The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-20
ARCHITECT POINTS
 OUT INJUSTICE OF 3-DECKER MEASURE
J. W. Northrop Says It's a Measure to Increase Rent
 of the Poor.

J. w. Northrop. one of the most prominent architects of the state. ad- dressed to The Farmer to-day a com munication in which he declared the proposed building law would work great hardship upon the poor of the city. The communication follows:
 To the Editor of The Farmer: The proposed anti-three decker or- dinance might be called an ordinance to increase the rent of the poorer classes, for this is bound to be the re- 1 suit of the passage of such an ordt- nance.
 A city like Bridgeport, having large numbers of men earning low wages,
 must have large number of homes renting for low prices The city owes it to this large class of people to en- courage the building of such homes. | In a city like Bridgeport where land lva1ues are mparatively high the Ethree-decker gives 8 better rent for the money than can otherwise be given, excepting in four or five decker. Still more could be given in these higher buildings for the same money, but these higher. buildings are not permitted by the building commis- sion and should not be permitted. for they are too high for safety.
 The three story building is a req sonable compromise. Bridgeport is used to it, and it will be a hardship
 
 zens to reduce it to two stories, which lis the result of the ordinance. It will
 mean adding about one-third to the poor mans rent. or if the walls are built of brick and the building carl 7ried three stories high it will mean ad- ding to the poor mans rent, or if he pays SIP now his rent would be $14.5o7 and $2.50 a month to man earning SIP a week and having family is lot of money and may mean the diff ference between getting along and, running behind.
 The whole common sense, of the thing is in fact that one building lot, one cellar and foundation walls, and one roof are already there and do not have to be provided for the third story. It is simply the partition walls, doors and windows, which mean ments each tenement costs $2,O00, the third one would cost only $1,o0O. This enables the investor to get back his 10 per cent. gross, and to charge les ser rents than he could with the two story building.
 It is simply a matter of arithmetic and may be Illustrated briefly by an example. A man buys lot for $1,0o0- On this he can erect a three-decker for $4,O0o; total invest ment, $5,oo0.t To get back his 10 per cent gross he must rent his build
 
 $166, or practically $14 per month.
 If The builds a two story house, the lot is $1.000; the building, instead of $4, 900, is s$3,20o. which makes a to- tai of $4,200. which, in order to get his 10 per cent gross back, he must rent for $420, or $21O for each tene- ment, or practically SIS per tenement, as against $14,srconsidering ethe mat ter simply from a standpoint of in vestment.
 If he builds the three story build ing of brick walls, instead of $4,000s. his investment $5, 300, to be rented at $850, or $193 for each tenement, or $16 per month.
 The three-decker with light and air on all sides makes a wholesome sort of house to live ins far more So than some other types of buildings, such as con Etinuous blocks where there is light and air only at the front and back.
 Also wooden building is a more wholesome building to live in than a brick building The reason for this is that brick walls absorb great quanti- ties of water whenever it arins upon them. This causes the house, espe- cia11y the lower stories, to be more or less damp, and where rows of brick buildings are constructed with alleys 10 feet wide between as is required for this class of buildings, there is lit IIe SuIS11L6 III lIl0o0 alleys, ana the result is buildings that are damp and whereas, wooden house, painted, sheds the water.
 The three-decker is not a bad fire risk. The flat gravel roof prevents ig- hitting by spark from above which is the greatest, cause of the spread of fires in conhagrations In this respee. the two family house with it's shingIed l roof is far more hazardous. Likewise the flat roof adjoining flat roofs, which is great advantage in fire fighting.
 As to the safety of the tenants, these buildings are built with a piazza and outside stairs on the rear, as we'll as the front stairs enabling the inmates to get out both ways, which is not the case with the two family house.
 In twenty-five years there has not ben one person to lose life in a three- decker of this type in Bridgeport; lives have been lost in two 1 family houses by inmates being trap ped in the rear part of the. house
 As to appearances, the three-decker 1 ean4 be made an attract type of | building The three stories for build- ngs of this size gives a better propor- .ioned building from an architectural | standpoint than. two stories. There | Ire very many particularly attractive l oodng three story tenement, houses of | various sorts in Bridgeport. I also no- iced similar ones recently being con- | ;tructed in Hartford.
 As an architect. I favor the better ways of building, and my personal ir1- ;erests are all in line with more and f better classes of buildings. have al- most never planned the wooden three 1ecker and probably never shall. but rave built many of the better class E with brick walls and with hollow tile | walls; but these have not been for the 'wrkfng classes of Bridgeport, and I nm presenting these arguments only [ n sympathy with the poor man who must have a home at a req sonabIe sent: and it does not appear that those who offer arguments for this ordinance nave shown any type of building that | can be built in Bridgeport in large Iaer. af