Evening star., 1953-07-19
!RIBl|lIID.y.
Trucks From
Park Route 24O
Planners to Have
Right to Control
Type Of Traffic


new Route 240 which the COM
mission wants to build through
the Maryland portion OF Rock
Greek Park.
This stand was revealed in q
letter to Interior Secretary Nc
Kay from Commission Chairman
Russell A. Mccain.
To accomplish this, Mr.. Nc
Cain said the roads commission
has agreed that if the contro-
versial highway is built in the
park as planned, title to the
roadbed will be transferred to
the Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
Called "Sad Mistake"
"This agency. by regulation.
can control the type Of vehicular
traffic that would use this facil-
ity," he declared. He added:
IF title were vested in the
State of Maryland, this commits
sion would have no control over
the type of traffic since there Is
no existing statute that gives
the State Roads Commission the
right to restrict any State high
way from commercial usage"
Last week, Mr.. Mckay sent a
letter to the Maryland Governor
fatty opposing use Of the park
for the highway. He urged Gov.
McKeldin to persuade the roads
commission it would be a sad
mistake"
Mr.. Mccain wrote the letter
to Mr.. Mckay at the request Of
Gov. McKeldin. In it he out
lined the basic reasons the roads
commission wants to build one
leg of the new Route 240 through
Rock Greek Park.
McKeldin Is Neutral.
Gov. McKeldin said he has not
taken a side in the controversy.
But he added he felt an early
solution is essential. He then
asked Mr.. Mccain to answer the
letter.
The text of the letter to Secre-
tary Mckay follows:
Gov. McKeldin has referred
to this office your letter of July
6 pertaining to the use Of cer-
tain section Of Rock Greek Park
for the extension of a southeast
leg Of U. S. Route 240 and has
requested that I reply to you
directly and furnish him with
copy Of my reply.
due to the terrific develop
ment in and around the Me-
tropolitan area Of Washington.
it appears from information
given this commission by its own
engineering department and its
consulting engineers that the
only possible way in which this
situation can be solved is to
utilize the small section of the
border of Rock Greek Park.
Tentative Approval.
"As you perhaps know, the
National Capital Planning Com
mission, in approving the overall
highway plan for the Washing
ton Metropolitan area. has given
tentative approval to the con-
struction of a similar parkway in
another section of Rock Creek
Park.
"Under the long-range high
way construction program now
being undertaken by the State
Of Maryland, it is necessary that
careful and prompt attention be
given to the construction of
adequate highway facilities in
the Montgomery County area.
1t narrows down to the fact that
the possibility of adequate high
way locations in the Washington
metropolitan area is so limited
that it appears that to provide
a satisfactory facility, certain
short sections of park land must
be utilized.
This commission is charged
with the responsibility of build
ing highways to take care Of the
travelling public. The construc-
ton of proposed southeast leg
would call for highway Of the
parkway type, and this commits
sion has agreed that If permis-
sion is granted to utilize that
narrow section of Rock Creek
Park. We will permit title to the
roadbed to be vested in the
Maryland National Park and
Planning Commission, so that
this latter agency. by regulation.
can control the type of vehicular
traffic that would use this fa-
cility.
Definite Obligations
IF title were vested in the
State of Maryland. this commits
sion would have no control over
the type of traffic since there is
no existing statute that gives the
State Roads Commission the
right to restrict any State high
way from commercial usage.
I'VE realize that the National
Capital Planning Commission
has certain definite obligations
under the Capper-Crampton Act
and we appreciate that the I lam
ming commission must use its
best judgment in the interpreta-
tion Of these restrictions. On
the other hand. the State Roads
Commission is charged with the
responsibility for providing ade-
quate highway facilities into the
District from Maryland.
This commission is "ery will
ing at any time to sit down with
the Capital Planning Commits
sion to see if some mutually sat-
isfactory arrangement can be
derived that will solve this prob
lem"
Residents Opposed
Lined up with Mr.. Mckay IN
opposition OF use Of the park are
residents Of Chevy Chase, who
live near the proposed route Of
the road The Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission has approved