Evening star., 1960-09-18
Limited Inquiry Set
On Urban Renewal
Senute Probe
Is Restricted
To Southwest
BY GEORGE WILSON.
Star stan Writer

releWdl program Will De con"
fined to the Southwest project,
1t was learned yesterday.
Chester H. Smith, chief clerk
Of the Senate District Com
mittee. said his staff in prepar-
ing for the investigation, has
decided that limiting the in
quiry to Southwest would be
more fruitful than looking into
all the urban renewal projects
In the city.
1--WE have to attempt to re-
strict the investigation" Mr..
Smith said, "or it will get out
Of hand" He said the stan
hopes to finish plotting the
boundaries of the investigation
by the end Of this week.
The central question, he said,
is whether progress in South
west is too slow or not. NO
body really knows the answer
to that now" he said. But we
hope to find out"
Various Topics Involved
Mr.. Smith added that the
staff, besides designing the in
quiry to answer this central
question, will break down urban
renewal into various topics
suitable for one line Of study.
For example, he said, special
attention will be given to the
type Of leases the Redevelop-
ment Land Agency has signed
with such developers as VIII
liam zeckendorf. president Of
the New York realty firm OF
Webb & Knapp. and Roger L.
Stevens and James H. Scheuer,
also Of New York, who built the
Capitol Park Apartments and
currently have town houses
under construction in South
west.
representative Rabaut,
Democrat Of Michigan, chair
man Of the House committee
which passes on the Districts
budget. told The Star the 99-
year lease the Redevelopment
Land Agency signed with Mr..
zeckendorf amounted to "a
steal"
The Senate District Business
and Commerce Subcommittee,
the one which will conduct the
inquiry for the Senate, will
look into the Zeckendorf leases
extensively.
Mr.. Smith said the inveSti-
cation also will trace the steps
builders have to go through
before they can start construc-
ton on an urban renewal
project. Several builders are ex-
pected to testify.
RIA to Be Studied
Another line Of inquiry will
examine the RIA itself. "Do
we have a new kind Of agency
which is going to superimpose
itself on the rest Of the Dis
trict Government" Mr.. Smith
asked.
The House this year passed
a bill, sponsored by Mr.. Rabaut,
which would downgrade the
authority of the RIA by placing
full responsibility for the urban
renewal program into the hands
of the District Commissioners.
The Senate did not vote on
the bill on grounds the urban
renewal investigation should be
completed first.
Still another topic to be in
vestigated is the fate Of the
people showed out Of their
homes in Southwest by the ur-
ban renewal bulldozers. Mr..
Smith said several displaced
persons have complained to the
committee and some Of them
may testify when formal hear
ings get under way
This is not going to be .
witchhunt," Mr.. Smith empha-
sized. He said no one has any
preconceived notions. The OBJ
jective, he said. will be to take
down the urban renewal ma
chine in Washington, examine
it part by part, and then deter
mine if it is working properly.
House Seeks Inquiry
The House wants the Federal
City Council, a group Of promi-
nent Washingtonians, to inves-
tigate the urban renewal pro-
gram. Mr.. Smith said the Sen
ate committee will coordinate
its effort with that group to
avoid duplication. He said the
Senate committee also will con-
suit with the newly organized
Washington Center for Metro
politan Studies.
The investigation Of WASH
ington's urban renewal pro-
gram is expected to be sched-
uled soon after the new Con-
gress reports to Washington in
January. The investigating
committee is headed by Sena-
tor Beall, Republican of Mary
land.
Mr.. Smith said the inquiry,
the first Of its kind conducted
by Congress, may benefit other
cities in the Nation by pointing
up shortcomings in the urban
renewal law or bottlenecks In
its administration.