Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-07
Group 10 Study
OoWnioWnAred
Planners Seeking
Cause of Decline

The National Capital Plan
ming Commission today was
moving ahead with efforts to
find out precisely what ails the
deteriorating downtown section
and what can be done to bring
it back to full health.
The planners instructed a
special committee to confer
with the District Commissioners
and downtown business inter-
estS to work out necessary study
details.
This was the followup rec
commended by the NCPC Gen.
trail Area Committee which,
elsewhere in its report. urged
establishing within the COM
mission a special Office, COM
plete with director and a staff
of up to is members, to con-
duct the study.
supporting the special Office
would be adequate, though I'M
specified. funds big enough to
hire outside consultantS to
supply whatever expert advice
may be needed for various
aspects.
Sees Steps Necessary
Alexander C. Robinson, COM
mittee chairman, emphasized
the need for an up-to-date
master plan for the central
area to halt what he called de-
terioration of the Inner CITY,"
Mr.. Robinson estimated the
proposed study would require
three or four years to COM
plete. He said the study should
be divided into three parts. The
first would concern such over
all concerns as main thorough
fares. mass transportation and
coming. Second in Importance
would be a detailed inventory
of land use. building space and
development trends. The third
part of the study would deal
with plans for public building
and open-Space use.
In a report on the proposed
Northwest urban renewal area,
1t. Col. Robert Mathe, Assist
ant Engineer Commissioner of
the District. told the planning
commission the estimated net
cost of the project would total
$142 million. Col. Mathe indi-
Gated this whopping price tag
might mean either delaying the
rehabilitation or adjusting"
the city governments existing
Six-year public works program
to suit the financial require
ments.
Show Interest in Burke
The planning commission
staff was instructed to notify
Government Services Admins
tration Of its interest in pre-
serving the land parcels bought
by GSA for a National airport
at Burke, Va, for other public
use. The Burke site has been
abandoned in favor Of a loca-
ton near Chantilly. Va.
A District proposal to build
the city's fourth incinerator on
property now owned by Cath
Ollie University ran into the
opposition of university off,
Gals.
The proposed location ada
cent to Fort Totten Park, in
the vicinity of Riggs road NE.
and North Capitol street was
discussed at the meeting of
the planning commission.
william A. Xanten, superin-
tendent Of Sanitation, asserted
the incinerator is essential in
that it will permit closing the
Kenilworth dump.
This open burning dump, Mr..
Xanten said, handles 30 per
cent Of the city's burnable
rubbish, and represents an ex-
IRENE fire hazard as well as
"intolerable" smoke and ash
nuisances for the surrounding
residential communities.
Msgr. James A. Wagner, gen.
eral business manager Of Cath
ole University, said that the
approximately 3-acre site Sc
lected is part of the Univer-
sity's only 38 acres Of open
land for further expansion Of
its Brookland campus.