Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-06-29
Fairfax Airport
Acceptable TO
Planning Group
No Decision Reached
On Location, However
Time Asked for Study

The construction of an airport
in Fairfax County is acceptable
to the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, but just
where is another matter.
Fairfax County officials areI
seeking removal Of the airportl
from the county altogether and
propose that Friendship Airport
at Baltimore become the Wash
ington auxiliary field.
Without making any specific
recommendations on the $500
acre site at Burke. Va, the PLAN
ming commission informed Sec
rotary of Commerce Sawyer byl
letter yesterday that a Fairfax
County airport was included in
the 30-year plan for the DISTRICT
area.
The letter asks. however, that
the Commerce Department allow
the planning commission mere
time to make up its mind about
the Burke site. The law allows
the commission 80 days to study
an airport site before making any
recommendation, but the plan
ming group wants until at least
August 8, when the next COM
mission meeting is scheduled.
Meeting Called Today.
The commission has invited
Fairfax planners and Civil Aero
nautics Administration officials toI
a meeting at pm. today. AL
NCPPC spokesman said the meet
ing would mark the beginning Of
"spadework" by planning officials
in preparing to make up their
minds about what action to take
on the Burke site.
A delegation of Fairfax officials
met with Secretary Sawyer In
Washington yesterday. Herbert
Schuman, Fairfax planning di-|
rector, said Mr.. Sawyer agreed to-
accept results of a survey on eco
nomic results of locating the air
port in the county. which is being
conducted by the planning COM
mission. Mr.. Schuman added,
however, that the Commerce Sec
rotary gave no indication OF
changing his mind about the site.
Mr.. Sawyer told the Fairfax
delegation that his information
was that airports enhanced land
values in most cases.
Fears Revenue Loss.
The county has taken the posi-
ton that it's revenues would drop
because the 4,500-acre airport site
would be removed from tax rolls,
and because land values near the
airport would decrease.
Admiral C. S. Horne, admins
traitor of the Civil Aeronautics
Administration. told the Fairfax
delegation that he and other
Commerce officials had driven
from the Statler Hotel to the
Burke site in % minutes, travelling
at a legal rate of speed.
Mr.. Schuman said that after
the meeting he and other mem
berS of the Fairfax delegation
drove over the same route as far
as Franconia in 2612 minutes, and
were still about 5 miles from the
actual airport site.
Time Issue Raised.
The time issue was raised by
Fairfax officials because they had
been told the Friendship Airport
near Baltimore was too far away
to serve as Washington's auxiliary
field. Commerce officials esti-
mated it would take an hour to
drive the IS miles between Wash
ington and Friendship Airport.
Mr.. Schuman said he hoped to
have the airport economic survey
completed by July Is, and would
forward copy to Mr.. Sawyer as
promptly as possible.
Other Fairfax officials in the
delegation that met with Mr..
Sawyer included: G. Wallace Car
per, chairman of the Board of Su-
pervisors; E. C. Sheads, Super
visor of Lee District; Keith Price,
of the Planning Commission;
Judge Paul Brown, of Circuit
Court, whose home is situated on
the airport site; and James J. Cor
balls, jr., county sanitary engineer.