Evening star., 1953-08-16
Extending Sixteenth Street

The article in The Star of August
on extension of Sixteenth street 10
Georgia avenue leaves so much unsalo
that the reader may easily fall TO get
an accurate picture of the situation.
In the detail sheets and maps de-
scribing Maryland's 12-year road oulio-
ing program as it was submitted 10 Ine
last session of the Maryland legislature
it was proposed to extend SlxteenCn
street via Anson street to Georgia ave-
nue.. This extension would be only 90
mile long, would include bridge over
two tracks of the B. & o. Railroad and
was estimated to cost 100000. This Is
the shortest and cheapest way OF con-
Meeting Sixteenth street with Georgia
avenue.
Even if all of the right of way for
extending Sixteenth street via Columbia
boulevard to Georgia avenue were TO
be donated to the State Roads Com
mission, the Columbia boulevard ex-
tension could not be built as cheapiy
as the Anson street extension, Cd be-
cause it is over twice as long and (2)
because the Columbia boulevard ex-
tension must necessarily include very
expensive underpass under four tracks
of the B. g. o. Railroad. Since the
railroad lies from so to 100 feet above
the level of the land where the under
pass is to be situated, many tons OF
earth must be moved to provide tenn
porary right of way for these four rail-
road tracks while the highway under
pass is being built under the regular
railroad right of way. The proposed
CaIv crl "a
B. & o. Railroad at place where the
cost of constructing crossing is at
a maximum.
The Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commissions plan for ex-
tending Sixteenth street as shown in the
commissions Master Plan of Highways
dated May Z, 1853 (see Code No. M HID +.
is an extremely expensive proposition
This plan includes the expensive rail-
road underpaSS mentioned in the pre-
ceding paragraph and overpasses over
Georgia avenue and Dale drive near
Luzerne avenue. In order to put through
the 150-foot right of way and build the
overpass just mentioned, this Sixteenth
street extension plan envisageS the
condemnation of some 20 or more
houses on Columbia boulevard, Georgia
avenue. Woodland drive, Dale drive.
Live Oak drive and Red Oak drive
which have an average market value in
excess of $4,000 as we'll as the Town
and Country School It is doubted if a
more extensive condemnation of prop
erty in a good residential area has
ever been proposed for any purpose.
This plan takes honorS as the most
expensive way of extending Sixteenth
street that has been proposed to date.
Over 800 people in this area signed
a protest against the Park and Plan
ming Commissions Sixteenth street ex-
tension plan and this protest was pre-
Sented to the commission at a hearing
on its proposed Master Plan of High
ways held in Bethesda on December
16. 1852. Nevertheless. the Park and
Planning Commission proceeds un-
dauntedly in it's efforts to induce the
State Roads Commission to abandon
the cheaper Anson street extension
plan IN favor of the Park and Planning
Commissions far more expensive plan
to extend Sixteenth street via Columbia
boulevard. At least one thing is clear
as the matter now stands. If the
State Roads Commission eventually de-
cides to abandon its 100000 project
for extending Sixteenth street by way of
Anson street to Georgia avenue in favor
of the much more expensive PROPOSE
ton of extending Sixteenth street via
Columbia boulevard, it will owe the
Maryland Legislature and the Mary
land taxpayers an explanation.
Warren SeatOn,
President, North Woodside, Mont
gomery Hills Citizens Association.