The sun., 1913-11-16
FAVORS LIMITING
BUILDING HEIGHTS
T.. ". Bassctt. Chairman Of CON-
mission. Declares for Change
in This City.
law TO PROTECT VALUES
vcw York Almost Inst Large
City to Note Congestion Due
to High Structures.

That New York city VIII soon have
!s generally expected. That II should
have and should exercise such power ie
going TO Ne the opinion Of the Commits
sion on the Heights Of Buildings. Edward
NJ Bassett. chairman Of the commission,
has bout made UP his mind In the mat
ter and is ready to frame a measure
~hich will give the city control OF such
Affairs. Mr.. Bassetts views are most
Interesting. He says:
"A reasonable Limitation Of the height
If buildings ought 70 be adopted in New
York city. The Charter provides that
che Board of Aldermen can pass ordi-
nances limiting the height Of buildings.
rutject 10 the approval Of the Board Of
Estimate and Apportionment. The
Heights of Buildings Commission has
since May Of this year been collecting
all Of the facts in this and the other
area, cities OF the world. analyzing leg
islat!on that applies to this and other
cities, and has obtained at first hand
the opinions of local experts from nearly
all the big cities on the practical re-
suits OF height limitations. Owners Of
high buildings mortgage investors.
architects. builders. engineers. city
officials. taxation experts and owners
" land covered by low buildings have
all been consulted. Men skilled in Are
insurance. fire fighting and f1reproof
construction have cont !buted their
rs- g.~n nA
health officers have freely given us their
aid. The problem is big and many
sided.
Vow is not the time for me to speak
II remedies In general, however. IL
may be said that proper r. les of height
limitation should protect land values
and not hurt them, should seek to pre-
serve for all of the owners in any block
rights to air. light and sun proper
tomato to their holdings. and tend TO
stabilize localities for the purposes for
which they are huilt up.
: '-The people of this city are apt to
consider that height limitation Is nov
city and Of doubtful legality. This Is
no. tho case Practically every great
city OF the world, including those Of this
country outside of New York city. have
,,r years limited the height ~ build
rc. The courts have almost without
reception upheld such limitations. IL
oi- CITY should to-day take steps in this
d'-ection Il would be nearly the last city
.r me world TO come into line. Some
siv .tat New York is not like any other
tr and tha' where space is 50 limited
buildings should be allowed to 20 to
any height
"I. this truec There is ten times
more space in lower Manhattan COW
cred with low buildings than Is covered
With high ones. The theatre. retail
shopping and hotel districts. built ny
with tall structures. are almost infin-
/, tnsimal on The map of Manhattan
.ch,ch is commonly thought Of as the
,unLesled borough Tunnels and bridges
lnder and over the surrounding rivers
VIII soon make New York city round
..iv. tho same as London Berlin anc
.4-is. and il cannot claim exemption
rom rational treatment on the ground
;.a. IL differs from any other city In the
"orld This Is not to say that it's prob
i.InS are the same aa in other cities, oi
'l7t the remedies can be copied from
,ls"Nhcre. Each city presents its owr
peculiar problems, and good sense de
Mands a remedy adapted To its particu
lar needs. Copying Is usually mistake
som" consider that restricting the
-lgh; of buildings in New York city il
.,'l;ing the barn door after the horse
lt- been stolen. To some extent this II
'rlc in the lower end of Manhattan an,
here sad there along its backbone bu
hat shall we say Of all the other part'
ms great city where high buildings
not prevail and where in some future
,-a there may be development o
.1..N Ne do not now even dream
street capacity in lower Manhattan
nae much to do with the problem. "
''rr"ss TO all land owners In the
v,.th,rn end OF the city car the city
|uW The continuation of the building
r skyscrapers? Where would 1t stop
.h@ ,'reets will hold just so many peo
.r lu rush hours and no more l.oweI
tfp4dWav and Nassau street are nov
Cawied nearly TO the limit three times
day II hundred more buildings tht
go" = the Woo'worth and new Equi