Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-25
Suburbs, Which Feel u. S. Already Has Too Much Land

OF taxation and causes the com
munities to suffer-"
He advocated the use of the Bull
Run battlefield area, which Is a
national park.
within two or three miles of
there" he told the committee, sis
a natural gas line where you could
get fuel Xxx. Ample water supply
could be obtained from Bull Run.
There is a divided highway, Route
21l x x is programmed now for
widening by the State Highway
Department.
The Fairfax County Board of
Supervisors Endorsed the idea of
dispersal in principle. The board
made certain reservations, how
ever, in bid for Federal financial
aid to meet the attendant prob
lens.
Other Virginia installations.
Besides the Bull Run park, Gov
fernment installations in Northern
Virginia include the Pentagon,
the Navy Annex, the National Air
port, the Prince William Forest
Park $4,000 acres, Fort Belvoir
lover 10000 acres, Fort Myer,
Vint Hill Farms near Warrenton
and the Quantico Marine Base
(56, 900 acres. The Marine base
is so large that you could put all
of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls
Church into a part of it.
Not all of these installations are
in the dispersal zone but their ex-
istence poses peculiar problems
for the whole area. Likewise, the
Maryland Counties which would be
affected directly by dispersed
buildings feel the impact of near
by installations beyond their boun-
diaries. Among these are Fort
Meade, which sprawls over 1857
acres IN Anne Arundel County,
Immediately next to Prince
Georges. There are many other
Government plants in Anne Arun-
del. Calvert Charles and St. Marys
Counties.
( Whenever there has been dis
cussion of using any of these
Federally-owned properties, how
ever, officials of the agencies in
volVed have commended they need
the land under their control.
Some merit in dispersal is seen
by Blair Lee, III, of Silver Spring
former vice chairman of the Mary
land-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission. Though
young in years, Mr.. Lee is a
veteran planner and experienced
in civic affairs. He says the prob
lem of dispersal must be ap-
preached realistically.
IF dispersal is the price of safe
and orderly expansion of the
Government" he has said, then
we will pay that price cheerfully
But I do want to impress you
with the fact that when we say
we are for the program it is not
a Chamber of Commerce propo-
sition :. We are not asking TO,
it. We will take it cheerfully but
it is not going to do us much
good"
The merits of dispersal, from
Mr.. Lees point of view, are pro.
visions for the development Of
good roads. At the present, it i.
proposed to spend about $50 mil
lion for Federal highways to thu
dispersed Offices.
Montgomery County is in Sc.
rious need of some super-high.
ways" he said. I'VE have nothine
to compare with the fine network
around the Pentagon, or the
beautiful Shirley Highway in Vir.
ginia. Unfortunately, nothing ap.
pears in sight for us for years
The nearest suggestion of a
good expressway is the Nationa.
Pike from Frederick to Washing
ton, but at the rate things are
going there's no telling wher
Montgomery will feel the bene.
fits"
I Mr.. Lee said planners must face
the fact that Washington is sat.
urated" and that. if more Office
space is needed, it will have to be
placed outside the District. Thai
being the case, he sees no alterna
tive to dispersal.