Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-08
Standards Site
For Geological
Survey Backed
NCPC Tentatively
Approves Use
Of 68-Acre Truct
BY GEORGE BEVERIDGE

Commission to move into a g.
acre site at Connecticut avenue
and Van Ness street NV. as
soon as the National Bureau of
Standards, which now occupies
the tract moves out.
That will be no earlier than
1861, according to officials of the
two agencies.
The Bureau of Standards,
which has about the same num-
Der as the 1900 employees of the
Geological Survey, nevertheless
needs much more space for its
various activities. The bureau
has acquired 500-acre site near
Gaithersburg, Md, but as yet
has no construction money.
DR.. Allen v. AStin. bureau di-
rector. said he has preliminary
planning money for the new
center now and is seeking funds
for detailed architectural draw
ings in next years budget. That
means the earliest possible date
for a move. he said, would be
in 1861. And that assumes no
bitches along the way.
Willingness to Wait
Thomas B. Nolan, Geological
Survey director, indicated his
agency. now spread among 10
different buildings, is willing to
wait.
The survey headquarters was
one of several Washington area
Federal projects cleared last
year by Congress for conStruc-
ton under the lease-purchase
financing program. In doing so.
the Senate Public Works Com
mittee specified the center must
be located on Government-owned
land within the District.
Last month. the administra-
ton halted all lease-purchase
construction as an anti-infation
move. At about the same time,
however. the House Appropria-
ton Committee practically di-
rected the Geological Survey to
apply for direct appropriations
from Congress to build its much
needed center. Presumably the
survey will do so without delay.
The survey will be able TO use
some of the same buildings now
in use by the Bureau of Stand
ards. but will also need a sub
stantial amount of new con-
struction. Presumably an Army
Ordnance unit. which now occu-
pies about Is acres of the North
west site, would remain.
Would Dust Tempos
The planning commission APP
prevail was conditioned on a
number of steps involving use
Of the site. One was that tempos
near the Rene road side of the
tract be removed.
In another action, the plan
ners cleared the way for a major
rerouting of traffic in the con-
gested 1900 block of Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV. The expen-
sive street improvement includes
cutting new roadways through
park areas on each side of Penn
sylvania avenue so that traffic
can move directly from E street
in front of the District Building
to f street in front of the Ma
tional Theater.
The new project will install
about a dozen traffic lights in
the middle Of the block to handle
the complicated traffic move
nents, as we'll as construction Of
several traffic islands.
Wallace Braun. assistant direc-
tor of the Department of Vehi-
Giles and Traffic, said he hoped
the work could get under way
by next month. II will take
about three months TO complete
Involves Land Transfer
Before construction can start.
the National Capital Parks Office
must transfer to highway off,
Gals part of the park area on
the north side of Pennsylvania
avenue near Thirteenth. The
transfer was approved yesterday
by the planning commission.
On another matter. the COM
mission rejected a recommends
ton from its director. John
Nolen. ir.. involving transfer Of
a tract of land in the Soldiers
Home grounds to the highway
department for an east-west
expreSsway through the grounds
Several months ago. a 5-acre
tract Oh the cast size Of the
grounds near Michigan avenue
was transferred for this purpose,
Route of the road has been
changed, however, SO the District
asked the commission yester-
day to approve transfer of an
adjacent tract. Mr.. Nolen rec
commended that the new transfer
not be approved until disposition
of the original tract is settled.
The commission approved a
motion by Brig. Gen. Thomas
A. Lane. Engineer Commissioner,
to grant the new transfer i'm
mediately. however. Gen. Lane
said the District will bring be-
fore the planners soon a pro-
posal that the original 5-acre
tract be available as city
fringe parking lot.
TrunquiIizers Snuq