New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-21

Real estate owners in the downtown
district of New York are giving par
ticular attention at this time TO the de-
tails of the proposed plan to limit the
height of buildings. This measure is
now before the Board OF Aldermen and
is known as Ordinance 1,072.
The Real Estate Board of New York
is on record before the Board of Esti-
mate as having favored in its broader
aspects the plan for limiting building
heights 1t took this position last year
and again recently before the Board of
Estimate and Apportionment, it, repre-
sensations being made through Joel s.
dc Selding, chairman Of the Real Estate
Boards special committee on limiting
the heights of buildings. It's objections
are now directed 10 certain details Of
the plan which apparently were not
considered by the Board Of Estimates
advisory committee.
In response to objections from its own
members, as well as others, the Real
Estate Board took up this phase Of
the matter with representatives of the
Board of Estimates advisory commit
tee at luncheon held at the White
hall Building on Monday last. At this
conference there were present. repre-
senting the Board of Estimates com
mittee, George b. Ford, consulting en-
gineer of the committee; Robert H..
Written, secretary; Messrs. Joel S. de
Selding, Charles +. Noyes, Richard O.
Chittick, representing the Real Estate
Board: Messrs. Cyrus c. Miller and
Birch Helms. representing the Advisory
Council Of Real Estate interests; Stew
art Browne, representing the United
Real Estate Owners Association;
Robert Anderson Pope. engineer, and
A. J. s. Holton, Of Clinton e. Russell,
architects
The point which the committee de-
sired TO impress upon Mr.. Ford and
his associates was that the application
Of the ordinance in its present form 10
the downtown section would so disturb
values below Chambers Street AS TO
work very serious injustice TO owners
of property in that district. The COM
mittee proceeded on the assumption
that in drawing the ordinance these de-
tails had not been given sufficient con-
sideration, and they explained TO Mr.
Ford that to let these provisions stand
in the ordinance would mean 20 invite
the opposition of every property owner
downtown.
The section Of the ordinance 20 which
the criticisms of the committee were
directed is that which provides that
buildings in certain narrow streets. as.
for instance, Wall Street, should be
limited to a height Of 100 feet. or. in
other words, 10 a height Of eight
stories. The committee pointed out
that the inevitable result Of this would
be a depreciation in values. which il
could hardly be believed the Board of
Estimate had in mind when Il inserted
this provision. Ii was also pointed out
that this shrinkage in value would nee
essarily be reflected in corresponding
reduction in taxable values. II is be-
levcd that these representations will
be given serious consideration By the
Board of Estimates committee. In the
mean time a number Of objections have
been referred by the committee Of the
Real Estate Board 10 President Me-
Aneny Of the Board Of Aldermen.
Among these is one from William c.
Demorest. representing the Realty
Trust and the Ziegler estate, in which
Mr. Demorest says: I'VE feel that the
passage of the proposed ordinance
No. 1879 10 limit the heights Of
buildings in its present form would
mean almost conhscstion. as we would
be unable to improve these properties