Evening star., 1924-09-11
RAILROAD WANTS
zON|NG Of PLAZA
B. & O. Claims 1t Is Deprived
of Use of Property Through
Congress Inaction.

Action of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad today in appealing to the
Zoning Commission of the District to
zone a large part of the Union Station
Plaza for commercial purposes may
have the effect OF reyiving in the next
session of Congress the long delayed
plan to establish a park there.
The case is one of the most diff
cult the Zonng Commission has had
to pass on in its four years of exist
ence. because the plaza is practically
the only piece of unzoned land In the
city.
The commission today had the rail-
road company on one hand asking for
a commercial designation of that part
of the plaza which it owns, claiming
it has been deprived of the use of the
land for IA years while. waiting for
Congress to acquire it for a park.
Want Action Dismissed.
On the other hand there were
spokesmen from the Midcity and the
Northeast Washington Citizens AS
sociation requesting either that the
commission take no action at all, or
that it defer action until Congress
meets.
Although the owners of the Plaza
property asked for commercial zon-
ing. the commission is also consider
ing making it residential with 60
foot height limit which would con-
fine use of the plaza to residences or
hotels and apartments.
John J. Hamilton, representing the
railroad told Chairman Bell of the
commission today that residential
zoning would be of no use to the
owners and that he felt they had
been deprived of the use Of their land
long enough.
when a. j. Driscoll president Of
the Mid-City Association. urged the
Commission not to zone the property
at all until Congress has chance to
revive the project TO buy the land at
the next session, Maj. Bell explained
there was % serious Question in ms
mind whether the Zoning Commission
has the right to refuse to zone
mans property.
Mai Bell then announced that Cor
poration Counsel Stephens would be
requested to give the, Commission a
legal Opinion as to whether the re-
quest for coming must be acted on.
Evan II. Tucker. president of the
Northeast Association and an active
workt T in securing the legislation for
the Union Station, expressed the pc
lief that Congress would act at the
forthcoming session to close the
Plaza purchase plan. He said he
hoped some way could be found to
postpone zoning Of the land until the
short session of Congress is over, In
March.
W. G. Henderson. a civic leader of
lexington, took a different view OF
the situation. He said he did not be-
lieve it made much difference whether
the commission zoned the Plaza
commercial or residential. because he
felt it would eventually become a
park. He then declared that If the
action of the commission in zoning
the land might hasten Congress to
act in order to save the area for
park, "by all means zone it,
Reviews Tangled Case.
Attorney Hamilton, in arising to
speak for the railroad, gave brief
review of the tangled situation into
which the eRlaza park project has de-
veloped He explained that the B.
& o. bought part of what is now
the Plaza tract in compliance with
the original plan to have it build a
depot nearer the Capitol. Then came
a subsequent act providing for a
Union Station north of Massachusetts
avenue. which left the railroad hold
ing the land first acquired near the
Capitol.
"The Baltimore and Ohio has done
all it could to get Congress to take
it for a park" Mr.. Hamilton de-
Clared. He then recalled how con-
demnation proceeding was held,
price agreed upon and the money ap-
propriated by Congress to meet the
court award. Before the transaction
was, completed. however, Congress
enacted joint resolution which had
the effect of setting aside the con-
demnation proceeding, and turned the
matter over to commission to re-
adjust the amounts to be paid the
railroad and other holders. The price
fixed by this commission was not ac-
ceptable to the railroad, and the
Der of years ago.
Deprived of Land.
Mr.. Hamilton told the commission
he Thought the railroad had been de-
prived of the use of the land long
enough, and was entitled to have it
Zoned commercial because of the
nature of the surrounding property
and the fact that street car lines ap-
proach it from several directions.
He said that while residential zoning
would permit hotels and apartments.
they could not have business places
in them and he predicted there would
be no demand for the land for hotel
and apartment purposes.
Mr.. Driscoll asked the representa-
tive. of the r. & O. if the railroad
would wait until Congress meets to
see if some action looking to the ac-
QUESTION of the land would be taken.
We feel that patience has ceased
to be a virtue" Mr.. Hamilton replied.
The commission also heard testi-
mony on a proposal to prohibit. the
erection of apartment houses in a
large area bounded as follows: On
the north by Audubon terrace and
Albermarle street, east by Rock
Creek Park, on the west and south
by the line of Massachusetts avenue,
Arizona avenue and Tilden street, ex-
cept the frontage on both sides Of
Connecticut avenue, Wisconsin and
Massachusetts avenues. Nearly all of
the, testimony was favorable to the
restriction.
A. number of other neighborhood
changes are slated for consideration
during the day.