Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-05

nifty are expected In the new
year.
Businessmen, riding the crest
Of Christmas shopping wave
that will make 1854 the biggest
Moior Stores Plon Big Expansion in
Silver Spring. Pose Al
sales year in the communty's
history, are eager to fortify the
regional center's position.
Optimism on the part Of ma
jor stores reported planning
immediate expansion should
stimulate public officials to act
rapidly to preserve q good thing,
businessmen say.
Old Plan Outmoded.
Silver Springs master plan,
adopted by the Maryland-Na-
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission in 1947 is outmoded,
they add.
Biggest need, however, is adj
ditional public parking despite q
Montgomery County sponsored
program that has seen some $2.2
million spent on parking lots
since the mid-1940's.
The community with some 231
retail stores, now has 3.055 park
ing spaces on county-owned lots
paid for out of q special tax
on businessmen.
There are 3.256 more spaces
on privately owned lots, some
500 on the streets and another
$50 on county lots still unim-
proved for a total of 1881 spaces.
Despite these facilities, cars
this week have damned the
street and knotted traffic, espe-
cially yesterday and during night
shopping hours.
Georgia avenue at 6:45
Thursday night looked like the
early morning District bound
rush hour traffic." Police Capt.
Carroll v. Miller said. and
they were stopping here to
shop"
John McKeever, chairman of
the Silver Spring Board of
Trades special traffic commit
tee. said the community needs
about twice as much public
parking space as it now has.
New Demands Seen.
Major store expansion plans
in the Colesville -Fenton
street. Ellsworth drive area are
expected to bring increased de-
mands for additional parking
land acquisition in the area or
double-decking the 211-car lot
opposite The Hecht Co. The lat.
ter is especially suited for dou-
ble-decking because of access
without ramps from Pershing
drive to the south.
Silver Spring businessmen also
are getting citizen association
support for extension Of Six
teenth street via Arson street
to Georgia avenue just north of
the business area.
Such a move would greatly
alleviate congestion at the Coles
Vile Georgia avenue intersec-
ton and permit through traffic
to bypass the business section"
David Scull, past president Of
the board of trade said.
Another plan being promoted
is the improvement of Spring
street which runs north from
Colesville road making a sharp
turn to the west and connecting
with Georgia avenue. The pro-
| ject is slated this year.
Completion of both projects
would provide a bypass for
through traffic headed for the
District via Sixteenth street.
Trade board members now
serving an area close to a half
million people also are eager to
have Western avenue extended
along the District line to East
West highway.
Such q move, they say, would
make Silver Spring more Access
sible to Northwest Washington
shoppers from the area west Of
Rock Greek Park.
Montgomery County this year
has some 100000 allotted for
street projects in Silver Spring.
Work Is now underway on
widening Of Fenton street from
Sligo avenue to Bonifant street
and on Cameron street from
Fenton to Georgia avenue.
Survey Aids Drive.
Other STRENGTHENING projects
slated this year to speed traffic
movement within the business
center include:
i. oOIuld 1lL StI ecu 1IULu SCOIe
gia to Second avenue.
2. Second avenue from Coles
vile road to Bonifant.
8. Pershing drive and Wayne
avenues between Georgia and
Fenton.
4. Thayer and Silver Spring
avenues from Georgia to Fenton.
S. Dixon avenue from Bonifant
to Trinity place.
5. Trinity place from Georgia
avenue to Colesville road.
Interest In the future Of the
Silver Spring shopping center
has been stimulated by the
Homer Hoyt economic survey
of Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties.
1.-THE Silver Spring Business
niSfrict has the ADVANTAGE 0f