Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-07
More Housing OKd
In Southwest Area
Planners Act
On B District;
Would Up Rents
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE
star star Writer

The National Capital Plan
ming Commission gave its final
approval today to q sharp in
crease In the amount OF housing
that viii be permitted in the
Southwest Area B redevelop-
ment project.
At the same time. the COM
mission voted TO eliminate a
present redevelopment require
ment that about one-third of
the housing rent for a maxi
mum of SIT per room per
month to benefit lower income
families.
The planners final approval
sends the matter to the District
Commissioners. who must hold
a public hearing before they
can make the proposed changes
in the offlcial redevolpment
plan.
The changes were requested
by James H. Scheuer and
Roger L. Stevens, the private
investors handling the Area B
rebuilding job. They have
warned fatty that good private
housing can not be built for
the low rent proposed and con-
tended an increase in the
amount Of housing would have
no harmful effects on the
project.
Town Houses To Be Started
The only housing already
built is the big 300-unit Capt.
toll Park Apartment at Fourth
and G streets S.W., but work
is slated to start on 81 attrac-
tive town houses as soon as
financing bottlenecks are re-
solved by the pending Federal
housing act.
In supporting the removal
of the SIT per month require
ment. NCPC Director William
E. Finley said it faces the fact
that, at this point in history, it
is impossible to provide private
housing" in the Southwest for
many families in the $4,000
$1,000 income brackets. Any
effort to do so, he said, prob
ably would kill the redevelop-
'ment program. .
A chart prepared by the
commission, estimating num-
berS of Washington families by
income and race, indicated that
families with incomes between
$1,000 and $4,000 will be the
principal occupants of the new
Southwest.
Northwest Project OKd
In another action, the COM
mission also stamped approval
on the 80-acre Northwest
Project No. l redevelopment
scheme. This area, just west
of the Union Station yards be-
tween G and N streets, is
slated to be built as a high
quality commercial and light
industrial area. This plan also
must be approved by the Com
miSsioners.
The planning commission
also:
/. Agreed that highway con-
sultants searching for a new
freeway between Washington
and Baltimore should confine
their studies to the Northeast
Washington corridor" between
Sergeant road and Barnard
Hill. This about cuts in half
an earlier study area and will
permit Maryland officials to
exercise greater protection of
the possible routes.
Viers Mill Park Reduced
2. Approved a reduction from
80 to So acres in the size of
a park area to be acquired near
Viers Mill road just north of
Viers Mill Village in Montgom-
cry County. Purpose of the cut
back is to save money because
land appraisals far exceeded
original estimates.
8. Sent to the Regional Plan
ming Council a proposal to ex-
tend Mount Vernon Memorial
highway in Virginia beyond its
present terminus at Mount Ver-
non to Woodlawn.
4. Approved plans for a TIA
unit public housing project
called the Morton Street Dwell
ings near Georgia avenue and
Park road NV. The project has
been held up for many months
because previous plans con-
f1icted with coming rules.