CONTENTS H.R. 4284 (by Mr. Diggs), a bill to transfer certain real property of the United States to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency- District of Columbia, Ralph Werner, Special Assistant Corporation Washington, Hon. Walter E., Mayor, letter dated September 16, 1975, to MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD Excerpts from 31 Stat., 56th Cong., 2d sess., chapter 353 approved February General Services Administration, J. E. Moody, general counsel, letter House Report No. 647, 89th Cong., 1st sess., authorizing land transfer to the Justice Department, Ramsey Clark, letter dated October 22, 1963 to Mr. Letters to Cong. Mazzoli: Tucker, Sterling, Chairman, District of Columbia Council, dated Winter, Nadine P., Councilmember, dated September 25, 1975. Public Law 89-317, 89th Cong., H.J. Res. 397, November 2, 1965 au- thorizing transfer of land to the RLA.. Tobriner, Walter N., former president, Board of Commissioners, District SUMMARY OF TESTIMONY National Capital Planning Commission role... Property in question _ _ Taxability of property- Use of property - -. Valuation... TRANSFER OF U.S. PROPERTY TO DISTRICT OF MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1975 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:20 o'clock a.m., in room 1310 Longworth House Office Building, the Honorable Romano L. Mazzoli (chairman), presiding. Present: Representative Mazzoli, Delegate Fauntroy, and Representative Whalen. Also present: Michael Nevens, majority counsel, and David Patch, minority counsel. Mr. MAZZOLI. The committee will come to order. This morning, we consider H.R. 4284, a bill to transfer certain real properties to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency. Both the Mayor and the Chairman of the City Council have written to indicate their support of this bill, and the bill and those letters will be made a part of the record. [The material referred to follows:] [H.R. 4284, 94th Cong., 1st sess., by Mr. Diggs (by request) on Mar. 5, 1975] A BILL To transfer certain real property of the United States to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. In accordance with the provisions of this title, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, consistent with the approval by the District of Columbia Council of the urban renewal plan requiring such action, is authorized and directed on behalf of the United States to transfer to the Agency all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the following real property in the District of Columbia: (a) Part of a large tract of land known for the purposes of assessment and taxation as lot 802 in square 493 and described as follows: Beginning for the same at a point in the west line of Fourth Street Southwest, 269.0 feet south of the south line of C Street Southwest, and running thence due south, with said west line of Fourth Street Southwest, 169.34 feet: thence northwesterly 603.44 feet to the east line of Sixth Street Southwest; thence, with said east line of Sixth Street Southwest due north 20.75 feet; thence southeasterly 201.17 feet: thence due east 374.0 feet to the point of beginning, containing 40,927.75 square feet, all as shown on a Plat of Survey recorded in the Office of the Surveyor for the District of Columbia in survey book 188 at page 91. (b) Part of Sixth Street Southwest, described as follows: Beginning at a point in a stone wall in the east line of Sixth Street Southwest, distant 146.50 feet south of the south line of C Street Southwest, and running thence due south, with said east line of Sixth Street Southwest 75.75 feet; thence northeasterly 7.50 feet to a point in said stone wall; thence with said stone wall due north 73.06 feet; thence due east 7.0 feet to the beginning, containing 520.84 square feet, all as shown on a Plat of Survey recorded in the Office of the Surveyor for the District of Columbia in survey book 188 at page 91. (c) Part of Fourth Street Southwest, described as follows: Beginning for the same at a point in a stone wall in the west line of Fourth Street Southwest, distant 145.05 feet south of the south line of C Street Southwest, and running thence with said stone wall, due east 12.0 feet; thence due south with said stone wall, 297.89 feet; thence in a northwesterly direction 12.85 feet to said west line of Fourth Street Southwest, 293.29 feet to the beginning, containing 3,547.08 square feet, all as shown on a Plat of Survey recorded in the Office of the Surveyor for the District of Columbia in survey book 188, at page 91. SEC. 2. The Agency is hereby authorized in accordance with the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act of 1935 (D.C. Code, sections 5-701 through 5–719), to lease or sell, as an entirety or parts thereof separately, to one or more redevelopment companies or other lessees or purchasers, such real property as may be transferred to the Agency under the authority of this title. SEC. 3. No transfer or donation of any interest in real property under the authority of this title shall constitute a local grant-in-aid connection with any urban renewal project being undertaken with Federal assistance under title I of the Housing Act of 1939, as amended. SEC. 4. As used in this title, the terms "Agency", "lessee", "purchasers”, “real property", "redevelopment", and "redevelopment company" shall have the respective meanings provided for such terms by section 3 of the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act (D.C. Code, sec. 5-702). Hon. CHARLES C. DIGGS, Jr., DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Washington, D.C., September 16, 1975. Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Government of the District of Columbia has for report H.R. 4284, a bill "To transfer certain real property of the United States to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency." H.R. 4284 is substantially identical to draft legislation transmitted by the District Government to the 93rd Congress on September 24, 1973. This proposal is part of the District's 1975 Legislative program. H.R. 4284 would authorize the Mayor, consistent with the approval of the Council of the District of Columbia of the urban renewal plan requiring such action, to transfer to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency, cer tain property within the Southwest urban renewal area, bare legal title to which is held currently by the United States. In 1901, the "Union Station Acts" (31 Stat. 767 and 32 Stat. 909) closed to public use certain streets within the District. and granted the use of this land to two railroad companies and the railroad ter minal company, subject to taxation by the District of Columbia. The Redevelopment Land Agency, in implementing the plan for Southwest Urban Renewal Project Area C, has great need for property lying within the area controlled by the railroads, and the railroads subsequently sold to the Agency the fee title to those portions of the property owned by them in fee simple, as well as all right. title, and interest in the United States-owned property vested in the railroads by the "Union Station Acts". The United States, nevertheless, retains bare legal title to this property. The provisions of this bill, therefore, would transfer from the United States to the District of Columbia bare legal title to the three parcels described therein. so that the Agency, as an integral part of the urban renewal plan for Southwest Urban Renewal Project Area C, could sell or lease the land for private development. |