Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-09-20
Reviisions Delay
Completion Of
Southwest Plans
Project Area B
Also Held Up for
Joint Release
BY Nelson M. Shepard

AAOW t1ic lung TcQeVelOp
ment Of the Southwest sectioI
should be carried out.
Also postponed until then,
was announced, is the blueprin
for initial project area B in tn
northeast corner of the area
Changes directed in this and tn
overall survey are being worke,
out by NCPC'S Southwest Rede
velopment Committee.
Director John Nolen, jr., sal,
the revisions will take "abou
three weeks" They will be sub
mitted to the commission member
by mail for approval to save time
Following a shorter delay afte
approval. the two plans will b,
wrapped in a single package TO-
public consumption. Then, some
time in November, probably, tn,
District Commissioners will call {
public hearing on the project ares
B plan.
There was no serious contention
over project B, sometimes calico
the Randall area. The planning
will follow broadly the recon.
mendations of the Bartholomew
report. All major problems have
been resolved, Mr.. Nolen said.
Revisions Ordered.
DR.. Joseph D. Lehman, new
NCPC chairman, directed the staff
to make certain revisions and he
set up the Redevelopment Co.
originating Committee to review
and agree upon them. If the mat
ter becomes stalled, the revisions
will be turned over to the Execu-
tive Committee.
The future of Fourth street
hangs somewhat in the balance. A
small part of the Fourth street
frontage will be taken into the
area. It was described as a
blighted section. It is not now
finally determined whether the
east or west side of the CONNER
cial street will be retained in the
plan.
Originally. the commission had
planned to clean up Fourth street
on both sides, or leave it out of
the project entirely.
Boundaries of Project B. it is
expected, will be revised slightly
to eliminate any areas where prop
erty will not be acquired. In this
way, the comparatively small area
Of the initial project will be tied
up neatly.
Time for Public Consideration.
The planning commission said
that, after publication of the over
all plan for Project B, the public
will be given ample time to digest
them before the hearing. It is
necessary to release the two at the
same time, it was explained, for
then it can be shown how Project
B will fit into the entire redevel-
opment picture.
The reasons for keeping the lid
on publication of details before
the approval vote, it was said, is
that members of the commission
don't want to read it in advance
In the newspapers"
The new Rehabilitation Co-ordi-
mating Committee actually has
been functioning informally dur
ing the past month. It was not
constituted full-fledged commit
tee until yesterday with the fol-
lowing members: Col. Thomas j.
Hayes III, assistant Engineer
Commissioner; Mr.. Nolen and
John r. Searles. jr., executive
director of the District Redevelop-
ment Land Commission. A fourth
member is to be designated by the
Housing and Home Finance
Agency.
Robinson Heads Committee.
On the Executive Committee.
which is to take over the revision
If the foregoing cannot reach an
agreement, is Brig. Gen. Bernard
L. Robinson. District Engineer
Commissioner, who was named it's
chairman. John A. Remon, for
mer NCPC chairman. was named
vice chairman. The third member
is Conrad l.. Wirth, director Of the
National Park Service.
One final thing the commission
did yesterday was to legalize the
newly created Regional Planning
Council under its reorganization.
1t formally appointed the eight
nominees from nearby Maryland
and Virginia.
Chairman Lehman called them
together to get acquainted and to
plan for the first meeting of the
council. 1t will be held at 3 pm.
September % in the NCPC quar-
tiers. The council then will choose
q chairman and map plans.
The eight members, previously
nominated by agencies in their
Jurisdictions are:
From Maryland - Robert M.
Watkins and Donald E. Gingery.
representing the Maryland-Na-
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission; Frederick A. Gut
helm, named by the Montgomery
County Council, and Thomas E.
Latimer, nominated by the Prince
Georges County commissioners.
From Virginia-C. Luckett Wat
kins, Bertram Gross. Francis A,
Wagner and John w. Brookfield,
nominees of the Northern Virginia
Regional Planning and Economic
Development Commission.
The two representatives Of the
NCPC on the council are Gen
Robinson and Mr.. Nolen.
CIV Faculty Group
Will Meet at Lodge