Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-09
New Inner Loop
plan Will Get
Intense Study
City Will Take No
Official Position
Pending Report
By GEORGE BEvERIDGE

way III rOgBy bOCCOm is IN IOl
intensive scrutiny by official and
citizen groups during the next
few weeks
The new plan. unveiled to the
National Capital Planning Com
mission yesterday. would move
the presently planned route
westward to follow the general
line of Twenty-fifth street
through the Foggy Bottom re-
gion.
The planning commission, as
expected. referred the new plan
to a special committee for study
The plan was drawn by the
Clarkson Engineering Co., hired
by the District to work out con-
nections between the inner LOOP
and a new expressway along the
Potomac River from Maryland
Ito downtown Washington. Sew
|eral more weeks of work are re.
lquired before the consultants will
submit their formal report to the
District.
Anticipate Protests
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane
Engineer Commissioner, said ne
official position will be taken
by the city until the formal re-
port is in. Gen. Lane said hi
anticipated a number of COM
plants from property owners tc
the new route-probably more
than were voiced to the original
road location.
Major protests against the
original route came from the
George Washington University
whose expansion area would be
bisected. The new route would
leave intact the GNU area, as
we'll as projects of the Peoples
Life Insurance Co. and the Po-
tomac Plaza Corp.
I officials Of the two firms ex-
pressed favor to the Clarksor
proposal. but vigorously opposed
a suggestion by John Nolen. jr,
Planning Commission director
that the route be moved from
farther west to leave room for
the proposed national auditorium
and cultural center.
The planners also ordered a
committee study of a proposed
location for a new Potomac
River bridge between Chain and
Key Bridges. The proposal
made by the Clarkson Co.. would
locate the bridge at Arizona
avenue extended on the District
side of the river. In Virginia
it would connect with the George
Washington Memorial parkway
and Glebe road.
Other Actions
In other actions, the planners
/ /. Approved a request of the
American Battle Monuments
Commission to locate a memor.
ial to Gen. John j. Pershing or
the downtown square between
Pennsylvania avenue and Four
teenth. Fifteenth and E streets
NV. The square is now cleared
of structures.
The planners said such q
memorial. however. should pre-
serve the area mainly as ar
open park. without any mas
sive" structures. They suggested
an appropriate feature might be
a monumental fountain.
+ 2. Decided to submit a report
on the complex District coming
revision proposals of consultant
Harold M. Lewis before the
District holds public hearings or
the proposals in May. The com
mission directed It's coming COM
mittee to meet next week or
the proposals.
3. Delayed temporarily a de-
cision on request from District
Librarian Harry N. Peterson fol
approval of the transfer to The
District Of small tract of parl
land for a new branch library
in the Fort Davis area.
AdjOins School
Mr.. Peterson said the small
tract. about a third of an acre
in size, is contiguous to the Anne
Beers School property on Ala
bama avenue near Thirty
seventh street NE. An appro.
priation request is pending fol-
funds to buy private property
for the site. but Mr.. Peterson
said the private land available
is far inferior to the tract he
requested.
The librarian said public drive;
to get the branch library con
structed have been under way foi
at least a decade. One problem
after another have thwarted the
efforts to obtain a site.
The tract requested, how con.
Itrolled by National Capital Parks
is part of the large area acquired
to border the proposed For
drive. Mr.. Peterson said it II
particularly valuable for library
purposes because 1t is near {
school, within sight of a shop
ping center and accessible Il
major streets.
Mr.. Peterson asked for zap
proval in principle" to the LIANT
transfer. subject to agreement OF
details by all affected agencies
later.
Instead, the commission agreed
that the Co-ordinating Commit
tee, representing all major Dis
trict and Federal agencies con
cerned with development prob
lens, take up the problem at |
meeting next Tuesday. After tn