ellipse of IS acres reserved for
the parade ground. The approaches
would be elevated high enough to
permit underpass roads to connect
with all the 35 acres to be used,
not only for the parade ground,
but also for sports center and
recreation areas. One connects
with C street, the other with Con-
Stitution avenue.
The planning group also got
drawn into a mean traffic Jam.
and it required 10 minutes for
their Police Department bus to
cross the South Capitol Street
Bridge. The large number of Vir-
ginia cars heading homeward, they
said, furnished convincing proof
of the need for a more direct
bridge across the Potomac at
IA1aYa ndrio