Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-16
OFFERS BUILDING
CODE FOR DISTRICT
Commissioner Kutz Submits
Plan to Various Civic
Organizations.
CONGRESS TO GET DRAFT

Plans for regulation and restriction
of buildings of various kinds for va
rious purposes are contained in
communication adore ssed by Brig.
Gen. Charles w. Kutz, Engineer Com
missioner of the District of Column
bia, to the Board of Trade. the Cham
Der of Commerce, the Federation OF
Citizens Associations, the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association and
other civic organizations. The COM
munication of Commissioner kutz was
accompanied by a draft of a proposed
bill to be submitted to Congress.
The measure proposed by Commits
sIoner kutz would regulate and re-
strict the location of trades and in
dustries in the District; would regu-
late location of buildings designed
for specific uses. and would regulate
the height. etc, of buildings in the
District.
In his communication the Commits
Sioner asks. that the various civic
, organizations consider the bill and
that representatives of each attend a
! conference with him. to be held Janu-
airy 25s for the purpose of diScussing
the matter preliminary TO a public
| hearing before the board of Commits
Sloners OF the District of Columbia
to be held at some future date,
Recommendation in Part.
In part, Commissioner Kutz says, in
/ his letter:
I ION August q, 1916, the late Sena-
tor GaIlineer introduced a bill re-
gardlng this matter in the Senate.
the bill being based on a New York
city law covering the same subject.
This bill was referred to the Com
missloners for report, and in apply
ing it to local conditions existing in
Washington it was believed that
various changes should be made in
its provisions. A substitute bill was
prepared by the building inspectors
office, and it was the intention at
that time to hold public hearing,
but all action in the matter was post
poned on account of the war. Now
that Cen kutz has returned, he has
revived the proposed measure and
hopes, after a general public discus
sion of its terms, to recommend to
The Commissioners the adoption OF
some such legislation, which he be-
lieves is greatly needed in the Dis
trict.
in general, the bill proposes to di-
vide the District of Columbia into dis
tricts. designated as private dwelling
districts, multiple dwelling districts.
business districts and unrestricted
districts. Within sixty days after the
Passage of the legislation and after a
public hearing, the Commissioners
are authorized to determine the
boundaries of these several districts
and after similar public hearings to
change them from time to time. The
bill provides that whenever the own
erS of so per cent or more of the
frontage of any district shall. by pc
tition. request a change in the dis
trict, or any regulations applying
hereto, the Commissioners shall act
on said petition within ninety days.
In private dwelling districts
buildings are restricted to dwellings,
churches, schools and libraries. phil
anthropic and charitable institutions,
farms, nurseries and greenhouses.
In multiple dwelling districts, in
addition to the above structures, no.
tells. apartment houses. clubs. moving
picture houses and private schools
may be erected.
I'm business districts buildings
may be erected for trades. industries
or other uses connected with the COM
mercial life of the city But no
building may be erected designed to
be used for any trade or industry that
doors, dust, smoke. noise. etc, except
car barns and places of amusement.
Any building permitted in dwelling
district would also be allowed in a
business district.
I'm the unrestricted districts the
prohibitions as to buildings in the
other districts would not apply.
by the proposed bill the Commits
sioners are given authority to make
such rules and regulations as they
deem necessary to carry it's provisions
into effect, and the bill provides that
it shall be unlawful to use any build
ing erected contrary to it's provisions.