Evening star., 1951-05-11
Planners Lift
Last Barrier 10
Capitol Span
Commission Also
Clears Apartment
After Compromise

Approval given the design anc
approaches for the new $12 mil
lion East Capitol street bridge
over the Anacostia River and
Kingman Lake today removed
the last obstacle for this long
delayed and vitally needed Dis
trict project.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, at its
closing session yesterday. also
withdrew its objections to the
erection Of the proposed Arling-
ton Towers apartment project of
1,670 units on Lee boulevard, op-
posite the so-called Nevius tract.
A compromise reached on the
height of the four huge buildings
that would overlook the Capital
led to approval of the plans. They
now call for height of 8 stories
instead of II stories as pre-
Viously proposed.
Planning officials said their ac-
ton now makes it possible for the
hackers of Arlington Towers to
renew negotiations for a building
loan from the Federal Housing
Agency. NCPPC objection had
blocked O loan in the past.
Span Details EXPLAINED,
The satisfactory agreement with
respect to the East Capitol street
bridge frees the hands of the Dis
trict Highway Department, al
though it was legally possible for
District officials to go ahead and
build the bridge without planning
commission approval. Highway
Director John N. Robertson and
engineers of the j. E. Greiner Co.
of Baltimore, consultants, were on
hand to explain details of the de-
sign and methods Of routing traf-
fic speedily into and out Of the
city. $
A central feature of the plan is
the 16-acre ellipse that will serve
the District Armory as a parade
drill ground. Federal planners
suggested further study of meth
DDS to safeguard pedestrians using
the ellipse. Access to the area will
be via underpasses from adjacent
streets.
The bridge area in general ex-
tends from Burns street on the
east side to Nineteenth street on
the west. -Four lanes of traffic
would speed vehicles across the
river and lake to the ellipse. At
that point the highway will turn
into one-way forks carrying traf-
fic around the ellipse to Inde-
pendence avenue and c street.
From these lanes ramps will lead
to an inner circle of the ellipse to
divert through traffic via East
Capitol street.
Interested in Tract.
An underpass to carry traffic
under the Pennsylvania Railroad
and Minnesota avenue will come |
up again at Burns street on the
east side of the bridge.
The planning commission adopt
ed a motion reiterating its interest
in plans to convert Government
owned tract of so acres at Jones
Point on Hunting Creek in nearby
Virginia. That should be done. it
was suggested. if and when the
property now occupied by the
Army becomes surplus to the Gov
ernment's needs. The tract is
along the river front.
Approval was given the design
of the new administration build
ing on the Howard University
campus. This will be located on
the Georgia avenue side. De-
signed by the firm of Justement,
Elan and Darby, the building
will cost about $12 million. 1T
will have a limited parking space.
The planning commission will
hold its next meeting on June 20
and 81, at which time it hopes
the boundary lines of the first
slum clearance project in the
Southwest section will be agreed
upon definitely.