Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-14
Chief Palmer
Is Chosen for
District Area
Nebroskon, 29.
Picked by Council
And Commission

FICKGO Dy NOuHCII
And Commission
Paul C. Watt. a 29-year-old
Lincoln Neb) city planner, has
been hired for the controversial
Job as chief planner for the
National Capital Regional Plan
ming Council.
An Air Force pilot during
World War II. the new planner
will report for work April IL at
starting salary Of $500 q
year.
His main job will be to work
toward a master plan for de-
velopment of the entire Wash
ington area. The council is made
up of planners from the District,
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties in Maryland and Vir-
ginia's four nearby counties and
two cities.
The signing of Mr.. Watt ends
In an air of apparent agreement
q long struggle between the
council and the National Capital
Planning Commission over a staff
for the council.
Unanimous Choice.
Up to now, the Planning Com
mission staff has been doing
work for the council, since
Congress gave a single appropria-
ton for both agencies. Origi-
nally. council members argued
that their chief planner should
be hired by and responsible to
the council. 1t was agreed
eventually, however. that the
council planner would have to
be listed as a commission staff
member-at least for pay and
administration purposes.
Mr.. Watts appointment was
announced jointly by Harland
Bartholomew. Planning Com
mission chairman. and Robert M.
Watkins, council chairman.
Mr.. Watkins said Mr.. Watt was
the unanimous choice" of both
groups and said the council was
"terriflcally impressed" with him.
The joint statement made it
clear he would work virtually
full time for the regional council.
A graduate of the University
Of Illinois School of City Plan
ming and Landscape Architec-
ture. Mr.. Watt has worked on
city planning assignments in
Lincoln. st. Louis, Streator. Ill,
and Brookhaven, Miss. He also
has served as an engineering
supervisor for the Illinois High
way Department.
He will get his first look at
the job ahead of him at a top
level conference of District,
Maryland and Virginia highway
officials at 2 pm. tomorrow at
the Hotel Statler.
Farley on Best Route.
Main purpose of the confer
ence. sponsored by the regional
council, will be to try to get
agreement between the two
States on a precise route for the
proposed "outer belt" highway
around Washington.
The belt road, completely en-
circling Washington, would cut
across both States. crossing the
Potomac River at Jones Point,
Alexandria, and at Cabin John,
Md.
Primary points to be nailed
down at the conference are the
exact location of the bridges,
plus the route the belt road
would take through Virginia.
Speakers are expected to stress
the Importance of preserving the
right-of-way in Virginia, even
If the State can't begin to &C
quire land Immediately.
Virginia officials most re-
Gently at Capitol Hill bridge
hearingS-have said they can't
afford to put any money into
major new improvements here,
beyond those already planned.
Tentatively Earmarked.
Maryland, on the other hand,
already is making studies for
its part Of the belt route, and
has money tentatively earmarked
to buy the needed land.
The conference will be opened
by Mr.. Watkins and Donald E.
Gingery, Montgomery County
member of the council and con-
ference chairman. Top officials
of the Maryland and Virginia
Highway Departments will dis
cuss in detail the problems in
their areas.
Other speakers will include H.
J. Spelman of the Federal Bureau
of Public Roads; G. E. Marble,
technical director, Metropolitan
Area Regional Highway Plan
ming Committee; Brig. Gen. Louis
w. PrentiSS, District Engineer
commissioner; j. N. Robertson,
District Highway Department di-
rector; S. r. Harrison, District
director of streets; c. Luckett
Watkins, Alexandria public works
director; Herbert F. Schumann,
Fairfax planning director; Phil
ip Hall, chairman of the North
ern Virginia Regional Planning
Commission, and C. C. Robinson,
director of the Northern Virginia
planning group,
House and Senate members
from the two States also have
been invited to attend.
FL nj n $50.