Evening star., 1954-11-19
q rs tR d ~ b F-a
Bureau Urges
Belt Highway
Closer TOD.
Plans Shorter ROUTE
West Of ForestviIIe,
Saving III Miles

@SOuSA0 AAebo CASSCobC0 AlOVulS tklC
proposed route of the .circum-
ferential highway In Prince
Georges County / to 1h miles
closer to Washington, it was
learned yesterday.
The suggested relocation, to
be discussed at a conference to-
day in Baltimore, would be II
miles shorter, passing west of
Forestville. and Morningside in
stead of east, and through a cor
ner of District Heights, which
is by-passed under the route al
ready selected.
Members, Of the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission at a meeting
yesterday, however, indicated
they strongly favor the present
proposed route, which was ar
rived at after extensive study.
Land Plot Approved.
The commission, in another
action, gave permission to a pri-
vate developer in the Rolling
wood area to locate a street on
land that the Maryland State
Roads Commission repeatedly has
been interested in acquiring for
the proposed southeast leg of
Route 240.
By approving the land plat of
Milton and Howard Polinger, the
planning commission in effect
stymied the road / commissions
reported designs which recently
have alarmed residents of the
section.
A, spokesman Of the planning
body, however. said that If the
roads authorities actually had
any real interest in the property
located 100 feet south of East
West highway and $50 feet west
Of Rock Creek Park line-they
would have notified the planning
commission. The roads commits
sion has never done so, the
spokesman said.
Action Increases Values.
Yesterdays approval of the
Polinger plat increases the value
of the property to- such an extent
that should the roads commis-
sion want 1t for highway de-
velopment ordinary condemna-
ton procedures, now the only
recourse, would prove. /. highly
expensive TO- the state.
The request 81 tho Polingers5
was granted with but one dis
senting vote, that Of Commits
sioner Donald E. Gingery.
Planning commission officials
said the Belt highway relocation
In Prince Georges County would
mean that the highway would
pass through more densely
populated areas than under
present plans. They said they
believed that the cost of the
new route, although shorter,
would more than be offset by
the higher cost of land in the
builtup area. SRC plans for the
highway now call for it to curve
from Landoyer-Largo road at
Brightseat to Branch avenue at
Tolsen road.
Conference In Baltimore.
C. Warren Giauque, Planning
Commission engineer, and Of
flcials of the Bureau of Public
Roads were to confer with the
State Road Commission in Bal
timore today. A spokesman said
the officials probably would reach
a decision on the suggested
change today.
The Planning Commission ap-
proved a $25,00O supplementary
contract with Olmsted Bros,
Boston park consultants, to pre-
pare working plans and specifi-
cations for grading and planting
the portion Of Rock Creek Park
through which the Belt highway
Is scheduled to pass in Montgom-
cry County. The SRC will
pay half the cost, q commission
spokesman said.
Also approved was a stand
ardized plan for a $4,000 COM
munity building. The standard
lied structure is to be put up at
seven or eight commission rec
reation centers in Prince Georges
and Montgomery Counties dur
ing the next year. The plan in
cludes quarters for a caretaker
as a move to curb vandalism.
!: The Planning Commission
agreed to meet with the incom-
ing Montgomery County Council
at 8 pm. December THE day
the new councilmen take over
TO discuss mutual problems. ..
The meeting was scheduled at
the councils request.