Evening star., 1960-07-27
BOUNDARIES AT ISSUE
Adoms-Morqqn Plan Faces Test
By GEORGE WILSON
Star Staf Writer


The proposed Adams Morgan
urban renewal project will be
challenged tomorrow at a
hearing in the District Build
ing.
The principal issue is wheth-
er the Federal Government
should be allowed to plan the
redevelopment Of the whole
area or just part of it.
The National Capital Plan
ming Commission on June 16
approved as an urban renewal
project the 300-acre area
in Northwest bounded by Cali
vert street, Lanier place, Co
lumbia road, Sixteenth street.
U street, Florida avenue and
Rock Greek Park.
If the District Commission
ers follow suit, the Redevelop-
ment Land Agency can apply
for Federal money to plan the
redevelopment of that area.
SeIective RaZing
Although detailed plans are
a long way off, it has already
been decided that the Adams
Morgan project would not fea-
ture the type of wholesale raz-
ing which marked Southwest's
redevelopment. Instea d, it
would be Selective surgery with
emphasis on fixing up homes
already standing.
The residents themselves de-
cided on this fix-up approach
after a long series of meetings
on how to cure their ailing
neighborhood. The residents
were organized into block
groups as part of an urban
renewal demonstration project
started October %, 1858.
The majority of the block
groups argued that only by
planning the redevelopment as
a whole could the Adams
Morgan area realize its poten-
tial. bborn pockets of
blight, the majority argued,
could not be erased no matter
how much restoration of homes
went on around them.
KalOrama at Issue
A minority of those block
groups countered that the
Kalorama Triangle area should
not be included in the urban
renewal project. The triangle
is bounded by Columbia road.
Connecticut avenue and Calvert
street NV. The Kalorama Citi-
zens Association and Kalorama
Triangle Restoration Society
tomorrow will argue that re-
storation of that area already
is we'll underway, that declar-
ing it an urban renewal area
only would becloud the area in
doubt and slow down progress.
If the District Commissioners
go along with a change in
boundaries for the urban re-
newal project area, theNAdams-
Morgan project will have to
go back to the planning COM
mission for its approval. The
Adams-Morgan Planning Com
mittee fears such a delay would
make it difficult to maintain
the enthusiasm of its loose
federation of block groups.
None of the District Com
missioners will be at the hear
ing starting at 10 am. to-
morrow. They will rely on the
verbatim record of the pro-
ceedingS. Col. Thomas F.
Fullerton, assistant to the Engi-
neer Commissioner, said he will
try to keep discussion centered
on the boundaries of the pro-
posed Adam Morgan project
and not let it digreSs to how
the land itself will be used.
Several witnesses plan to pro-
test proposals made by the
AdamS-Morgan Planning Com
mittee last May. The Lanier-
Ontario Neighborhood Associa-
ton. for example, does not like
the proposal to raZe homes on
the South side of Lanier place
to make room for a parking
lot for businesses in the area.
Other proposals already for
warded by the committee in
clude increasing play areas;
clearing away industrial plants
adjacent to homes; rebuilding
the area between Eighteenth
street and Chaplain street with
new stores and apartments.