Evening star., 1920-07-12
ZONE COMMISSION
IN RULES DEGREES
BUILDING HEIGHTS
Tentative Regulations Are
Based on Division Into
Four Local Districts.

Tentative height regulations for
local buildings were issued officially
today by the zoning commission.
The new regulations divide Wash
ington into four districts. These
comprise a 35-foot district; a 55-foot
district. an S5-foot district and a 110-
foot district
In no case shall the height of the
building be greater than the width
regulations stipulate
The 110-foot district which is
located chiefly in the first commercial
zone. where land values are high, is
bounded by 9th street, II street. 14th
street and the south side of Penn
syIvania avenue northwest.
The official tentative ruling states
that this allowable height G10 feetl
is limited on certain streets by the
provlso that no building can exceed
the heights now permitted by law.
and in no case can the height exceed
the street width
Reduction ON Avenue.
As result of this ruling. the order
states, the maximum height on the
north side of Pennsylvania avenue is
, reduced from $50 feet to 110 feet,
while 11th. 18th and 14th streets and
New York avenue, in the business dis
| trict. are reduced from 130 feet to
110 feet
Nine stories will be the normal limit
and. by special ruling, buildings
facing the United States Treasury viii
be limited to So feet.
The eighty-iive- loot height is al
lowed for high class residential and
apartment house districts and for the
The. commission 'IelI
that apartment houses should ne en-
couraged on the wide avenues ~nich
radiate from the Capitol ana tne
White House and on certain wide
streets. such as l4th. loth anu IaSt
Capitol streets.
In GEORGETOWN, south of the canal.
S5-foot height is allowed IN tns
Industrial district. Seven stories VIII
be the normal limit.
Fifty -five-foot height is alioWea
in the industrial and second CONNER
cial districts, as well as in the built
up row house. fine residential ana
small apartment house sections Four
stories will be the normal hHiit.
Thirty -five-foot height IS al
lowed in the outer residential sec
tions and the suburbs. Three stories
will be the normal limit.
Public Hearings to BE Held.
The final rulings will not be issued
until after a series of pubic hearings
decides upon which will give the
greatest good to the greatest num-
her. Experts. however. believe that
| there will be little change from the
| tentative rulings on heights.
| The eighty -five-foot district runs out
| I4th stree1 from Ii 10 spring roau:
| including only houses on each side OF
| the street Sixteenth street also mas
an eighty -five-foot district from the
start of the street north of the White
House to Spring road.
other streets included in the elgnty-
five-foot district are New Hampshire
avenue. from its start at fotomac
park to 10th street; New York ave-
nue., from its opening at 23d street 70
18th street: New York avenue, from
12th> street to North Sapi'ol -,
Vermont avenue. from II street 10
Elorida avenue; Connecticut avenue,
from H street to Kalorama road, anu
Columbia road from Connecticut ave
nue. to 10th street
shows Solid Section.
A black oblong bounded by the fol-
lowing streets shows upon the map
as covering the greatest soiiu So
ton of the eighty foot zone:
North Capitol street. as east boundary
street north of Capitol grounds
Pennsylvania avenue TO oth s,ree,,
street from 9Th TO 14th street. n
street from 14th to Pennsylvania
yania avenue to Washington Circle AS
the south boundary: 22d street. as the
west boundary. and l. street from "a
street to 18th street. NJ street from
18Th street to 9Th street, and * street
from 9Th street to North Capitol as
the north boundary.
Bv drawing line in sequence
across these streets on map ot
Washington reader may gain an
idea of the solid eighty -five-foot
zone district.
With a list of rulings regarding the
new height regulations, the new
height map just issued today ana
series of supplementary regulations
the commission is now forwarding
notifications to citizens organizations
and zoning commissions advisory
boards asking for any suggestions as
to improvements before the final
hearing.
Supplementary Regulations.
The supplementary regulations read
as follows:
Except as hereinafter provided, no
building shall be altered. constructed
or raised as to exceed the heights
hereby established for the district
wherein such building is erected Pro-
vided.
First. That Grain elevators or gas
tanks may be erected in industrial
districts not to exceed 110 feet in
height. upon approval of the Commits
Second. That the present regula-
tions as to spires. towers. domes. pm
nacles, pent houses over elevator
shafts ventilation shafts. chimneys
smokestacks and fire sprinkler tanks
shall continue in full force and effect
Third. That in no case shall the
height of building exceed the width
of the street.
Fourth. That on corner lots the
width of the wider street shall gov
ern, but not to exceed a depth OF loe
feet measured along the building line
of the narro-er street.
Fifth That the above limits are
maximum limits. and no building shall
exceed in height above the sidewalk
those limits imposed by the act OF
Congress approved June ]. 1917, regu-
lating the height of buildings in the
District cf Columbia. or otherwise
limited by section asa of the build
ing regulations. 1917.
Sixth That in the thirty -five-foot
districts. public or semi pubic build-
ings. churches. hospitals, sanitariums
or schools may, upon approval OF the
Of the District of CO.
l,,mbia beJerec.ed to a height not ex-
cecding ffty-fiye feet. when set back
from the building line not less than
one foot for each foot such building
exceeds thirty-five feet in height