Evening star., 1952-04-24
Fairfax Excuses
Engineers on
Sewer Delays
Bids Will Be Accepted
May ! for Project
In Falls Church Area

sewer project ready for bids the
Fairfax Board of County Super
visors has decided not to penal
ize engineers for planning delays.
James J. Corbalis. jr., Fairfax
engineer. advised the su-
perviSors yesterday that bids will
be accepted for the first portion
of the Falls Church area sewer
program at 2 pm. May Is.
The project includes about 3d.
900 feet of sewers in the Raven
wood, Sleepy Hollow and Holmes
Run Park areas. All are south Of
Lee boulevard.
This is the next to last project
to be financed out of a $50 mil
lion sewer improvement bond issue
for Sanitary District No. /. All
that remains to be contracted for
from the bond issue is about 25,-
600 feet of Falls Church area sew
ers north of Lee boulevard. G.
Hubbard Massey, head of the en-
gineering firm preparing the plans.
said they would be ready in the
near future.
Massey Outlines Problems.
Mr.. Massey had been ordered
to appear before the supervisors
yesterday to show why penalty
provisions of his engineering con-
tracts should not be invoked be-
cause of delays. That was be-
fore he completed plans for the
Ravenwood- Sleepy Hollow Holmes
Run Park area.
Mr.. Massey acknowledged some
plans had been late. He gave the
supervisors a detailed account Of
the time required in preparing
plans, and outlined some of the
problems that delayed his work. A
leaky roof permitted rain to spoil
plans for the Groveton sewer prof.
ect. and they had to be redrawn.
Two of his key employees were
called into the service.
In the Baileys Cross Roads area.
Mr.. Massey could not get maps
from the State to show future
highway plans. New requirements
by the State regarding installa-
ton of sewer lines along highways
also caused delays.
Mr.. Massey added that new
State requirements for tunneling
sewers under highways instead of
tearing up the roads also was a
major reason for increased costs
in the sewer program. Costs Of
most projects now under contract
are exceeding amounts anticipated
when the bond issue was passed.
The increased costs threaten to
curtail the amount of sewers that
can be installed.
Halted by Annexation Suits.
Mr.. Massey said the county in
Istructed him to stop work on some
of the projects during the Falls
Church and Alexandria annexa-
ton suits against the county.
On motion Of Supervisor Maui
rice Fox, seconded by Stuart De-
Bell, the supervisors voted unani-
, mously against invoking penalty
provisions of Mr.. Massey's en-
gineering contracts.
If it weren't for Mr.. Massey.
, the county wouldn't have the
, Holmes Run trunk line" said Mr..
!, Fox. when Mr.. Corbalis was
, called into the service during
, World War II, Mr.. Massey took
over that Office without charge
until Mr.. Corbalis returned. He's
> admitted the work got behind.
, but he has worked night and day.
. Saturdays and Sundays. ! cer-
tainly never would vote to invoke
the penalty provisions"
, Mrs. Anne wilkins. supervisor
, who originally asked that Mr..
, Massey appear to explain the de-
: lays, said her main idea was to
see what could be done to get the
last project-Falls Church area
under way.
II realize as much as any one
what Mr.. Massey has done for the
= county" she said. IF it is true.
and apparently it is. that Mr..
Massey has been delayed for good
1 reason. I see no reason to invoke
i the penalties.
Rise in Rates Approved.
i, An increase in the water and
= sewer charges for Sanitary Dis
trict No. 2 were approved. This is
, small sanitary district in the
+ Accotink-Fort Belvoir area. The
new rates are $3.50 a month each
, for water and sewer. The old rates
v were SITS a month for each.
. After a three-hour hearing, the
8 supervisors denied rezoning of a
\ 75-acre tract on Back Lick road
|, about a mile south of Annandale
The application asked that the
property be rezoned from agri-
cultural to suburban residents
Nearby residents objected to the
: suburban classification because il
!, would allow smaller lot sizes, and
because a sewage disposal plant
! would be built in the new devel-
= opment.
A 26-acre tract on No. l high
way about 1000 feet south of Fort
Hunt road was rezoned to gen.
! eral business despite objections
from residents of Belle Haven.
G The property formerly was zoned
urban residential. A motel Is
planned on the property.