Evening star., 1960-01-14
Plan to RehabiIitate
Families Presented
Renewal Delay Typical,
Trade Conference Told
BY ALFRED ALIBRANDO
Star stan Writer

David NJ. Walker, urban re-
newal administrator, said today
that the delay in rebuilding
slum cleared sections of South
west Washington has been no
longer than experienced in
other large cities.
Mr.. Walker partieipated in a
panel discussion at tiie eighth
annual Business outlook Com
ference of the Metropolitan
Washington Board of Trade at
the Statler-Hilton Hotel.
1t was the first time since
he took Office last fall that Mr..
Walker defended urban renewal
here against criticism for delays.
Your situation has been gen.
eral throughout the United
States" he said. But now
things are looking up. There is
a quickening of pace in urban
renewal as communities begin
to understand it and learn by
trial and error. I am confident
Washington will now proceed
in very fine fashion"
Notes GrOundbreaking
Mr.. Walker noted that con-
,struction on the Town Center,
q 81 million shopping mart and
apartment project in Southwest
Washington will begin with
eroundbreaking ceremonies to-
morrow. He also had a word for
the critics Of urban renewal
here.
Criticism Of urban renewal
Is necessary and healthy" he
said. but some of the criticism
here has been carping,"
Frank ]. Luchs, Washington
realtor on the panel with Mr..
Walker, said he believed a
change is peoeSsary in zonihs
regulations TO provide more
middle and, low income hous-
ing in Washington. He said
present coming regulations are
driving apartment builders
into Maryland"
William Dyer, chairman OF
the Board Of Trades Urban
Renewal Committee, cautioned
on undertaking new urban
renewal programs before those
under way are completed. One
problem, he said. is that prop-
erty is taken of tie TAX rolls
and homes are demolished be-
fore new tax produclng hous-
ing is built.
Mr.. Dyer also noted that q
rehabilitation program spon.
sored by savings and loan insti-
tutionS, which have made avail
able more than 81 million for
repair Of homes, is now Begin
ming to take hold. He said the
first rehabilitation loan was
made today and four or five
others are in the process of
being approved.
Chalk Defends MOnOrail
In another panel on trans
portation, two old adversaries,
%. Roy Chalk and District
Commissioner Robert E. Nc
Laughlin. once again debated
the relative merits Of the mono
rail and the rapid subway sys-
TEN recommended in the Mass
Transportation Survey.
Mr.. Chalk, president of the
d. c. Transit System, proposed
that the Federal Government
establish a monorail authority
ana provide 80 per cent loans
for construction of such sys-
TENS by transit operators such
as himself.
Il am sufficiently sold on
monorails," Mr.. Chalk said, ito
undertake the risk and place
the assets (of D. c. TranSit) |
behind it."
Mr.. Chalk characterized the
recommendation for a combi-
nation of limited-access high
ways, rapid rail and fast ex-
press buses in the Mass Transit
Survey as "unrealistic and far
too costly"
Commissioner McLau g him
said he has nothing against
monorails except that they
have not been found practical
elsewhere. Stockholm, Sweden,
he said. has built a rapid rail
system mot like any earlier