ACQUIREMENT OF RENO SUBDIVISION IN HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SIXTY-NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON S. 1719 A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR THE PURCHASE OR CONDEMNA- JUNE 2, 1926 Printed for the use of the Committee on the District of Columbia ACQUIREMENT OF RENO SUBDIVISION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1926 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, in the committee room, Capitol, at 2 o'clock p. m., Senator Arthur Capper (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee meets here to-day primarily for the purpose of having a public hearing on Senate bill 1719, introduced by Senator Jones of Washington, for the purchase or condemnation of what is known as the Reno subdivision. (The bill referred to is as follows:) A BILL To provide for the purchase or condemnation of property in the Reno subdivision, and adjacent thereto, for the purpose of improvement of street plan, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Commissioners of the District of Columbia be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to purchase or condemn all or any property located within the territory bounded on the north by the north line of Fessenden Street, on the south by the south line of Chesapeake Street, on the west by the easterly line of Belt Road, and on the east by the easterly line of Nebraska Avenue and Reno Road, or so much of the area within said boundaries as the said commissioners may deem expedient, and upon the acquisition of any or all such property so purchased or condemned they shall have the power to set aside so much of said property as they deem expedient or necessary for the purposes of providing sites for a reservoir, for school and playground purposes, and for such parks or park sites as in their judgment should be provided, and they shall have the power to provide a plan showing a rearrangement of streets and alleys in said subdivision and property adjacent thereto as described herein, in accordance with the plan of the permanent system of highways for the District of Columbia, and such plan showing a rearrangement of streets and alleys as provided herein shall stand for and supercede the plan of streets as now laid down within the territory described in this act, and said plan showing a rearrangement of streets as provided herein when approved by said commissioners shall be recorded in the office of the surveyor of the District of Columbia the same in all respects as other plats of record made in accordance with law in the District of Columbia; and the said commissioners shall have the power to close any or all public streets and alleys within said described territory, said streets so closed to revert to the District of Columbia; and the said commissioners shall have power to set aside streets and alleys in accordance with said new plan, such streets and alleys so set aside by said commissioners to become public thoroughfares the same in all respects as other public streets and alleys in the District of Columbia: Provided, That any and all property so condemned within said boundaries shall be condemned by a proceeding in rem in accordance with subchapter 1 of chapter 15 of the Code of Law for the District of Columbia within three years after the passage of this act: And provided further, That no assessments for benefits shall be levied under this proceeding. SEC. 2. That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $400,000 out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated and the sum of $600,000 out of the revenues of the District of Columbia, to be used by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia for the purchase or condemnation of property as provided herein, or to cover any costs or expenses for examination of titles, surveying computations, drafting, or purchase of supplies in connection with the improvement of the street plan and rearrangement of property lines as provided herein. SEC. 3. The said Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall have the power to purchase any or all property lying within the boundaries prescribed herein by separate purchase at different times, if in their judgment such purchase or purchases are advantageous in carrying out the provisions contained in this act. The CHAIRMAN. The committee is ready to hear statements from those who favor or oppose the measure. I think probably we had better hear those in favor of the measure first. Mr. NEILL. I am Mr. Neill. I am opposing the bill. Is not that the The CHAIRMAN. I think those proposing it ought to be heard first, then we will give you people all the time you want. better plan? Mr. NEILL. I think so, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Whoever is in charge of the delegation which is here supporting the bill will indicate whom they want to be heard. Mr. DOYLE. My name is H. E. Doyle. I appear here in favor of the bill. I might say to the committee that Mr. Glover and Colonel Bell expected to appear here in favor of the bill. Colonel Bell has been here, but he had to go away. Senator COPELAND. Are they in favor of the bill-Mr. Glover and Colonel Bell? Mr. DOYLE. Strongly in favor of it. It has the indorsement of the commissioners. It is sponsored and introduced by Colonel Bell and they are in favor of it. I think perhaps Colonel Bell could have told the story better than anyone else, and I am sorry that he can not be here. I represented the Chevy Chase Land Co. in all of the operations in that general neighborhood. It is the highest point of the District. It is needed for a park, for a school site, playgrounds, in addition to a water reservoir. Suitable places for those purposes are being taken up rapidly. Not long ago some of these lots could have been bought for $50 to $100. Now they run from $500 to $750 at least, and they are steadily advancing. As to the urgency of that, and the ultimate necessity of it, I would like to ask Mr. Hazen, the District surveyor, from Colonel Bell's office, to tell you more in detail. He has a plat which he will show you. The CHAIRMAN. I might say to the committee that the bill comes over here from the District Commissioners, prepared by the District Commissioners, and they urge its enactment. It was referred to a subcommittee, of which Senator Sackett was chairman, and that subcommittee made a thorough study of the situation and made a report favorable to the passage of the bill. Now we are meeting here to-day as a full committee and are willing, of course, to hear anything that will assist us in arriving at a conclusion either for or against the measure. Senator COPELAND. Mr. Doyle, how big is this subdivision? |