Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-18
zONINC
! URGED BY BUREAU
Ordinances Sleep Undisturbed
in Council Committees, II
Is Pointed Out
,oNDON'S REGULATION CITED

Necessity for action regarding the
sdoption of zoning regulations in this
r,ty is pointed out In statement is
s,ed today by the Bureau OF Municipal
Research.
Attention is called to the fact that
.rdinances providing for the proper zon-
iro Of the city are lying undisturbed in
.ounclmanic committees which appear
>, bc indifferent regarding conditions !;
.,so that up TO the present time no
4 %nds have been provided for carrying
ont the work.
recent decision Of the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania is cited to show
that zoning regulations are essentiai 10
the reace and comfort OF the house :
holder. -,
This decision declared planning mill
In rho Tioga section of the city n
.r,sance. and recognized the principle
.hot a home owner should he preserved
from the destruction Of his domestic
comfort by n nuisance enterprise in
4 residential district.
Commend Boulevard Regulations
: Action OF the Park Commission in
seeking to regulate the type of buildings
(, that shall border Roosevelt boulevard
is commended. Attention is called to
tbe fact that the Town Planning In
creasing the heights Of buildings in
various sections OF that city. In that
connection the bureau says:
"The Town Planning Institute recog.
nized that in some locations increased
height might be permitted without pub
liz disadvantage. 1t is reported that
the committee of the London County
Council, which is charged with enforce
ment of the Building Act. has recon-
mended that the maximum height Of
buildings from the pavement to the un-
der. ceiling of the topmost story be set
at so feet. slight relaxing Of the
former regulations.
1T should be understood that some
Of the streets in Central London are
even narrower than those in Philadcl-
phia 8 downtown district, and accord
ingly lower height limits must be set.
However, we have found our Philadel-
phia streets to be much too narrow to
meet existing traffic needs.
Is London Wisest?
"Town planners in London viewed
with alarm the proposal to increase
the building height to 12O or $50 feet.
In Philadelphia. maximum height limit
Of $50 feet for the central district sug-
gested by the Zoning Commission. was
strenuously opposed by certain interests
as being much too low.
For the time being these objections
have prevailed. and the councilmanic
Committee on City Planning and Zoning
BY a split vote passed n motion Fcbru-
arv I. 1922. to eliminate the area Of the
old city from the provisions Of the pro-
posed coming ordirsnce. and thus leave
the central distyict without any height
limit. This action. however. was not
referred back to the whole Council for
approval. Hence the proposed zoning
ordinance, which is again in the hands
Of the Xoning Commission, has not been
officially mutilated.
! The councilmanic committee has very
properly instructed the Zoning Commits
sion to hold public hearings and sound
out local sentiment before sending the
ordinance back to Council However.
this task requires funds which the COM
mission does not have, and although
zoning escaped the sword, 1t may now
perish from lack of nourishment. SO
far Council has shown no disposition
10 make the necessary appropriation.
One ordinance introduced by MEM
her Of Council has been disapprovcd,
while second, prepared by the Zoning
Commission, appears to be sleeping
peacefully in the Finance Committee.