Evening star., 1954-05-21
Get
Detailed Plan
On Belt Road
Is Key Document t
In Suit to Block
Route in Park
By George Beveridee

BY George Beveridee
A detailed plan for alignment
Of the proposed inter-county belt
road through the Maryland part
Of Rock Creek Park has been
submitted to the National Cap.
ital Planning Commission for
approval. it was learned today.
The plan. just completed by
the Brookline (Mass) firm Of
Olmstead Bros. is the key docu-
meht' in a court suit brought by
property owners attempting to
block park use for the big road
way.
The suit was brought against
the planning commission It's
main issue is whether the plan
ners acted legally in approving
a roadway "of parkway stand
ards" through the park.
On May 4, Federal Judge Mat
thew F. MCGUIRE turned down q
Government motion to dismiss
the suit, declaring:
mo ruling is possible without
plans being extant and SUBJ
mitted."
Might Prompt Decision.
The newly finished plan. thus.
presumably would help the court
to determine whether authorized
uses Of the park land would be
violated by the road.
The plan. it was learned. was
agreed upon several days ago by
officials of the Olmstead firm.
the Maryland Roads Commis-
sion-which would build the
road-and the Maryland-Na-
tional Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission.
On Tuesday officials Of the
three groups few with the plans
to Columbus, Ohio, for a meet
ing with Harland Bartholomew,
planning commission chairman.
Mr.. Bartholomew told The
Star by telephone from st. Louis
that the plans have been sent to
the commission staff here for
study. He said he instructed
the staff to expedite study Of
the plans.
Special Meeting Expected.
The commission is expected to
be called for a special session
to take up the plans in advance
Of its regularly scheduled meet
ing on June II and ID.
The obvious intention of such
a meeting would be to get the
plans before the court at an
early date, provided they are ac-
ceptable to the national PLAN
ming group. It's earlier approval
of the park use for the road was
conditional on a check of the
final plans to make certain the
road would not conflict illegally
with park purposes.
Mr.. Bartholomew would not
comment on his reaction to the
plan. and commission officials
here said it will not be made
public until the commission has
chance to consider it. It was
learned, however. that the plan
shows in detail how the road
would affect the creek area, as
well as provisions for new rec
reation uses.
The park section involved Is
a relatively narrow strip between
Wisconsin avenue and Forest
Glen. Actually, under roads
commission plans, the roadway
within the park would serve to
carry traffic for both the cross
country belt route, extending
over both Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties, and
for the controversial southeast
leg Of U. S. Route 240.
Would Link Belt Route.
The 240 leg, under plans all
ready made public, would link
with the belt route at a point
near Wisconsin avenue and
would pick up again as a sepa-
rate road at an eastward point
where the belt road would dip
out of Rock Creek Park. From
there the 240 leg would be built
southwark to connect with the
East-WeSt highway near where
the main part of Rock Greek
Park heads into the District.
The planning commission re-
fused to go along with the idea
of a separate roadway for the
! Route 240 leg through the park.
But its own plans long have fig
ured on running the belt road
through the park.
Retention of Olmstead Bros.
to design the park stretch was
viewed on both sides of the fight
as a smart move. because of the
firms long experience in park
design. including projects here.
In addition to the alignment
plans. it was understood. the
firm is preparing a detailed
model of the area, showing
geographically how the park
would be affected. The model
Is expected to. be finished by the