Evening star., 1951-12-14
D. {. Planners
Ask More Study
Plan
Park Group Charges
Proposals Would
Impair City's Growth

By Nelson M. Shepord


certain proposals In the Robinson
reorganization plan for the Dis
trict affecting the commission
would seriously impair the proper
development of the Federal city"
For this reason. the Federal
planners asked the commissioners
to give further study to the Rob-
inson plan and said that they
were prepared to consult with the
city heads in an effort to work
out the problem.
One Dissenting Vote.
The resolution, aimed at pro-
posals to reduce and eliminate the
planning agency as a decisive fac
tor in the acquisition and sale of
land for public use in the District,
was approved at the final monthly
planning session with only one
dissenting vote. That vote was
cast by Col. Thomas j. Hayes III,
assistant engineer commissioner
who helped draft the planning
commissions resolution. He is an
ex-officio member.
The Robinson plan, proposed by
Engineer Commissioner Bernard L.
Robinson. affects policy under the
Capper-Cramton Act, under which
real estate for schools and play
grounds have been bought and sold
for approximately 25 years.
Land Purchase Sought.
District authorities currently
wish to acquire the lands them
selves and also propose that the
planning commissions approval
be eliminated when it is necessary
for the city heads to sell District
owned real estate.
The planning commission has
set forth at other times that such
powers assumed by the District
Commissioners would take away
from NCPPC its right to veto sale
of property and reduce it to an
advisory" group.
Since 1889. when Congress gave
the Commissioners the right to
buy real estate without individual
special acts. the planning COM
mission has been given the right
to veto any sale of land which
might be needed by some depart
ment of the District government.
Four Sales Disapproved.
During these years. the Plan
ming Commission said today, the
District Commissioners had sub
mitted for their approval So pro-
posals to dispose of parcels of
District-owned land. OF this num-
ber, NCPPC approved AZ of the
sales, disapproved four and de-
ferred action in six other cases.
One of the four sales proposals
disapproved was the result of ac-
ton taken yesterday in connection
with the old Jones School at
First and L streets NV. This
was done at the request of the
District Land Redevelopment
Agency as the school is located
within the proposed Northwest
slum clearance area.
This sale was disapproved be-
cause there is no sense in the
District selling land one year and
buying back the same land next
year." a spokesman for the plan
ming commission said.
Sale Must Await Rezoning.
Another of the deferred sales
In connection with the Corcoran
School in Georgetown yesterday
was ordered to await rezoning of
the area.
In adopting its resolution, the
planning commission confined its
comment on the Robinson plan
to only the issues which directly
affect the operations of the
NCPPC and "the effectiveness
with which its functions are exer-
cised in the interests of both the
local and Federal Governments
and the people of this Capital
city and the Nation"
Initial steps were taken by the
planners yesterday to transfer a
portion of the National Guard
Rifle 9ange at Camp Simms, in
Southeast Anacostia. to the Ma
tional Park Service for an extern
sion of the Oxon Run parkway.
Approval Of the Army Depart
ment and the District Commits
sioners must be obtained before
this can be done.
Range Breaks Route.
Oxon Run parkway now stops
at one side of the rifle range and
picks up again on the other side.
The idea is to extend it through
that portion of the property.
The land desired lies between
Mississippi avenue and Valley
avenue, which parallel the exist
ing parkway. This would make
possible the extension of these
two avenues from South Capitol
street to the District line south
of the Suitland parkway. Also
involved in the plan is pro-
vision for extending Stanton road
through portion of the range tt
Valley avenue.
Approval was given for the
transfer of areas at the Reservoir
Playground from the District tc
the Park Service to enlarge the
playground on Macarthur boule-
ward. Part of the property be-
longs to the Washington Aque.
duct.
Regional highway matters wer1
discussed with Sam Harrison
chairman of the Regional High,
way Planning Committee.
Mr.. Harrison clarified the atti.
tude of the District Highway De.
partment toward the location O.
the East-West portion of th'
Southwest freeway at the connect.
ing ends .of the South Capito
Street and Highway Bridges.
He made it clear that Distric
road officials have not yet made /: