Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-26
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
A New Regulation Limiting the
Erection of Private Stables.
SEWERS AND EXTENSION OF STREETS
The Importance Of Securing Pure
Water Supply.
SOME IMPROVE MEN T s

A rather important change in the building
regulations was announced from the Com
missioners' Office during the past week. The
effect of the change will be to considerably
limit the erection Of private stables In this
city. Under the new regulations private
stables cannot be erected within twenty
feet of dwelling, except the dwelling OF
the owner Of the stable and Of dwellings
fronting upon alleys, or. In other words,
alley houses. The only limit that the regu-
latons have hitherto imposed upon the
building of stables has been that they must
be erected some distance back from the
building line Of an avenue and street. The
regulations now make the distance six feet
and that the door cannot open on the street
front. The stable is now to be kept away
from the residences. the limit being placed
at twenty feet, and In the event that an
alley is less than twenty feet in width. 1t
will be impossible for a man to put up
stable Immediately under the windows Of a
house that happens to be on the other side
of the alley unless he should build back
some feet from the alley line.
Unless he has space beyond the prohibited
twenty feet, It would be necessary for him
to seek some other location for the accom-
mediation Of his horses and carriages. The
-
that is naturally the result of the growth
of the city and the crowding together of
houses Where there is plenty of room and
wide spaces stables, even in the residence
section of the city, are not generally OBJ
iectionable but when people are compelled
to live closely together and space becomes
valuable. 1t is natural that when stables
are found to be under dining room windows
there should be considerable dissatis-
faction. 1t is open question whether
stables ought TO be tolerated at all In
closely built-up residence section OF city:
In this climate the Objectionable features or
the proximity of such buildings are apt 10
be more pronounced, for the reason that 1t
ia necessary during four or five months OF
the year at least to keep me WINDOWS , 40, OF
residences open, and as stables breed flies
as we'll as disagreeable odors, they are not
apt to be admired as near neighbors.
Sewers In the Suburbs.
The committee on streets and avenues of
tho hoard of trade have adopted a report
which approves of the immediate passage
of q bill for the issuance of bonds for the
extension of streets and avenues in this
city. 1t Is stated that the main object or
the issue of the bonds is to condemn and
nav for the land needed for streets through
old subdivisions, and is not intended for
opening up streets through acre property.
The Commissioners have already incor-
porated provision OF this nature in the bill
which provides for the issue of District
bonds amounting to 81 100000. In addition
to the street extension 1t Is proposed that
the issue of bonds will pay for the extension
of the sewer system. Both or these objects
are looked upon as highly important by
property owners. The need of sewer facili-
ties for the suburbs has been recognized by
the District authorities for some time past,
and it has resulted in the construction of
hot iS Intervening
which follows along the east side of Rock
creek.
In many sections houses have been built
with the evident expectation that sewerage
would be provided 1t has been found that
people who have been accustomed to live
in the city are not inclined TO move into a
house that has not modern plumbing. In
the majority of cases 1t seems to be a mat
ter of little concern where the pipes go
after they leave the house, providing only
the pipes are there. No well-defined system
Of disposing of sewage has been followed in
the suburbs about this city. There are
vaults and also surface drainage, and while
the conditions existing might not be danger
Gus in thinly settled section. the remark
able growth in the suburban population has
really made the sewer problem a question
of imense Importance.
A Pure Water supply.
The remedy for the immediate suburbs OF
the city may be found in a system Of sew
ers such as exists In the city, For the set
Elements some distance away from the city
a different plan will have to be provided
The contamination of the water supply is
apt to be the first indication of defective
sewerage. Where that supply is dependent
on wells and cisterns 1t is natural to ex-
pect that when the ground becomes satu-
rated with sewage the water will be af-
fected. The evil effects of surface sewer
age or Of any system dependent on the alb
sorption Of sewage in the ground are re-
duced to a minimum when the water supply
comes from a distance. 1t is then impossi-
Bile that it should be corrupted by merely
LEGAL influences. It follows that IL subur-
ban residents can obtain pure supply of
water they can afford to await the slower
advent of the more expensive system of
city sewerage.
1t would, perhaps, be feasible by the
union Of several communities to build res
ervoir in a locality convenient to the line