Evening star., 1961-05-05

having withstood a barrage of q
liminary explanation of the pro
The toughest question was:
One interrogation even wonc
ing in all thiS?"
The questions came at a SEM
inar sponsored by the District
Junior Chamber of Commerce
at the Presidential Arms to
hear highlights of the still un-
published proposals for Wash
ington area development in the
next 40 years.
The plan has been drawn up
by the Staffs of the National
Capital Planning Commission
and the National Capital Re-
gional Planning Council. Pub
fishing difficulties have delayed
its distribution. !
Parallel Roads, Rails
The program, which is de-
scribed as still in the formative
stage, calls for future develop
ment of the Washington Met
ropolitan area in clusters"
along spoke-like "radial corri-
dors." These corridors would ex-
tend out into the suburbs from
the District and have wedges
of green space" in between.
Among features Of the plan
are proposals that rail trans
portation parallel existing high
ways and others yet to be built.
The program calls for en-
couragement of apartment con-
struction in centers along the
so-called radial corridors. 1t
would discourage single-family
house construction in the park
like green space in between.
Such scheme, say the plan
ners, will prevent "formless
urban sprawl"
Also an element is persist
tent urban renewal of the heart
of the District, and location of
Government buildings in the
downtown area as well as in
outlying cluster communities"
A full presentation Of details
will be made June 9 at a meet
ing of the Washington Metro
politan Regional Conference,
an organization of elected Of |
ficials representing the Dis
trict and surrounding juriSdic-
tions.
Other BriefingS
The "briefing" for the
Jaycees was one Of many that
planners expect to make be-
fore citizen groups after the
formal unveiling.
Outlining the plan and an
swerlng questions yesterday
were Walter B. Shilling. deputy
director, National Capital Re-
gional Planning Council; Nor
ton Hoppenfeld. civic designer !;
for the National Capital Plan
ming Commission: Sydnor F.
Hodges, chief Of NCPC COM
prehensive planning, and
others.
The first question from the
Jaycees group, which this week
is sponsoring Community De-
velopment Week. was:
What is going to determine
the location Of the radial cor
ridors?"
highways and others now be-
THE plan follows existing |
ing built except for one pro-
posed to lead into Prince
Georges county" Mr.. Shilling
said.
What is the major problem,
or obstacle. you forsee?" Tony
Sylvester. the moderator won-
dered.
3 Million Additional
The biggest problem, Mr..
Shilling said. would be to
make the various elected Of
ficials aware Of why the plan
was prepared"
That's the reason we'll be
going out and explaining it
and trying to make people un-
derstand the need to plan for
an additional million popula-
ton in the next 40 years. he
said.
One Jaycee wondered
whether the automobile might
not be obsolete" by the Year
1000.
Mr.. Hoppenfeld answered:
I'VE believe transportation
techniques will not change that
drastlcally. We won't be using
helicopters to go back and
forth to work"
Questions that planners said
had no definite answers" in
cluded ones on who would pay
for the cost Of land to accom-
modate rail systems paralleling
highways, and how the Year
1000 program would be fitted
into master plans now being
prepared in surrounding coun-
ties.
Mr.. Shilling said it was his
opinion there would have to be
eventual agreement on one
plan"
Il am not prepared to say
which plan is BEST" he added.
John S. Hewins, chief re-
search planner for the Mary
land National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, refer
ring to the green space pro-