Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-15

A1C0oCo WAN VA OA w WA SA~N y
yesterday whether to adopt or
reject the ambitious rebuilding
plan.
Praise came from a big ma
jority of the witnesses, in
GLIDING Government agencies and
most city-wide business and civic
organizations.
Opposition, in strong and often
bitter terms, came from South
west residents and from owners
of business property in the
Southwest who would be directly
affected by the redevelopment
proposal.
Housing Loss Cited
A middle group of witnesses
Endorsed the proposal generally.
but asked the Commissioners to
amend the plan. Most frequent
ly heard was a complaint that
the plan failed to provide new
housing for middle-lower income
families, and that the lack of
such housing in the city threat
ened to create new slums else
where.
John r. Searles, jr., director
of the Redevelopment Land
Agency, which would carry out
the redevelopment scheme. told
reporters after the hearing that
he and other officials recognize
the truth of this complaint.
But he insisted that the Area
C plan. designed to upgrade a
major part of the city to an adj
mittedly "middle-high income"
residential and business area,
couldn't provide the need even
|if planners desired it.
Unsolved Problem
No city in the country has
solved the problem of adequate
new housing for families in the
$1,000 and slightly higher in
come brackets, he said, and
you're kidding yourself to think
such {, housing can be built
through redevelopment." For
that reason, he said, the National
Association of Housing and Re-
development officials and other
groups are at work on legislation
to propose new Federal aids to
make such construction possible
At the same time, however,
MIR Searles noted that the law
requires the RIA to find decent,
safe and sanitary" housing for
the ALA families in the area
regardless of economic status
before any can be moved out for
clearance of land and redevelop-
lment.
Just before the hearing began
yesterday, RIA delivered copies
of the Area C plan, and a stag
lgering volume of supporting doc
Iuments. by station wagon to
Philadelphia offices of the Fed
eral Housing and Home Finance
Agency.
This material was filed with a
request for an $85 million Fed
Ieral loan to carry out the re-
development project and alloca-
ton of an eventual $32 million
Federal grant to help pay for it.
The remainder, of the loan would
be paid back with money from
the sale or lease of the Area c
land to private investors for re-
building.
The Federal agency is expected
to process the request in a few
weeks. Technically, it can't do
so until the Commissioners adopt
the plan. But the city heads
are likely to want assurance OF
full Federal participation before
they commit the District to its
share of the programs expenses.
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane.
Engineer Commissioner, said he
would press for an early meeting
for a full discussion of all the
testimony-especially the pro-
tests"
Leading fiat opposition to the
plan was Horace j. Donnelly,
Ijr., owner of IA parcels OF busi-
ness property near the water
front, including Hogate's Rest
laurant, Ninth street and Maine
avenue S.W.
Mr.. Donnelly said the program
was unrealistic because it makes
mo provisions for either exempt
ing or relocating successful busi-
nesses which now are giving the
District tax dollars. Earlier,
however, spokesman for other
groups praised the program for
increased tax dollars it would
provide.
Called Fantastic"
Mr.. Donnelly also attacked
what he called drastic limita-
ton in size of the commercial
waterfront area. He said he
could not conceive Of Govern
ment powers being used so rad
lically on such a fantastic plan. "
He said no such drastic pro-
Iposals we're contained in an early
redevelopment plan in 1852
CONVENTIONS