Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-09
U. S. Urged to Seek
Land Near District
city's Growth
ImperiIs Space
For Recreation

urged the National i. Capital
Planning Commission to seek
legal power to buy use rights
to vacant land vircling WASH
ington.
Charles w. Eliot of Cam
bridge, Mass. suggested such
public control Of privately
managed tracts. Compression
ally authorized easements could
help preserve open spaces now
threatened by creeping density
Of the Metropolitan Area, he
told the commission yesterday.
This was one of six tools"
Mr.. Eliot told the commission
might protect today's farm
lands for recreational and park
areas of the future. He also
proposed:
Metropolitan gov ernments
buy more property than they
actually need for public works.
so green space would be guar
anteed along highway and
sewer right-of-ways.
The President order notices
of Federal sales of surplus
property be channeled through
the commission. The public has
a right to know about land
transfers of the previously few
acreages still undeveloped, he
commended.
Public counsels of regional
governing bodies find out if
coming exclusively for agricul-
ture can be imposed under
present law throughout the
area.
Preferential Tax Proposed
Preferential taxes be levied
on land kept open for agricul-
ture.
Area governments withhold
works projects that threaten
open spaces.
DR.. Eliot II, grandson of the
late Charles w. Eliot, president
of Harvard University, reported
to the NCPC under a contract
of last June to survey Metro
politan Area open spaces. he
was asked to suggest ways Of
saving play space in the
decades to come.
Although he offered no firm
mapping of future reserved free
land in the 2,000-square-mile
metro area, Mr.. Eliot stressed
development of such land use
hinged on regional co-opera-
ton.
He said standards for an open
space pattern we're at least two
fold. The topography of the
land and the agricultural po-
tential must be balanced against
metropolitanite's recreational
demands to locate the best
areas to preserve ass country
side. the nationally known
planner said.
The commission authorized
it's chairman, Harland M. Bar
tholomew. to accept Mr.. Fliot's
written report. of which his
oral presentation was a sum-
mary.
New Defense Of Route
In separate action, the COM
mission sent Senator Murray.
Democrat of Montana. a second
formal defense of its route
along the Gao Canal for the
George Washington Memorial
parkway.
Senator Murray interceded
for Conservationist Anthony w.
Smith. who has protested with
the C61O Canal Association the
parkway so close to the old
waterway. The NCPC first told
Senator Murray separation be-
tween the canal and roadbed
was adequate in August, and
repeated, in more detail, in a
report given the commission
yesterday.
The Senator asked if the
parkway could not be set be-
tween Macarthur boulevard
and the toe of the hill toward
the canal.
COnduits Affected
John Nolen. jr., NCPC di-
rector, maintained that a road
way hugging Macarthur boule-
ward would interfere with two
major conduits supplying
Washingtonians with drinking
water.
Besides. the route proposed
by Mr.. Smith would require i'm
practical grading of the hill.
Mr.. Nolen added. He noted
that only through Brookmont
and Glen Echo sections would
the parkway come as close as
300 feet to the canal.