The sun., 1918-08-18
NEW YORl<S WANTED SKYLINE IN DANGER SINCE BUILDERS
~, HAVE DECIDED TO ERECT VILLAGE SIZE STRUCTURES
Reform Building Laws Responsible for Threat MANY
Medium Height Structures Are to Be Lowered
to Avoid Overinspection

The majesty of New York's skyline,
pictured and spoken OF all over the
world may be marred somewhat by the
building OF the future. Reform laws,
well meant and expected to eradicate
wrongs. the restrictions which the Gov
eminent has seen At to place on the
use Of building material during the
period of the war. lack OF money for
financing building operations and the
high cost OF building labor will be re-
hected In the uptown skyline of the city.
Instead OF the majestic and compact
heights, such as the granite brick and
terra Gotta cliffs which rise north of the
Battery, there Is likely to be a skyline
of hills and hollows, as the buildings to
be erected will be either very low or
very tall. There will be no intermedi-
ate heights to I'LL in the gaps between
the high and the low. and therefore give
the appearance of compactness, as own
ers and builders have already indicated
S,eir intettIons as to future construc-
ton. f,
Half a dozen years Of fire prevention
and labor laws and ordinances, State
and municipal bureau inspections and
orders have taught owners. builders ahd
architects lessons which 1t appears are
to be put into effect now. They have
learned that intensive construction not
only means financing and construction
troubles but trouble from the many
departments which have been estab-
lished to watch the builders and the
building.
This overzealousness may be a boom
erang TO the general good and the COM
mercial development of the city. own
ers OF buildings have found a way to
avoid this tahtalising supervision which
even criminals are not subjected to and
get a good return from their property
without great investment of money
and the troubles incidental to the con-
s,ruction Of tall buildings. 1t must be
remembered that real estate men, like
Other business men. are in their field
for The money that It brings them. SEN
tment does not play any part in the
Judgment Of the real estate man. He
reason out plans for construction that
will bring him the most money at the
least possible cost. both financial and
physical.
4 number Of them think they have hit
on plan which will bring them good
Incomes without much cost and trouble.
The plan Is likely to spread and spread
and sections Of the city which have been
given over to business viii bezbuilt up
with buildings such as are seen on the
main business streets OF country towns
or villages This would leave New York
with two sections directly opposite In
physical development--the giant city,
with its Wanted sky lines, symbolic OF
the highest degree of construction, and
the squat city. the village section with
Its predominating small buildings repre-
senting on the face a town Just reaching
ont beyond the first stage of develop
ment
The spread of this recession will de-
Iend largely on what the Government
intends to do with regard to lessening
the restrictions on building material,
and legislation which will consolidate
the operations of the inspection depart
ments and give some consideration to
owners. 1t is possible, that IL the re-
cession should spread to a noticeable de-
cree and the commercial future OF the
city be endangered by 1t. that the Legis-
lature would be forced to consider the
conflicting ordinances and laws which
have been passed to the disbursement
Of intensive building operations.
They bring down on the builder or
owner the eyes of scores of city and
State departments whose chief business
seems 10 he to find faults with the best
efforts to meet the various building laws
and restrictions. This overinspection
and structural changes which usually
follow have proved the greatest trouble
20 builders and owners.
1t has been learned that all this can
be avoided IL one builds less than three
stories high so a number Of owners with
buildings on their hands, not of the
character of the section. have planned
10 change them into small buildings or