Evening star., 1953-09-17
Planners Consider
Maryland Proposal
Over Construction

BY George Beveridee
The National Capital Planning
Commission today considered a
Maryland State Roads Commits
sion proposal submitted in the
hope Of ending a deadlock over
the construction Of U. S. Route
240.
Under study was a new sug-
geStion that the southeast leg
Of Route 240, terminating at the
East-West highway near the Dis
trict line. be built concurrently
with a segment of nearby Mary
lands proposed intercounty belt
freeway between Wisconsin and
Georgia avenues NV.
The intercounty belt road,
near a point where it would
connect with the 240 leg. runs
through Rock Greek Park be-
tween Wisconsin avenue and
Forest Glen. The park stretch
is roughly parallel to the East
West highway and north of it.
The planning commission has
strongly opposed construction Of
the Route 240 leg south of the
point where it could tie in the
intercounty belt route. Rather.
it has urged that the belt route
be constructed Immediately, so
that the Route 240 leg-slated
for completion in the next four
years-would have some place
to go.
Commission Stands Firm.
The Roads Commission is
standing firm on. it's demand
that the Route 24O leg be built
Immediately to the East-West
highway. It is planned even
tually to proceed through Rock
Creek Park to downtown Wash
ington. To that extent, there is
no compromise in the basic
argument between the road
building and planning groups.
However, the Roads Commits
sion clearly hoped that by ad-
Vancing priority on the inter-
county belt it might also gain
approval for the Route 24O prof.
ect. In a statement sent to
the planners for release to the
press the Roads Commission de-
clared:
Both the Maryland-National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission and the Maryland State
Roads Commission feel that it
would not solve the traffic situ-
alton to build the section of the
lntercounty belt freeway with
out also constructing the So
called southeast leg to the
washington National Pike (Route
24O, and the State Roads Com
mission expressed the hope that
by advancing the construction of
the 1ntercounty belt freeWay the
objections to the building of the
southeast leg would be over
come"
Roads Commissioner Russell H.
Mccain wrote that he hopes the
planning commission can meet
soon with his group and the
nearby Maryland planners allied
with the road group.
Bartholomew Silent.
Harland Bartholomew. new
chairman of the planning COM
mission, said he was not famil-
lar enough with the road dis
pute to comment Immediately
on the new proposal. It is to be
taken up by the full planning
body today at the closed-door
part of its regular two-day
meeting.
In open session tomorrow.
meanwhile, groups of nearby
Maryland residents will lodge a
protest against the planning
commissions approval of the
lnter-county belt route. officials
said the residents are from the
ParkWood and Locust Hill Es-
tateS developments.
These two developments are
near the Rock Creek Park strip
east of Wisconsin avenue through
which both the inter- county belt
and the proposed Route 24O leg
would pass.
In other matters, the commits
sion will:
1.Hear new proposals to
change the name of Arizona
avenue and give that designa-
ton to another street elsewhere.
2. Consider the commissions
role in the forthcoming revision
OF District zoning regulations.
The planners have taken the lead
for years in advocating such a
modernization.
Closed Session.
In closed session tomorrow, the
commission also will:
l. Discuss the disposition of SO
acres of Federal land near Jones
Point in Alexandria, which Off
cials said the city of Alexandria
want to acquire for park and
recreation purposes.
2. Take up the appointment of
two new members of the Ma
tional Capital Regional Planning
Council. The members, nomi-
mated by Virginia planning
are Max Wehrly, named
to represent Arlington County.
and w. j. Cox, to represent
Loudoun County.
The commission has been asked
to defer action on a squabble be-
tween itself and some Regional
Council members over appoint