Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-19
SAY SUGGESTIONS
IN coming SYSTEM
ARE OVERRULED
Representatives of Civic
Bodies Plan Appeal to Conn.,
mission for Notifications.

Appeals are planned 10 the coming
commission. in further working out
the coming system. to hsive more de-
ith.rate consideration Of requests and
suggestions made by various civic
organizations, the most representa-
tive and interested bodies in the city.
Presidents. secretaries aGG members
from several of these organizations
have expressed sincere regrets that
The views of the best recognized
mouthPieCes of the people of Wash
lngton were generally owe :ruled. ES-
peCialy was surprise expressed in
view of the statement of Col. X utZ.
the head o fthe commiSsiorl that the
peoples will would be para mount.
Interest in Height Of Blu edinss.
OF all the questions involved the
different organizations as whole
took the most vital intereU in the
question of the height of buildings
in the business district The Cham
her of Commerce. the Board ct Trade
the Rotary Club. the Was alington
Real Estate Board. the Merchs nts and
Manufacturers Association a cd sew
eral Independent groups all went
on record as favoring the 1I,ainte-
nance of the former building eight.
vhich was $50 feet. The Wash 6ngton
Chapter of the american InStitnte of
Architects, regarded as a disin herest-
Cd body tfor it would be to the ad-
vantage of the architects to have
lower buildings and more of them).
voted unanimously to keep tot the
original law of 1870 feet The b Plight
was changed to 10 feet.
The commission has presented its
reasons for making the change ms the
tuildlng height. but on the other letnd
the civic bodies a so had their rea.aDns
Tor advising that the law be kepts
u was The question presents itsx.lf.
If the commission had had longer
time to promulgate the laws would it
not have been able to go deeper into
the reasons of the civic bodies h,d
weigh them with more careful judi i
ment?"
Col. kutz says. however that. de
spite the arduous task. the short tinh.
specified was of decided advantage b )
cause 1t minimized the possibilities Ut
promoters to slip under the barsf'l
and obtain permits for buildings tina
would be forbidden by the new law
THOSE planning appeals for modifica
lions cite two other facts. The hear
1nss were held during the middle of /
august. when many property owners
were away from the city The time
between the hearings, which ran I'D to \
August 20 and September ten days i
was a very short period in which To
carefully weigh suggestions, change !
any prearranged plans. and polish
off the laws for final presentation.
arthur h. seymour, secretary of the
ma III pef VI commerce, says that, con-
the fact that the tentative
maps had already been completed. it
" ould have been a very large under
-aklng to have attempted to make anv
adical changes in so short a time
There is a widespread feeling among
Washingtonians thai,
the commission made Changes hat
were fundamentally wise, lust and
and that the new zonine
system is one of the big steps toward
the planning and identifying of ],
WashIngton in the future. Many bust
ness men feel. however, that reeard
for the present business situation ;
calls for some modification in the
equations
The commission has the right at anv
lme to repeal or modify the reeuIa. :
he hope is expressed that with the .
'oming of the new Commissioners the =
rulings will be given further studY