Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-09
Key Proposal
OF zeckendorf
Is Accepted
Tentative Action
Taken on Southwest
Traffic Setup
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE

1
Federal planners tentative
approval" of a new highway pro-
posal preserving the Zeckendorf
South Mall" cleared the way
today for more detailed planning
in Washington's Southwest re-
development area.
Preliminary Endorsement of
the new plan, drawn up by Will
liam Zeckendorf's New York
firm, came as a sharp surprise
at yesterdays National Capital
Planning Commission meeting.
No vote at all, however, had
been expected yesterday.
The 5-to-0 vote. with two
members abstaining and four,
including Chairman Harlan Bar
tholomew, absent, overturned
a February action of the COM
mission, which had given "tenta-
tive approval" to a highway plan
earmarking major traffic routes
on Tenth street.-the location
Mr.. Zeckendorf insists he needs
for a suitable 300-foot-wide
South Mall"
Since February, Zeckendorf Of
ficials have been meeting with a
special Planning Commission
committee, headed by Federal
Park Director Conrad L. Wirth,
seeking a solution.
Plan Analysed
Yesterday, although Mr.. Wirth
did not attend, his committee
presented a brief report analyZ-
ing the latest Zeckendorf plan,
but making no recommendation.
District Engineer Commissioner
Thomas A. Lane moved it's "ten-
tatiye approval" and the vote
was taken.
Mr.. Bartholomew was not
present when the vote was taken.
Presiding was John A. Remon,
Washington citizen member, who
seconded the approval motion.
Col. Lane said he had not in
tended before the meeting to
propose a vote, but that the dis
cussion indicated one might be
in order. He said he viewed the
action as an important first
step" and that he hoped all
agencies involved would move
ahead Immediately with more
detailed plans"
Mr.. Zeckendorf said that as a
result of the action his firm
looked forward ito continued
reconciliation of any divergent
details which may remain to be
worked out toward realization of
a definite comprehensive plan"
George A. Garrett. civic
leader and investment banker
who has been asked by President
Eisenhower to try to get the
Southwest development program
moving, said the action was "a
great encouragement to me and
to the Federal City Council" a
citizen group he heads.
Problems Remain
A number of major problems
still remain to be worked out.
One of the biggest is that the
new plan would divide in half
an area which the Smithsonian
Institution desires for it's pro-
posed National Air Museum,
south of Independence avenue
near Tenth street.
The planners February plan
had preserved this site, an &C.
ton Smithsonian officials ap-
plauded in summary of Smith
sonian expansion plans sent the
planners yesterday.
Key points in the planners
approval were that the new plan
does far less damage than earlier
proposals to the wholesale pro-
duce market center on the water
front and does not preclude
eventual construction of a
Reaches Run bridge-a pet plan
ming commission project.
The plan calls for the Tenth
street mall to be angled slightly
eastward from Tenth as it ap-
proaches the waterfront, ending
in a wide. circular Overlook"
atop Maine avenue and the
Washington Channel.
This would require a change in
the channel shoreline which
Congress would have to approve.
H. j. Spelman, Bureau of
Public Roads representative who
presented the Wirth Committee
appraisal of the new plan said
two other questions need more
study: Cd whether the traffic
plan suits the District Highway
Department and co the fact
that Mr.. zeckendorf proposes to
concentrate between 5000 and
1000 more Federal workers in
the Southwest than the planning
commission proposes in its COM
prehensive plan for city devel-
opment.
Agree With Plan
City highway officials, present
yesterday, answered one of these
points Immediately by saying
they are in accord with the traf-
f1c proposals.
The Federal employee question
was not answered. In response
to a query from Public Buildings
Admisister Peter A. Strobel,
MIR. Spelman also said his group
had not considered the possible
additional impact If the Central
Intelligence Agency should locate
in the Southwest with another
5000 to 10000 employees.
The plan proposes that heavy
north-south thorugh traffic
would stay away from Tenth
street. It would connect the new