PROPOSED JOINT RESOLUTION OF NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION PRE-EMPTING AGENCY LAND IN VICINITY OF 2430 'E' STREET,NW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00965R000400060014-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 13, 2004
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: February 16, 1960
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6
MEMORANDUM FOR; Deputy Director (Support)
SUBJECT; Proposed Joint; Resolution of National Capital
Planning Commission Pre-empting Agency Land in
Vicinity of 2LE30 "E" Street, NW
1. This memorandum contains recommendations submitted for Deputy
Director {Support) approval. Such recommendations are contained in
paragraph 9.
2. Tn a long telephone conversation with Mr. Daniel H. Shear,
General Counsel, National Capii;al Planning Commission, on 5 February
1960, I discussed the background and purpose of a proposed Joint Reso-
lution {see Attachment "A") wh:LCh the National Capital Planning Com-
mission has submitted to the Bureau of the Budget. This resolution
would reserve as public open slaace the area bounded by "E" Street,
Constitution Avenue, 23rd StreE:t and 25th Streets, NW. .This area in-
cludes the land. upon which are located the East, Central and Ad;nini-
stration Buildings, the only buildings now expected to remain standing
after the approach road system for the new Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
has been completed.
3. The Joint Resolution provides that "no structure shall here-
after be constructed in the area, except monuments and memorials," and
"nothing contained herein sha1:L limit the present use of the area,
including proper maintenance o:f existing buildings, by the Department
of the Navy and other agencies, provided, that no new buildings shall
be constructed and no existing buildings shall be altered or renovated,
and provided further, that existing buildings shall be vacated and
removed as soon as reasonably :Feasible."
~+. The Office of Logisti+~s takes the following position with
respect to the continuing requ:Lrement of the .Agency for office space
in this area. Upon completion of our Langley headquarters, we will be
able to move from all of the buildings in the above-described area
except for East, Central and Administration Buildings. We will con-
tinue to need to occupy those -three buildings until the General Serv-
ices Administration (GSA) makes other space available to us. Since we
are looking to GSA to provide ;space far our "stay-behind" personnel,
we are unable to predict when our need for East, Central and Admini-
stration Buildings will cease. During our future tenure of these
three buildings, it will be necessary for us to continue to make
Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6
 Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6
SUBJECT: Proposed Joint Resolution of National Capital Planning
Commission Pre-emp'ting Agency Land in Vicinity of
2+30 "E" Street, Ntd
alterations and renovations thE:rein although we do not anticipate that
these will be of a major character.
5. I asked. Mr. Shear whet;her the resolution would make it impos-
sible for us to continue to usE: East, Central and Administration
Buildings for the indefinite future, with the Agency continuing to make
physical alterations in these buildings and from time to time relocating
Agency components therein. I Explained that our new headquarters would.
not house a significant number of personnel who would be required to
stay behind in a number of buildings in the District of Columbia until
such time as an additional appropriation made it possible for us to
expand our Langley installation or until all of our "stay-behind" per-
sonnel were regrouped in some csentral location provided by GSA. I
stated that you and. Mt. Garrison :recently diacussed our "stay-behind"
housing problem with Public Buildings Service officials and that the
pressures upon this Agency at i>resent to give up various temporary
buildings were numerous and diverse, with the result that CIA was look-
ing to GSA for resolution of our housing problem without offering any
preferred solution of our own.
6. Mr. Shear assured me ghat the resolution sponsored by the
Commission would. not interfere with our indefinite continued use of
East, Central and Administration Buildings nor with the building modi-
fications or component reassignments which we might contemplate in the
future. He explained that the purpose of the resolution was to estab-
lish this site as an area which would not be available either for
Federal office building expansion or for sale to or private development
by commercial interests. He stated that there is considerable pressure
now being exerted., both within the Government and. by private interests,
to obtain this parcel of land which is strategically located near the
new State Department building, the proposed Cultural Center, and. redevel-
oped areas in Foggy Bottom. The Commission has concluded that this site
should be reserved as a generally open space, not completely devoid of
structures, but with no laxge buildings. The Commission believes that
a Congressional Resolution would be an appropriate way to express such
a policy statement.
7? Mr. Shear stated that the Bureau of the Budget was presently
undecided as to whether this objective might better be achieved by a
Congressional Resolution or by an Executive statement. While the Bureau
of the Budget appears to be favorably disposed in principle, according
to Mr. Shear, they have not yet sent out the usual legislative referral
memorandum to each concerned. agency pending resolution of the foregoing
Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6
 Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6
SUBJECT: Proposed Joint Resolution of National Capital Planning
Commission Pre-empting Agency Land in Vicinity of
230 "E" Street, NW
policy question. The Commission hopes that the Bureau of the Budget
decision will be reached in the near future because of the short current
Congressional session, and the Commission would be satisfied with either
approach.
8. Mr. Shear told. me that it was not necessary for CIA to reply
to his letter of 1~+ January 1960 (see Attachment "B") unless we partic-
ularly desire to do so, and he would consider his discussion-with me an
appropriate reply. Re restated that the Navy had specifically asked
for assurance that internal reassignment of personnel in its buildings,
which adjoin ours and are subject to the same resolution, was not con-
sidered by the Commission to be prohibited by the resolution, and he
also restated that relatively minor physical changes which did not amount
to substantial additions that cannot be amortized during the expected
life of the buildings were not within the contemplated ban of the
resolution.
9. It is recommended that; no further action be taken by this Agency
to reply to NIr. Shear's letter of l~ January 1960 at this time. It is
further recorrnnended, in the event we receive a formal inquiry from the
Bureau of the Budget, that we riot oppose a Joint Resolution or Executive
statement of policy reserving this tract of land as a memorial area,
subject to assurance that our continued use of these buildings in the
manner explained above will be permitted without any specific deadline
for termination of our occupancy.
Attachments:
1 - Attachment "A"
2 - Attachment "B"
Distribution:
Orig - OGC
2 - DDS
3 - oL
Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6
 Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6
SUBJECT; Proposed Joint Resolution of National Capital Planning
Commission Pre-empting Agency Land in Vicinity of
2+30 "E" Street, IVinT
Director of Logistics,
The recommendations contained in
paragraph g are approved.
L. K. WHITE
Deputy Director (Support)
Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91-009658000400060014-6