Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-20
Dear Mr.. President:

pINoouIC vi CNlcllilk obA uCbulCo
connecting the District Of Co
lumbia and Virginia, Second.
within the limitations pre-
scr!bed by the Congress as TO
location and type Of structure.
we have recognized the vital
necessity-in. the public in
terest--of minimizing the pos
sible impairment of the monu-
mental design and artistic set
ting of the Lincoln Memorial
and other memorial structures
in the area.
Cites Cooperation
In this undertaking We have
had the fullest possible CO.
operation from the Board Of
Commissioners OF the District
Of Columbia who must. Of
course operate within the same
statutory limitations as the De-
partment of the Interior and
its consultants.
You will recall that the
enabling legislation directed the
construction Of a low-level
bridge ". north of the Me-
mortal Bridge and south Of the
southern portion Of the Theo-
dore Roosevelt Island some
times referred to as Small
Island :"
II is regrettable. in my view,
that the Congress found it
necessary to thus rigidly pre-
scribe the location Of the pro-
posed bridge structure. do
not doubt that the members
of the legislative branch ex-
ercised their best judgment IN
light Of the information then
available. and the conditions
operative at the time. Never
theleSs, the established guide
lines severely limit the oppor-
tunity for responsible executive
agencies to carry out their OBJ
LEGATION to preserve and protect
to the maximum possible extent
the distinctive aesthetic values
associated with what has been
universally acclaimed as one
of the worlds outstanding ma
tional shrines.
Vexing Problem
Applied to the ground in
volved. the effect Of the enabl-
ing legislation is to fix the
District of Columbia terminal
of the proposed bridge at a
point not more than 1000 feet
north Of Memorial Bridge. 1t
is this freezing of the proposed
structures location in such
close proximity to the Memo
rial Bridge which has posed
the most, vexing problem to me
and to my associates, because
Of its resultant demand that .
space Immediately adjoining /
the Lincoln Memorial be util-
lied for location Of the bridge
approach system.
Focal point Of our concern,
as to location Of approach
roads and interchanges, is the
area lying directly northwest Of
the Lincoln Memorial, bounded
on the north by Constitution
avenue, on the east by Twenty
third street and on the south |
end west by the Rock Creek
Potomac parkway. A series OF |
conferences with District off, |
Gals resulted in notifications
of original plans so as TO keep |
to a minimum the number Of
approach and interchange
structures to be located in the
monument area, and to keep to
a minimum the height of those
structures above grade.
The plans submitted to me on
March rs, am assured by the
District Commissioners, repre-
sent the minimums engineer
ingly feasible, both in terms
of structural numbers and in
heights above grade. Yet, with
in this relatively compact area
and on Immediately abutting
lands, it will be necessary to
place a maze of structures run
ming as high as % feet above
present grade, and involving
number Of overhead grade sepa-
rations.
Tree Removal Issue
Grading and construction. I
am informed, will require the
removal of a total of 397 trees
"a majority Of them rs years
OF age or older and constituting
original memorial paintings
together with the greater por-
ton Of an evergreen grove at
Ohio drive and the parkway
comprised Of hollies. lockwood.
magnolias, and various other
shrubs.
District engineers have given
assurance that entertainments
thanking the proposed struc-
lures would be Of rolled earth
and could be so Handicapped as
to reduce to a minimum the de-
tracing effect Of these struc-
lures in such relatively close
proximity to the Lincoln Me-
mortal. overall landscaping
would, ultimately, result in the
most attractive setting attain
able under the circumstances.
Nevertheless, 1t is my firm
conviction that the meritorious
congressional objective Of Sc
curing early construction OF an
additional Potomac passageway
in this area might well have
been achieved without OCCASION
ing such an encroachment on
the dignity, beauty, serenity and