Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-06
Restriction Upon Height Of
New Bank Structure.
WAS A COMPROMISE
HEARING GIVEN TODAY AT THE
DISTRICT BUILDING.
Arguments Advanced for Permission to
Erect Structure 40 Feet
in Height.

The District Commissioners today took
advantage of the discretion vested in them
by an act of Congress. in tn ematter of
limiting the height of private buildings in
the District of Columbia which are to be
constructed In streets facing public build
ings, and after a public hearing accorded
the directors of the National Metropolitan
Citizens Bank, 1t was announced that the
home proposed to be erected by this cor
poration, on 18th street opposite the treas
ury. shall be limited in height to ninety
feet. This is compromise with the ad-
vantage the side of the Commissioners,
the bank authorities requested 40 feet.
but said they would be satisfied with 100
or even ninety-five while the Commission
gave way from the other extreme of
seventy feet.
The decision Is looked upon as a most i'm
portant precedent, and at least two great
improvements will be affected Mr.. K.
Southland Parker announced, in the course
of his address, that another giant building
Is contemplated on the property immedi-
ately south of the present bank building,
and Gen. George II. Harries announced that
he knew of Il scheme now under way look
Ing to n big building in the area bounded
by b, G., 9TH and 9th streets northwest. and
which must face public building. Col.
George Tuesdell, John b. Larner and others
of the officers of the bank declared that
to limit the building to seventy feet would
amount to confisCation of property without
compensation, as IL would absolutely pre-
vent the owners of the property from so
improving as to make it pay fair interest.
Under Discussion.
The hearing occurred in the board room
at the District building at IL o'clock and
lasted nearly two hours. All the pros and
cons were offered and the question thor
oughly considered from every point of
view The Commissioners were cautioned
again and again as to the great Importance
of their impending decision, and it was
limited that if limit of seventy feet were
placed on the building appeal would be
made to the law in an effort to show the
regulation is unconstitutional. However,
all these probabilities are made nil by the
subsequent decision of the Commissioners.
Seventy feet is of absolutely no use to
u.s. declared E. S. Parker, president of the
bank. I'VE contemplate a banking room
about seyenty-five feet in height, and II
We are to have only one or two stories
above that we must abandon our building
plan now and forever
ut would be foolish for us to invest 500
600 or 100000 with no possibility of return
The enforcement of the rule means the loss
of S1OoO.O00 to the widows. the orphans
end to the 80 stockholders In our institu
ton, who are represented here. Two days
ago. before this difficulty rose, would have
said there was not better business prop
erty anywhere than our site on 18th street.
Now should our building be restricted,
] would say that there is no poorer prop
erty.
Col TruesdelFs Suggestion.
\ Col Truesdell, a former Commissioner
referred to the first time the height of
buildings was considered by the District
government, which was during his incum-
Ibency of office and he asked If you
would say that a building opposite the
treasury should be seventy feet high and
no higher. upon what would that decision
be based?
ut seems to me that this is so large
subject" continued Col Truesdell that
Congress should make an appropriation so
that when property is to be taken away
there may be compensation. AS 1t is Con-
gress has delegated to the Commissioners
the power to make regulation without
providing the means for Its execution.
Mr. Larner said that he regarded the law
as unconstitutional. The government should
be restricted in its building operations In a
manner entirely different from those OF the
man who owns property upon another
street.
II say that Congress does not have the
power, merely for aesthetic purposes, to so
regulate the heights Of buildings he de-
..Would 1t be your idea that the Commits
sioners should grant whatever property
owners desire?'. asked Commissioner Mac
farland and Col. Truesdell answered: Sub
stantially. I should say yes.
Communication Read.
In stating one side of the case Commits
sioner Macfarland read a communication
from the American Institute of Architects,
In which IL was stated that no building on
the east side of 10Th street should be higher
than the treasury, but at its conclusion de-
clared that the Commissioners considered
that unnecessarily low. This is the first
time the skyline on 18th street has been
considered" he said, and then stated the
Commissioners belief, which was that twen-
ty feet higher than the treasury would not
be Objectionable.
Col Truesdell objected to the suddenly
threatened enactment of the restrictive
building regulation on the eve of the prep
aration of the banks plans for improve
ment
Colonel Biddle stated that the Colorado
building Is 10 feet high and the Home Life
and Mills buildings 100 feet The Commits
sioners showed a disposition to allow more
than seventy feet, but demanded the bank
officials TO state compromise. Mr.. Parker
stated that while the width of the street is
10 feet the bank could do with allowed
height of 100 feet. This reduced later
TO ninety-five feet, and according to the final
arrangement the new building will be
seventS-siX feet high to cornice, and sur
mounted by an additional fourteen feet,
with mansard roof. This will allow a sky
line even with the pediment of the treasury
which is seventy-slx feet above the ground.