WHY CIA SHOULD NOT LOCATE IN LANGLEY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63T00245R000100180001-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 5, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 15, 1955
• Content Type: NSPR

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WASHINGTCM POST & TIMES HERALD
15 July 1955
Mr. Allen Dulles
Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Washington 25, D. C.
Dear Mr. Dulles:
way, $2,500,000 in State funds for road improvements, $2,000,000 in County funds- for
utilities. In addition, according to a CIA estimate, choice of the Langley site would put
off for- at least three years the, date when CIA could move into its new headquarters-
and, as you have testified; Mr: Dulles, each year`s delay costs the taxpayers $2,900,000
in CIA's present scattered locations.
Damage to the Area. Langley is a unique rural-residential area of one-family homes,
country places and farms. There are no apartment buildings. The only commercial
developments in 10 miles.along the road to Great Falls are two filling stations. A CIA
building for an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 persons would destroy the unique character` of
the area. It has been estimated that the building would bring an additional 20,000 to
35,000 persons into the area, including the necessary service workers. This would mean
commercial cons ruction, mass housing and other drastic changes in a rural-residential
section.
Strain on Facilities. The huge population increase induced by CIA location in Langley
would be imposed on a community already coping' with inadequate water, sewerage and
roads. Providing water and; sewerage, facilities for a CIA building itself will do nothing
to service the huge new population. -The water table is already falling in the area; ac-
celerated development will dry up existing wells. Again,, providing a super-highway
to Langley might lessen the problems of the building itself, but it would aggravate the
existing congestion on other roads throughout the area. Virginia participation in im-
proving the road from Chain Bridge to Langley would make less likely the necessary
High Cost. The Langley site for a CIA building would cost taxpayers an estimated
$13,000,000 more than other sites being considered-$8,500,000 in Federal funds for a high-
In the words of one. of the planners who has studied the proposal, Mr. Max S. Wehrly:
'The particular site (Langley) proposed for this installation lies in one of .the sections of
Northern Virginia least able to, accommodate it in terms of existing or foreseeable access,
utilities and services, or its disruptive effect upon the present character and desirable
future development of the area."
Loss of a Park. The proposed site at Langley is the only substantial piece of U. S.
Government property on the Virginia shore above Chain Bridge. The property has
meadows, forests and a mile and a half of river front overlooking the magnificent Potomac
gorge. Congress has authorized the National Capital Planning Commission to take over
all or most of this land for park purposes. (46 Stat. 432.) There is no reason to select
this unique site and thus destroy potential park land, badly needed in Northern Virginia.
Local Opposition. The McLean Citizens Association, drawing its members from the
entire area, voted to oppose location of a CIA building in Langley. Of several sites
now being considered by CIA, Langley is the only one in which the local citizens
association has objected.
We urge you to locate the new CIA headquarters on one of the other available sites-
sites much more suitable for a large office building, and sites where CIA will be
Sincerely yours,
Benjamin Lee Bird Anthony :Lewis
G. Bowdoin Craighill,'Jr. Samuel E. Neel
Roger Fisher Walter T. Ridder
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Why UTA MUM Locate in 14texaNdria:
Mr. Allen Dulles
Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Washington 25, D. C.
Dear Mr. Dulles:
The City of Alexandria has invited the Central Intelligence Agency to locate its new
headquarters on the Winkler .tract, near Shirley Highway and Seminary Road in Alex-
andria, We want to take this opportunity to bring to your attention, and the public's,
some of the advantages of this site.
Economy. A modern expressway, the Shirley Highway, runs from Washington directly
by the proposed site. CIA employees, 69 per cent of whom now live in the District or
in Maryland, would be traveling against the main rush-hour traffic on the Shirley High-
way. Water, sewer and power facilities are also already available at the site. The only
cost to the taxpayers, aside from the building itself, would be approximately $400,000 for
land and for improvement of exits from the highway. This is less than one twenty-fifth
of the money that would have to be spent at Langley for roads and utilities.
Wise Land Use. The National Capitol Planning Commission carefully considered CIA's
site problems early this year and on April 8, 1955, voted a resolution on the question.
The resolution said that if CIA wanted to locate in Virginia, it should choose: "A locality
where there is already established a nucleus for an urban environment which an
establishment of such size would stimulate, and where public facilities and services are
already available or can readily be extended, such as in the southern part of Fairfax
County, in Springfield, or in the newly annexed portions of Alexandria." The Winkler
tract exactly meets these requirements.
Local Welcome, The City of Alexandria is ready and willing to assist, CIA in locating
here, and to welcome you and your staff as good friends and neighbors.
We hope you will give our most sincere invitation careful consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Leroy S. Bendheim, Mayor
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