Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-05
More Planning
Sessions 10 Be
Open 10 Press
New Procedures
Of Commission
Begin Thursday
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE .

Chairman Harland Bartholo-
NEW has decided to revamp Ma
tional Capital Planning Com
mission procedures so virtually
all commission deliberations will
be made in sessions open to the
press.
Asked by a reporter to con-
slider such a move. Mr.. Barthol-
omew said he has been aware of
the need for some time and is
fully in accord with opening as
much commission business as
possible to the press.
He said he feels the only mat
tiers that should continue to be
taken up in closed session were
those dealing with budget mat
tiers. land acquisition, reports to
Congress on legislation and in
ternal staff matters.
Effective Thursday
The change in procedure will
60 into effect at the monthly
commission meeting this Thurs
day and Friday.
Up to now the 12-man plan
ming agency normally has di-
vided its monthly meeting into
three parts:
/. A General Plans Commit
tee" session. This committee,
including all commission mem
beers. hears reports from staff
technicians on various projects
and discusses their basic plan
ming implications. No votes
taken are binding and no record
Is kept.
2. A closed session. at which
land acquisition. budget and
other matters are taken up.
8. A session open to the press,
at which definite actions are
taken.
The difficulty has been that,
often, commission positions on
such controversial issues as
highways and bridges have been
thoroughly hashed out in the
general plans" and closed ses-
sions, leaving only voting-with
q minimum of dissatisfaction
the open sessions.
Would Farm Out Work
At least temporarily, Mr.. Bar
tholomew said. he wants to
eliminate the general plans"
sessions and confine the closed
meetings to matters which the
commission should not disclose
at all.
In place of the general plans
meetings, he wants more investi-
gatiye and technical research
work to be farmed out to work.
ing committees. These commit
tees. with three or four members,
would operate entirely in closed
session. But their first reports
would come in open sessions.
thereby opening commission de-
liberations to the public.
Mr.. Bartholomew said he
hopes the change will result in
a better public understanding OF
commission functions and the
reasons for positions it takes.
Some commission members have
felt certain press stories have
failed to give enough considera-
ton to such points.
The commission now has only
one working committee. Headed
by National Park Service Direc-
tor Conrad L. Wirth, it is seeking
agreement among the planners,
city highway officials and the
New York firm headed by Will
liam Zeckendorf on a traffic lay
out for Washington's Southwest
redevelopment area.
The planning group has ten
tatively approved" one plan
sharply at odds with the Zecken-
dorf groups plans for a 300
foot-wide South Mall along
Tenth street S.W. Zeckendorf
technicians met with the plan
ners yesterday on an alternate
scheme, and highway consul
tants for the planners and the
District were to meet to try
to reconcile traffic estimate diff
ferences.
Commenting on widespread
support and enthusiasm for the
zeckendorf proposals. Mr.. Bar
tholomew said he is very much
surprised at the lack of civic
interest and concern about these