Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-31
Stote OfficioIs Promise
Speedy 240 Decision
Continued From Pare AIN

Continued From Page Ais
subjected TO q technical "feasi-
bility study"
Opposition to the Bteo route
came last night from County
Council Member Robert +.
Snure, the B&O Railroad.
Acting Mayor Richard H. Clark
Of Kensington. the Garrett Park
Citizens Association and real
estate man Frank l. Hewitt.
Mr.. Snure. . member Of the
"jurys conducting the Route
2l0 hearings. issued . state-
ment saying the new scheme
would cause so much damage
in the Kensington and Silver
Spring areas that II would be
disastrous to the economy Of
the eastern suburban district.
on whose vast assessable tax
base this county depends" Mr..
Snure said he personally favor
ed q 240 route which would
carry passenger cars on q free
way through Rock Greek Park.
with trucks handled by some
other means.
Land Costs Cited
Mr.. Hewitt. q member Of the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission. likewise charged
the route would cause an eco
nomic catastrophe" He pre-
dicted that land costs for such
q route would amount to more
than $50 million. and he sub
mitted o list Of IS apartments.
shopping centers and other
major property he said would
be affected. Included were
parks. q country club. big COM
mercial buildings and even
some State Roads Commission
property.
The B&O route, however,
also drew additional support
last night from numerous other
witnesses. most of VIII ON
coupled their support with OPP
position to routes proposed In
the Bethesda area west Of Rock
Greek Park.
Organizations which opposed
. $40 freeway along the Poto-
mac River included the BAN
nockburn Citizens Association,
c. b o. Canal Association. Dis
trict Audubon Society. Mohican
Hills Citi8ens Association.
Green Acres-Glen Cove Citi-
zens Association. Westmore-
land Citizens Association, Tulip
Hills Citizens Association. Pro-
gressive Citi1ens Association Of
Georgetown. B Q n n ock burn
Civic Association. Palisades
Citizens Association. Pathway
Hills Citizens Association. Ca
bin John Citizens Association
and the wilderness Society.
Spokesman for o number Of
these groups favored . study
Of the B&O route. Others,
however. urged that no 2l0 ex-
pressway into the center Of
Washington Il needed. ct all.
end that priority should bel
given to construction Of cir
cumferential freeways which
could feed traffic to many ar
terial highways.
Would Side-stei PARKWAY
= They unanimously urged that
no effort Be made to tamper
with the George Washington |
Memorial parkway, and con-
tended this would help solve
any future trafiic problems IN
the river area. They also con-
tended that Q 240 route along
the river would destroy recrea-
tional values Of the Palisades
parks and would cause heavy
disruption Of residential COM
munities.
Joining the above groups in
opposing q Potomac River
route were Mrs. Nettie Mae
Burgess. 6109 Broad street,
Brookmont, Q real estate OPP
orator. and Mrs. Laura p. War
field. who pleaded that Moth
ing be permitted to impair the
nature values Of the river
region.
Neville Mcmillan Of the Mo-
hican Hills group charged that
Q Potomac freeway was waste
full because It would not serve
heavy population concentra-
tons and that 1t would con-
tradict long-standing county
plans for area development. He
urged the State not to be in
fiuenced BY the Districts favor
Of Q river route.
Phillip Thorson. speaking for
the Potomac Valley Communi-
ties roads committee. con-
tended that earlier witnesses
who opposed the Wisconsin ave-
nue. and River road routes had
"ganeed up" on the Palisades
because it was "the nearest
victim" While he supported
the BIO route. he said his
second choice was Wisconsin
avenue and his third. River
road. He said he felt others
who favored the Bro route
earlier held the same view.
Business Fears Expressed
New opposition to any route
that would hit the District line
near Wisconsin. avenue. mean
while, came from Andrew
Parker. president Of Woodward
& Lothrop's. and James c.
wilkes. representing the Gov
eminent Employees Insurance
Co.
Mr.. Parker said these routes
would cut of part OF the
Woodward a. Lothrop Chevy
Chase branch store parking