Evening star., 1951-01-21
Present Use Is Bod
Enough, Sharpe Tells
Convention Here
BY Nelson M. Shepard


denunciation of the "hideous-
ness" created in Washington
Mall and Potomac Park, yester-
day at the annual meeting of the
American Planning and Civic AS
sociation.
Deploring a longtime misuse
Of the Mall" as Cruel" C. Melvin
Sharpe. a director of APCA anc
president of the District Board oi
Education. attacked a recent pro-
posal to pave portions of the NAL
for use as parking areas. This
suggestion had been made by
Walter l.. Fowler, District budget
officer.
Headed by Horace M. Albright
of New York. a former director of
the National Park Service, the Of
ficerS and directors of the ma
tional group, meeting at the
Union Trust Co., adopted resolu-
tionS affecting conservation, as
sistance to planning and protec-
ton of parks and highways. They
also urged enactment of the re-
organization bill for The National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission ito bring about satisfac-
tory and sound Development OF
the whole Washington area, and
called for planning cooperation
in any Federal dispersal program
Inadequate Planning Hit.
The national group assaileo
what it termed evidences of in
. adequate planning and the, fail
ure of highway agencies in many
areas to prevent traffic overloads
On the other hand, the group
noted with approval" a growing
tendency to locate and design
Federal-aid expressways through
urban areas.
A discussion of roadside abuses
in Germany and Japan, which
Chairman Albright said were the
fault of American military author
tiles, touched off criticism of con-
ditions here. The group had
adopted a resolution cautioning
that national parks and monu-
ments should be protected from
injurious uses" by the military
and that efforts should be made
to obtain other areas for defense
buildings and activities. Doubt
was exposed whether the bene-
fits obtained from the use of
park lands outweighs the destruc-
tion of "inspirational, recreational
and educational values"
Refers to "Tempos."
Mr.. Albright had warned that
once the armed forces gain a
foothold in park area they are
the very devil to get out" Echo
ing the general agreement, Mr.
Sharpe referred to the World War
I buildings still in. Washington
parks.
You talk about the hideous-
ness of roadside signs and prac-
tices in other places but they cant
compare with conditions in the
present Mall, Mr.. Sharpe added
Along Hains Point at times you
can't even see the river from
the driveway for the parked cars
Yet we now have a prominent
man in the District advocating
use of the Mall for more parking.
Mr.. Sharpe also is chairman o1
the Committee of 100 on the
National Capital, an advisory
group that co-operates closely
with the association and the
Planning Commission. The latter
has long opposed exploitation o1
the Mall and other parks fol
unrestricted parking. A sugges.
tion that underground parking
garages in the Mall might be 6
solution met with opposition al
the meeting.
Water Depth Cited.
Miss Harlean James, executive
secretary, said the cost would bt
prohibitive because the water i.
too close to the surface. In tht
basement of the Commerce De.
partment Building, Mr.. Sharpe
reminded. it is necessary to keer
18 or more pumps operating tt
prevent flooding.
With respect to the NCPPC
reorganization bill, members ex.
pressed sympathy with the desire
of Maryland and Virginia agen.
cles fol representation on the
Federal commission. They felt il
unnecessary, however, to include
the proposed regional advisory
board in the resolution. They
were assured that local represen.
tation would be incorporated IL
the legislation as proposed, ane
individual members felt the righ
kind of a recognized commission
would give ample consideration tt
State and local rights.
In other resolutions, the groul
commended the Housing ane
Home Finance Agency in encour.
aging and assisting development
of well-planned communities ane
the redevelopment of obsolet,
areas. 1t re-emphasized its po
sition on the Federal City ant
related matters. These included
District representation in Con
gress and continued Federal re-
sponsibility in sharing expense
and in maintaining essential SUI
pervision over the legislation ane
administration of the District O.
Columbia
Use of NCPPC Urged.
In connection with the Fed.
eral dispersal program, full us'
was urged of the planning serv.
ices of the National Capital Parl
and Planning Commission and the
appropriate Maryland and Vir.
ginia commissions. Another reso.
luton aimed at support of the
NCPPC in its numerous conten.
tions with District highway of.
f1cia1S IF sIIooeSfed thot in tbt