Evening star., 1955-11-04
GA Director Seeks Okay
On Langley Site for Agency
Dulles to Meet
With Federal
Plans Groups
By GEORGE BEvERDGE

Director Allen w. Dulles Of
the Central Intelligence Agency
was slated to seek Federal plan-
ners' Endorsement today Of q lo-
cation at Langley, Va, for the
CIA's big $46 million head
quarters.
The CIA chief, armed with .
consultants' report recommend
ing the site near the Potomac
River 2 miles west Of Chain
Bridge, was to meet at 2 pm.
with the National Capital Plan-
ming Commission and the Ma
tional Capital Regional Planning
Council.
3 Other Issues Up
Earlier. the planning commits
sion, at one of its most impcr-
tant meetings this year, was ex-
pected to:
/. Approve a compromise plan
showing the precise route and
approach roads for the long-de-
layed Constitution avenue bridge
near the Lincoln Memorial. The
plan was disclosed earlier this
week.
2. Consider the last major lin-
solved problem confronting the
program to redevelop Southwest
Washington ton--location Of q new
Air Museum for the Smithsonian
Institution.
8. Receive from the Redevel-
opment Land Agency an analysis
Of costs of public improvements
in the big Southwest program
and who would pay for them.
Two Hurdles Before Project
~The cost study and Smithson-
ian site problem were listed by
Commission Chairman Harland
Bartholomew as the two hurdles
that must be crossed before pro-
posals for rebuilding the South-
west can be adopted as an OFF,
lcial plan. The technical work Of
putting the plan in form VIII
take about two months.
/ The Smithsonian problem is
that museum officials have re-
Iquested a site in direct conflict
with redevelopment proposals
made by the New York firm of
J Webb e. Knapp. The site is on
Tenth street S.W., just south Of
Independence avenue, in the
path of q 300-foot-wide mall
|. proeosed as an open gateway
ito the Southwest.
Approval of the new Consti-
tuition avenue bridge plan is ex-
pected in action on the report
. of a special committee, headed
by Conrad L. Wirth, National
Park Service director.
/ The Wirth report, indorsing
the plan, represents the joint ef-
forts Of District highway and
Federal park. planning. highway
land Fine Arts Commission Of
lflcials to find an acceptable de-
sign.
j The new bridge would extend
from a point on the Washington
,lshore $50 feet north Of the end
Iof Constitution avenue, and
would cross the south tip Of
Roosevelt Memorial Island be-
fore reaching Virginia.
May Question Langley Site
1 Members Of the two Federal
planning groups, meanwhile,
were expected to question the
wisdom Of the CIA location at
Langley. particularly on the
ground that it would have bad
effects on the already established
development of the rural, small
estate residential area.
CIA officials. however, will re-
but arguments with a report sub
mited by consultantS Gilmore
D. Clarke and Michael Rapuano,
3of New York. Mr.. Clarke is a for
mer chairman of the Fine Arts
Commission. and has played a
major role in development Of
lthe Capital.
Mr.. Dulles. who repeatedly has
leaned toward the Langley loca-
ltion during the long controversy
over a site, apparently is con-
WINGED that adequate road, high
way, sewer and other facilities
can be provided another point
challenged by opponents.
Major access to Langley would
be by an extension Of the George
Washington Memorial parkway,
which now is constructed only
to q point slightly beyond Key
bridge. Congress, however, au-
thorized the CIA this year to
spend $S.5 million to extend the
parkway to the Langley site II
lit decided to locate there.
Visit Two Sites
Planning Commission members
motored yesterday to the two
sites under heaviest study---Lang-
ley and the l00-acre "Winkler
tract" at the intersection of
Shirley highway and Seminary
road In Alexandria.
Advocates of the Winkler tract
argue that their site already is
served by adequate road and
other facilities which could be
provided only at excessive ex-
Ipense at Langley.
The Langley site is part Of Q
580-acre tract, most of it owned
Iby the Federal Bureau of Public
Roads, Park officials, however.
ALREADY own and control a deep
strip Of land on bluffs overlook
ling the Potomac River. The tract
lexteEds from Route 1913 to the
Potomac.
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