Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-02
Planners BaIk
Al DeadIine
Deny Delaying Okuy
On Southwest Plan

Chairman Harland Bartholo-
NEW angrily charged yesterday
that the National Capital Plan
ming Commission has been made
"a whipping boy" and denied
it has ever delayed approval of
the zeckendorf plan for rede-
veloping Southwest Washington.
The question of whether there
has been any unnecessary delay
in clearing the complex program
got a thorough airing by the
commission yesterday.
Out of the session came hope
but no assurance-that the
commission will be able to vote
final approval a month from
now.
The question of delay was
raised by letter from the Dis
trict Redevelopment Land Agen-
cy Board, read by John A. Re-
mon, RIA chairman and a COM
mission member. ~
The letter said the Ria was
Impressed with delays" It said
it had appeared last fall that
the planning commission would
be able to approve and send the
plan to the District Commission
ers for formal adoption by jan
uary. The Ria directors asked
the commission to firmly direct"
its staff to have all the plans
documents ready for action by
March IS.
Specifications Remain
Actually the planners already
have approved all the major
elements of the plan. The only
document still to be approved is
a set of specifications" -detail-
ing the plan in writing.
John Nolen, jr.. planning
commission director, commended
he could not assure the specif1-
cations preparation by any firm
date. He said they are under
review now by various District
departments which will be con-
cerned with the development.
1t. Col. Thomas Hunter. As
sistant District Engineer Com
missioner, agreed that complete
reviews by all city and Federal
agencies at this stage are neces-
sary. He said that time lost
now will be time saved later"
Mr.. Bartholomew said he
hoped complete inter-agency
agreement could be reached well
before the commissions April
meeting. But he said it was
ridiculous to try to tie his staff
down to a firm date.
There is too much disposition
to make our commission and our
staff the whipping boy on this
thing" he declared, land I re-
sent II"
Other Actions Taken
On other matters before the
commission:
/. The planners approved
general location" of a new Navy
Photographic Center on Fed
|eral property at Suitland. Md,
provided it does not conflict with
proposed roads there. The cen
ter will house only about $40
people.
Meanwhile. Fred S. Poorman,
Public Buildings Service deputy
chief, said the Federal Govern
ment may turn some of the big
Suitland tract back to local tax
rolls. He said he sees no pros
pect of extensive Federal use
originally planned there.
2. preliminary discus S O n"
was given a proposal to expand
park areas in the big Federal
tract at Langley, Va, where the
Central Intelligence Agency in
tends to build its new headquar-
tiers. The proposal is to virtually
double the l67-acre park area
now bordering the Potomac
River, and to move further in
land the route Of the George
Washington Memorial parkway.
Officials said this would not
affect the CHA project.
3. The planners were briefedI
on studies for a civic auditorium
and cultural center in Washing
ton, being conducted by a Plan
ming Board" of experts for al
special Federal commission au-
thorized by Congress.
Spokesman for the planning
group disclosed they would give
the special commission formal
recommendations on a site and
building plan by April 10. The
commission is to report to Con-