Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-11
Road Decisions
By Planners
Renew flights
Action on Route 240
Anglers Maryland
Highway Officials
~ Gao10a Ravap:dNA

The stage was set today by an
action Of the National Capital
Planning Commission for the re-
opening Of two bitter rows at.
fecting nearby Maryland'S inter-
county belt road and U. s. Route
$40.
The action grew out Of the
planners conditional approval Of
development plans prepared by
the firm Of Olmsted Bros. for q
stretch Of Rock Greek Park be-
tween Wisconsin avenue and
Forest Glen.
The effect Of the planners vote
on the detailed design plans was
to say thtat:
/. The belt road, as designed,
may pass through the park area.
2. No objection will be regis
tered to having the controversial
southeast leg Of Route $40 tie
into the belt road west of Wis
consin avenue and outside the
park.
3. Approval of the belt road in
the park, however, is given only
If no road is built south of the
park to carry Route $40 traffic
from the belt route to East-West
highway.
One Fight In Court.
The battle-ground for one Of
the rows, affecting only the belt
road. will be in Federal court.
There. owners of property
near the park already have filed
suit, contendinP the planners
earlier and tentative approval
of the belt road constituted an
Illegal park use. A Federal judge
has said he can not decide on
the issue until he sees the de-
tailed plans approved yesterday,
to show the roads impact on
the park.
Federal lawyers, it was under
stood, will move Immediately to
get the plans before the court.
To permit time for court &C
ton, effective date of the plan
nerS' approval was set at two
weeks from yesterday.
The second battle-ground af-
fecting the Route $40 leg, is the
Maryland Roads Commission,
where officials said they were
fighting mad at the planners
action.
They contend Planning Com
mission Chairman Harland
Bartholomew told them last Mo-
vember there was no objection
to a road from EaSt-West high
way that would connect with
the belt route outside the park.
Interchange Shown.
The Olmsted plan clearly
showed an interchange for such
a connection at point where
the belt road would dip south of
the park about a mile east of
Wisconsin avenue. Roads Of
f1cials also have made it plain
they intend to have Route 240
traffic use the belt road for only
a mile and then drop southeast
ward on a separate road through
North Chevy Chase.
The November reference was
to an exchange of kilograms be-
tween Mr.. Bartholomew and
roads officials.
Asked If he considered yester-
days action to be in bad faith, {"
Mr.. Bartholomew said he did not.
He insisted he had not agreed to
such a connection with the belt
route south of the park. He said
he understood firmly that his
telegraphed reply to a question
dealt only with the possibility of
a continuous southeast leg to
the East-West highway outside
the park-not one interrupted by
the belt route in the park.
Planning officials insisted also
that today's action was entirely
consistent with all formal actions
the group has taken on the road
issue.
Special Meeting Today.
One Roads official said the
planners Staff-apart from any
November Interpretation - has
been shown maps since with the
contested road section on them.
The Roads Commission sched-
uled a special meeting today to
take up the matter.
Mr.. Bartholomew told the
commission a question of bad
faith" had been raised, and was
sustained by his colleagues after
an explanation of his UNDER
standing of the issue.
Some attorneys concerned
with the road fight, meanwhile,
questioned that the planners
condition would hold water.
Since the contested road-Stretch
near East-WeSt highway would
be built entirely outside park
property. they said, they ques-
toned the planners right to i'm
pose such a restriction.
The planners came into the
issue because they, along with
the Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
have control over development
Of the park affected.
Robert M. Watkins, chairman
Of the Maryland planning body.
said he considered the vote yes
terday as one of "elear-cut APP
prevail" for the belt road. The
condition imposed on the Route
240 link. he said, is a matter
for the future" on which his