The sun., 1908-06-03
WILL OPPOSE FLAGGs PLAN.
Board OF Aldermen Not likely 70 Favoi
the "City OF T0wers' Scheme.

Board OF Aldermen Nos likely to Favor
the "City OF Towers" Scheme.
Tho subcommittee on the limitation Of
height and area Of buildings Of the Building
Code Revision Committee met last night
to complete its report and take final action
on the plan for y city Of towers proposed
by Ernest Flagg, architect Of the Singer
Building, and the other members OF the
joint COMMITTEES Of the American Institute
Of Architsots and the Society Of Beaux
Arts Architeots.. Charles g. Smith, score
tary Of the German American Insurance
Company, is chairman Of this sub-oom-
mittee and the other members are Fire
Chief Croker Thomas l.. hamilton, Patrick
j. Byrnes and Charles H. Cullen, the latter
the onlv architect member OF the sub
committee.
Chairman Smith said that a. the report
Of the sub-committee In Of q confidential
nature, it could not even be outlined before
the report reached the Building Code Re-
vision Committee. He said that the sug-
gestions as to height and area are only two
subjects Of q very important report TO be
made by the committee
One member Of the sub-committee eaid
that since there has been 30 much discussion
as to the height OF buildings he didn't think
It improper to say that the sub-oommittees
report will embody the suggestions OF the
Joint committee Of architects, although
he doesn't believe that the Board Of Alder
men will make them part OF the new
building code on account Of the opposition
that will arise
geeted by Mr.. Flagg and the other arohi-
tects because it is probably the onlysolution
of the many complex problems surround
ing the construction OF the high buildings
OF the future. There has been some OPP
position to it in our subcommittee, because
- ho hara think Limitation
should be set on the height Of the towers.
When the report reaches the Board Of Alder
men there 10 certain to be 30 much objec-
ton from the property owners that don't
believe the Board Of Aldermen will dare
tn,alxe it part Of the new building code.
The greatest opposition will come from
the owners Of lots which have only twenty
five or fifty feet front According to Mr..
FlagK's plan rs per cent. Of the area Of the
lot can be built on as high az the owner
chooses, while the rest can only be built up
to 1856 feet. man with lot 100 feet wide
and 100 feet deep can build al high as he
likes on rs 900 square feet, and that makes
as big a building as most owners will want.
Adjoining this lot there may be a lot only
rs feet wide, which will give an unlimited
building area Of only 5000 feet. SO much
OF this space will be taken up with stair
ways and elevators that there won't DO
enough left to make the building pay.
-Mr. Flaggs plan for the builders OF
these towers to buy the light and air rights
from ad joining property owners In going to
cause no end Of trouble, for don't SEQ
just how the value Of the light and air ID to
be computed. .
The difficulty Of fighting fires In those
high towers must not be overlooked, either.
According to our recommendation to the
Building Code Revision Committee, build
ings over 100 feet high must have ebso-
lutely no wood in their construction. Even
il a building ID absolutely fireproof il q fire
starts in a room filed with combustible
material, there will be q big blass before the
firemen can do anything with it. Not
withstanding all these objections to Mr..
Flagg's plan, 1t 10 by far the best that has
been presented to the sub-committee."