Evening star., 1952-10-25
Planners Hope
Submit S|um
Program Soon
Commission Gives
RedeveIopment
Project Approval
By George Beveridoe

The National Capital Planning
Commission hopes within the
next two weeks to send the Dis.
trict commissioners a bold
imaginative and feasible" plan
to tear down and rebuild slurn-
infested parts of Southwest Wash
ington.
At a lengthy session yesterday,
the planners gave long-awaited
approval to their version Of:
/. The plan which will serve
as the general framework" for
redeveloping 427 acres of the
Southwest.
2. Specific plans for how to
develop the first section of the
427 acres. This first section, in
the vicinity of the Randall Rec
reation Center, contains about
1,150 dwelling units and has a
population of about 4,400. In
the redevelopment scheme, it will
be known as Project B.
Planning Director John Nolen,
jr.. said commission members
next, in a mail poll. must approve
technical specifications relating
to Project B.
Little Disagreement.
AS soon as that is done, he
said, the two plans will go to
the District Commissioners, and
will be made public. Then, the
city heads will hold a public
hearing on proposals to begin the
project development. There is
no serious disagreement about
plans for Project B. which con-
tainS some of the areas faultiest
housing.
The main public interest is CEN
tered around the extent to which
the planning commission in it's
area-wide plan has decided to de-
velop residential. commercial, park
and recreational facilities, which
would attract sizeable number
of high-income residents. This
issue was raised by the so-called
JuStement- Smith plan, drawn up
by two prominent Washington
architectural firms. Basically, the
architects proposed that the plan
raise the entire character of the
Southwest, and bring it economic
strength as well as a face lifting.
Mr.. Nolen stressed that many
details of the plan for the entire
area will be left out, since the
area will be redeveloped section
by section over a long period.
Nevertheless. the basic issue raised
by the Justement-Smith plan is
certain to be answered in the
commissions proposals.
Final Plan Drawn.
The commission staff has drawn
the final plan, using as starting
point a commission consultant's S
analysis of previous plans. The
consultant criticized the Juste-
ment-Smith plan as placing too
much emphasis on high-income
homes, but criticized an earlier
one as being too conservative.
In his report last May, however,
the conSultant advised that the
accent be placed on low-income
housing. Thereafter, Washington
building and architectural groups
criticized plans being worked up
by the commission staff.
Mr.. Nolen said he was instruct
ed not to disclose details of the
plan. But he contended that the
opposing groups here had not seen
the plan in final form.
Blair Lee III, commission execu-
tive secretary added, What has
evolved is bold, imaginative and
feasible"
Soldiers Home Plan.
Meanwhile, the commission yes
terday also gave tentative approval
to master plan for the Develop
ment of Soldiers Home.
Among the home projects, Mr..
Nolen said are: Extension of North
Capitol street through the grounds,
a road through the grounds to
link Fourth street on the south
with Illinois avenue on the north
an East-West artery through the
grounds from Michigan avenue
NE. to the vicinity of Columbia
road NV. and public recreation
area on the extreme west side Of
the property.
Brig. Gen. Bernard L. Robinson,
Engineer Commissioner, also out
lined provisions of the $319 mil
lion public works program for the
city. The proposal was drawn up
by special citizens advisory
committee studying needs which
should be carried to Congress
next year.
The commission named a spe-
cial committee to draw up a
resolution on the public works
program for consideration at its
next meeting December II. Named
to the committee were Gen. Rob-
inson. DR.. Joseph D. Lohman
chairman of the planning COM
mission, and w. E. Reynolds, COM
missioner of public buildings.