Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-13
PUBLIC HEARINGS
ON DISTRICT ZONING
CONCLUDED TODAY

Continued from First Page.)
lSuch enterprises that serve the people
directly would result in driving them
out of the District of Columbia and
would lead them to locate just across
the District line, where they could
iServe outlying sections without being
subject to local regulations.
| Taking up the committee recon-
imendation that the height of build
| ings on Pennsylvania avenue be fixed
at maximum of $50 feet and that
for the business district there be no
! reduction in height below that at
present allowed by law. except in the
case of Pennsylvania avenue. Mr..
| Graham said the Board of Trade felt
very strongly on that point. Quoting
| from the committee report, he said:
| Sentiment for Lower Height.
TN recommending heights in the
| business section of the city in excess
| of that stated in the tentative regula-
| tons. the committee is prompted by
a preponderance of the judgment and
views of the business men of the city
/ 1t is recognized that there is some
sentiment for decreased height over
| that heretofore prevailing. but the
committee feels that this is minor
/ lty opinion. and that the large ma
Jority judgment should be followe y
| Mr.. Graham said the committee had
| modified its earlier views in regard
| TO the erection of apartment houses
with side yards. and that it thought
all apartments should have side
yards. except small ones only one
| apartment deep. where a front and
; back yard might suffice
| Following Mr.. Graham. Mr. Saul
/ said that it was the belief of the
committee that the minimum height
allowed in the residence areas should
be fifty-tive feet over all, instead of
| thirty-five feet from the ground level
to the upper ceiling. He suggests
that for the smaller buildings the
commission specify three stories in
stead of certain number of feet.
Both representatives of the Board
of Trade said they feared the tenta-
tive regulations would not permit
| the erection of unusually fine resi-
| denceS, such as men of means might
want to put up in the future.
| A. f. Seymour Read Report.
| Arthur +. Seymour, secretary of
the Chamber of Commerce. read to
! the commission the report of the
chamber recommending changes in
the tentative coming plans, which re-
port was printed in The Star on
Wedn esday.
While Mr.. Saul was addressing the
commission Commissioner Brownlow
should be done about residence prop
erty in alleys, which must be vacated
| under the terms of the alley law. Con-
gress has postponed operation of the
| law closing alley dwellings until one
year from the proclamation of peace
Commissioner Brownlow asked Mr.
Saul if he thought the demand for
garages in Washington will be sufi-
clent to provide use for these alley
! dwellings after they are vacated by
| the alley law. or whether the com
! mission should make provision for
the establishment of small paint
shops, carpenter shops and similar
places on alley property.
Mr.. Saul replied that in the north
west section the demand for garages
might be sufficient in future to- pro
vide a use for alley dwellings, but in
! some other parts of the city small
warehouses would be a suitable use
! for alley dwellings.
Commissioner Brownlow asked Mr.
i Saul II he thought il would iniure
| residences on surrounding streets to
| designate the alley dwellings in the
| rear for first commercial purposes.
Mr.. Saul said he did not think it would
hurt surrounding homes.
| only one suggestion for change in
| the coming plans as tentatively fixed
was made by the Federation of Citi-
Zens' Associations
| Might Better High-Clnss BufIdsnr.
w. B. Westlake. president of the
iIederation, pointed out that the
D! thirty five-foot height limit on build
! 1ngs in the outlying residential sec
uons OF the city might prevent the
erection OF some high class residences.
! Mr.. WeStiake said there already are
some handsome homes in residential
| sections which exceed the PROPOSED
restrictions.
| He expressed the belief that the
people of the city as a whole have
commence IN the ability of the com
mission TO zone the various sectio
in the fairest manner possible He
said that because the members of the
commission are so much more famil-
lar with the principles of coming than
the citizens the federation hesitated
70 go INTO detaiis of the regulations
that have been drawn up
He expressed on behalf of the fed
Grafton appreciation for the effor,
which the commission is making tc
get the views of all property owners
| Mr.. Westlake suggested that the
commission leave sufficient discretion.
AIRY power in the regulations to take
care of injustices which may come t.
light after the coming restrictions are
iput into effect.
Appeals for 13O-FOot Limit,
An earnest appeal for height
| limit of 1870 feet instead of 10 fee,
for buildings in the downtown sec
ton OF the city was made to the
| coming commission yesterday after.
noon by Frank +. Milburn, chairman
OF the committee appointed to ap.
pear for the Rotary Club.
81 have talked with fully $50 bust.
ness men on this height question:
said Mr.. Milburn. and out of thai
number only two were in favor OF
restricting the height to 10 feet"
Mr.. Milburn said that il streets
| We're narrow in the heart of the cit,
there would be some justification 70,
restricting the height He expressec
the belief that the present limit OF
100 feet is reasonable and should
not be disturbed
If it is wrong to build to beigh,
of 1870 feet in a city like this" thf
| speaker continued, the wrong has
{ already been done. Isn't it better r.
measure up to that height in future
than to cut it down."
To reduce the limit from 13O +,
11s seet. Mr.. Milburn said. WOMB
make a difference of two stories il
the height of future office buildings
This limit. he said, would discourac,