Evening star., 1915-03-11
ORNAMENTAL STORES
! FOR CLEVELAND PARK
Property Owner Points Out How to
Avoid Eyesores in Exclu-
sive Suburbs.

To the Editor Of Ice Sta-:
I wish to offer suggestion respect
jns. the subject Of the construction of
stores on Connecticut avenue between
Macomb and Newark streets. Cleve-
land I'ark. as to which the School and
Community Association of that suburb
took action in protest at recent
meeting. which ]. as d member. was
unable to attend. ...,.. ....,.
My suggestion is that We be on our
guard against acting upon a false issue
IL connection with the problem or
stores il, residential districts. In other
words. the justinable objection to
stores is. not that they bring food,
medicines and small wares convenient
~ near to our homes. but that too
often the structures in which these
articles are sold are eyesores. the
man who has paid from $4,000 to
$4,000 for a charming home in 4
beautiful residence tract like CleVe-
land. Park is angered and injured by
the erection Of cheap brick box OF
a store in the vicinity of his property:
particularly 50 when tue owner of the
store puts II up as only Taxpayer,
hopin-. later to reap profit on the
sale Of the land through the value
added to it by the investment of others
hood
Offers Solution.
But TnCre are more ways than one
to skin d eat. and there should be
more than one 10 prevent the distig-
urement Of cleveland Park with ugly
stores without compelling its residents
to go from one to three miles for food,
drink and raiment. The owner Of an
unrestricted vacant lot has the right
10 place any restrictions he may please
upon it in selling il. IF he is selling
land to be used for business purposes
ne can as easily prescribe the style of
building that may go on the Tot as he
can decree that nothing but resi-
dence shall be placed upon it. II. can
require tha, the stores to be built
shall conform in architecture. reason
ably to their puroose. with other build
ings lit the neighborhood, he may.
in fact. specify exactly the style of
building that may be constructed
If he is unwilling to do this We may
warrantably regard him as an undesira bic
citizen, but l am unwilling to believe
that any owner will deliberately sell
his land on such terms as to injure
other owners, when he can just
prontably dispose of it to some one
willing to buy upon such reasona Bile
terms for the protection of the neigh
borhood as he may lay down in the
Small business is eager to establish
itself near Cleveland Park and every
other residential suburb. 1t is wholly
practicable to permit it to come. but
to house it that the stores will be or
namental as well as useful Chevy
taase has solved this problem ad-
nirably. by setting aside one square
10 be used for business purposes only,
all arrangement that has added to the
value and attractiveness of surround
ing property. Equally good Judgment
has been shown in the develo pment of
Sixteenth street Highlands, where a
In pretty little building TO which no
one objects.
Advocates Ornamental Stores.
1t would be godsend to Cleveland
Park and help property over every foot
or that exquisite tract if an artistic
set of buildings at the foot of the hill
Or Connecticut avenue could supply
US with q waiting room. post Office.
orug. groceries. provisions and small
'aares stores. Indeed. the owner of
the alleged Unrestricted lot could co
worse for himself than erect such
buiIdins-and the same is equally true
OF Wisconsin avenue, preferably at the
Junction of the car line which runs
past the Methodist University
] am with Mr.. Hogan and his de-
voted committee in any effort to COM
pei the erection of only ornamental
store buildings on the edges of Cleve-
land Park, or elsewhere, but I en-
phatically protest the policy that would
seek forever to deprive US of the con-
Eeniences, the necessities-in fact, Of
rood and rnedicines-within reasona Bile
distance OF our homes. 1t is a. false
ana short-sishted economy that would
Place this fine community. in this re-
speet. at. greater disadvantage than
countr! crossroads, when such a
course can be avoided
WILLIAM L. BRIGHAM.