Evening star., 1902-02-03
BUILDING HEIGHT S
Conference Today Between Commis-
sioners and Senate Committee.
CONSTRUCTION OF TALL STRUCTURES
Measures to Prevent Designation
of the District.
VIEWS OF THE AUTHORITIES

The District Commissioners met in con-
ference this afternoon with Chairman Nc
MILAN and a subcommittee of the Senate
committee the District of Columbia in
the committee rooms at the Capitol at 2
o'clock for the purpose of discussing the
present law limiting the height of buildings
in the District and possible amendments to
the act The conference was brought about
by the following letter forwarded to the
Commissioners by Mr.. Charles Moore, clerk
OF the Senate District committee:
''The matter of the height of buildings in
the District Of Columbia was brought be-
fore the committee at its meeting this
morning F,riday), and 1t was decided to
take up at once the matter of amending
the present law so as to prevent the erec-
ton OF buildings calculated to disfgure the
District. The subcommittee will be glad to
meet the Commissioners of the District of
columbia at o'clock on Monday next to
olScuss this matter with them; and in the
meantime the subcommittee would be
pleased to have the Commissioners draft
such amendments to the law as in their
Judgement will be calculated to attain the
object sought"
1t is understood that generally speaking
the Commissioners are in favor of the regu-
lations as they stand at present. The SEN
ate committee is understood to have taken
up the subject of further limiting the
ii1iShN VI III COnneCIlOn with a
grand scheme for the Identification of the
capital city in accordance with the report
OF the park commission recently printed.
Proposed Construction.
one OF the reasons that lead up to the
immediate consideration of the matter it is
stated, is the reported proposed erection Of
tall building on the triangular lot at the
southwest corner of 18th street and Penn
sylvania avenue, the site overlooking the
State. War and Navy building, and the
squares proposed to be condemned at some
tine IN the future for additional depart
mental buildings The plans for the pro-
posed new building nave not as vet been
submitted TO the Commissioners for ap-
provaI- 1t IS stated that under the present
law the building could not be greater than
1lo feet in height. because Pennsylvania
avenue at that point is only 40 feet wide
Inc Senate committee recently wrote to the
Inn 2ners 1nquiring as to this pro-
posed building and We're answered in line
with the statement made above
The Law I'm Force.
Inc present law on the subject of height
OF buildings is contained in Public Act 100
approved March L. 1899. Prior to that date
the law was in the shape of a regulation
adopted by the District Commissioners
Section of the act provides
hat no building shall be erected or
altered on any street in the District of
Columbia to exceed in height above the
sidewalk the width of the street in its
'front.' and In no case shall a building ex-
ceea W Feet In height on a residence street
nor !lo feet on a business street. as desig-
mated by schedule approved by the Com
missioners of the District of Columbia ex-
cept on business streets and business ave-
nues l6Q feet wide, where height not ex-
ceeding 130 feet may be allowed The
height Of buildings on corner lots shall in
all cases be regulated by the Limitations
governing on the broader street: Provided
nd
erected to greater height than the limit
herein prescribed, when approved bv the
commissioners of the District of Column
bia."
Other sections of the act prescribe that
no combustible or non-fireproof building in
tended to be used and occupied as resi-
oence or as an apartment house or hotel
snail be erected to a height of more than
nve stories or raised to a height exceeding
% 1eet from the sidewalk; that buildings
INTENDED Tor business purposes solely may
De erected to height of 75 feet without
pelng OF hreproof construction and that
all buildings except churches, hereafter
erected or altered to exceed IS feet in
height shall be fireproof or non-com hustihIa
and or such materials throughout as NAV
De prescribed by the District Commission
ers Churches must be of fireproof con-
strucuon up TO and including the main or
auditorium floor.
Was Carefully Drawn.
These regulations were drawn I'D It Is
otdNcNs diltI d inquiry Into 7fhp
question of height. of buildings and
study of the regulations in effect in Amer
lean and European cities. The Commission
, ers believed that aside from the esthe.ic
standpoint and the desire to bring about a
conformity in the buildings of the city there
must also be a practicab BILE reason given for
promulgating the regulations In order that
they might hold in a legal proceeding Thus
II was that the element of practicability
and public safety entered largely into the
deductions drawn in considering the mat
Ter and finally settling upon the heights in
dicated.
The chief Of the fire department was
called into consultation. and he asserted
that 1t would be impossible for the Wash
ington department to fight fire above he
height of ninety feet. The Commissioners
thereupon fixed ninety feet as the max
imum height for dwellings and apartment
houses in the residence sections of the Dis
Hict: upon this statement 1t was also pro-
Elded that business buildings non-freproof
In construction should not exceed seventy
hve feet in height. The owners of buildings
taxing advantage of the greater heights al
lowed on business streets have been COM
ton.
Partly Compromise
The law on the subject as 1t stands at
present is something of compromise. too.
When the regulations were under consid-
Grafton considerable pressure was brought
10 bear on the Commissioners by those In
favor OF still further limiting the height of
buiidings and those in favor of placing no
unit whatsoever on fire-proof construction
Inc Commissioners considered the reeu-
iatlons OF Chicago and New York on the
subject 1t seems that In Chicago there
was regulation limiting the height of
puiolngs to 80 feet, but the commercial
spirit OF the city Is such that when a pinch
came the city authorities waived the reg
uiation and allowed the owners to con-
stTGet st buildings practically to their own
oesred helght 1t Is stated that the same
state OF affairs exists In New York. where
tne regulation prescribes 1JO feet as The
maximum, and where exceptions have been
mace mace TO permit of the construction of a
sky-scraper" 3o5 feet high.
a number of authorities on the subject
OF buildings and acquainted with the legal
aspects OF the situation doubt very much
Liihltatlon OF height. based purely on
an esthetic foundation or consIderstiop ~
or lhe dishgurement of the city, could be
industrial Com mission's I,fterafure
A 1Oinf trtr