Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 47 Part 1.djvu/772

 748 72d CONGRESS. SESS. II. CH. 4. DECEM BER 15, 1932 . Columbia in all respects as other private property in the District ; Vol. 33, p. 733. or also said property be sold as provided in section 1608-a of the Code of Law for the District of Columbia, unless the use of such land is requested by some other department, bureau, or commission of the Government of the United States for purposes not otherwise inconsis tent with the prop er develo pment of the Dist rict of C olumbia Expediency, etc. Provided further, That the said closing by said commissioners is made expedient or advisable by reason of change in the highway plan or by reason of provision for access or better access to the abutting or near-by property and the convenience of the public by other street, road, highway, or alley facilities, or by reason of the acquisition by the District of Columbia or by the United States of -America for school, park, playground, or other public purposes, of all the prop- erty abutting on the street, road, highway, or alley, or part of a street, road, highway, or alley, proposed to be closed or for other Reference to Plan- IIing COmmiS$ioE public reasons : And provided further, That the proposed closing of. any street, road, highway, or alley, or any parts thereof, as provided for in this Act, shall be referred to the National Capital Park and Plan ning Commi ssion for its recom mend ation. Hearings. SEC. 2 . That whenever a street, road, highway, or alley, or a part of a street, road, highway, or alley, is proposed to be closed under the provisions of this Act, the Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall ca use publi c notice of inten tion to b e given b y adver- tisement for not less than fourteen consecutive days, exclusive of Sunday s and holida ys, in a dai ly new spaper of gen eral c ircula tion printed and publi shed in t he Distri ct of Co lumbia, t o the eff ect that a public hearing will be held at % time and place stated in the notice Notice. for the hearing of objections, if any, to such closing. The said com- missio ners s hall, not la ter th an fou rteen d ays in advan ce of such hearing, serve notice of such hearing, in writing, by registered mail, on each owner of property abutting the street, road, highway, or alley, or part thereof, proposed to be closed, or if the owner can not be located the advertisement provided for above shall be deemed olMa ap of propo sed sufficient legal notice. At such hearing a map showing the proposed closing shall be exhibited, and the property owners or their repre- sentatives, and any other persons interested, shall be given an oppor- tunity to be heard. Plats to be prepared. SEC. 3. After such public hearing the said commissioners, if they are satisfied that the proposed closing will be in the public interest, and that such closing will not be detrimental to the rights of the owners of the property abutting on the street, road, highway, or alley, or part of a street, road, highway, or alley, proposed to be closed, nor cause unreasonable inconvenience to or adverse effect upon the owner or owners of any property abutting on streets con- nected therewith, nor unreasonably infringe the rights of the public to use such street, road, highway, or alley, shall cause to be prepared a plat or plats showing the street, road, highway, or alley, or part thereof, proposed to be clo sed and t he area t o be appo rtioned t o each Pro oj,o o owner of property abutting thereon : Providedi That if the approval al eto., t o blinouaadd. of the propos ed clo sing b y the said c ommissi oners shall be con di- tioned up on the de dication of any ot her areas for stre et, highw ay, or alley purposes, and/or the retention by the District of Columbia of specified rights of way for any public purpose, and/or any other reservations deemed expedient or advisable by said commissioners, such plat or plats shall also show the parcels of land so dedicated, and/o r the rese rved righ ts of way, and /or s uch a ddit ional area affected by said closing, with alternative openings occasioned thereby, and/or by certificate thereon any such reservations deemed expedient or advisable by the said Commissioners of the District of Columbia.