Evening star., 1927-10-20
RESIDENTS OPPOSE
NEW FIRE STATION
Proposal to Erect House on
18th and Webster Site
So Draws Protests.

A vehement protest against the
construction of a fire engine house
on the southeast corner of Sixteenth
and Webster streets was made to
Commissioner Proctor l.. Dougherty
today by a large group of property
owners and residents In that vicinity.
as well as representatives OF the
Hamline NJ. E. and Grace Lutheran
Churches.
The verbal objections were aug
.mented by petitions signed by 1o5
residents on Fifteenth, Sixteenth,
Seventeenth and Webster streets. the
council of the Grace Lutheran
Church and the board of trustees or
the Hamline NJ. E. Church.
See Property Depreciation.
The erection of the fire engine
house on the Sixteenth and Webster
streets site. the opponents pointed
out, would materially depreciate prop
erty in that neighborhood, which Is
nog a high class residential section;
destroy the scenic beauty of the Six
teenth street boulevard and would be
dangerous from, a traffic standpoint
because of the 30.mile speed limit that
prevails in this area.
The churches based their objection
chiefly on the noise that would ne Gre
ated when the engines respond TO
alarms of fire and thereby disturb
their congregations.
Mai. Layson +. Atkins. assistant
engineer commissioner, pointed out
that a number of sites for the engine
house on and off Of Sixteenth street
were Investigated, but the one nnally
selected, at the corner OF Wepster
street. was the only one that could
he purchased within the 12S per cent
limitation on assessed valuation.
House to Cost $4,000.
He also pointed out that the fire
house. which will house Engine Com
nany No. 80, would cost approximately
sT4 600. comparing favorably with the
nrices of homes in that section, ana
that Il would be Of a bungalow type
with as much of q residential CHAR
acter as possible.
Fire Chief George s. Watson also
explained that the new house would
bs one of the ''prettiest fire engine
houses in the country" and instead OF
depreciating property values, 1t would
have the effect of increasing them.
Chief Watson also explained that the
location was ideal for fire house. as
il would be on a direct fire run and
that there would be no unnecessary
noise caused by the apparatus in re-
sponding to an alarm, as an arrange
nnent would be made to warn traffic on
Sixteenth street OF the coming OF the
engines by traffic lights.
Site Held for Residence.
s"This most valuable corner plot at
the crest Of the hill has been held
assumabIy for a splendid private de-
tached residence. such as are being
built from Varnum street to Walter
Reed Hospital" said the petition OF
protest. Two beautiful new churches.
the Hamline M. E., at Sixteenth and
Allison, and the Grace Lutheran. at
Sixteenth and Varnum, are only one
block from the proposed nre engine
house.
when Washington and L'Enfant
planned the great, straight boulevard
leading from the White House cut 10
the hills and to what has become the
most beautiful natura. park in the
world, little did they dream that 1t
might be afflicted with the fatal ois-
ease Of pulmonary consumption by
commercialism. Can any one imagine
O fire engine house or pubic utility
building on the Champs Elysees. q
driveway for private vehicles and taxts
only? We hear orators talk OF the
desire to make Washington the most
beautiful capital In the world. What
is done to preserve the integrity OF
its 7.mile-long and principal boulevard?
Fourteenth street, a parallel street,
IS available for all of the fire engine
houses needed. and one In badly need
ed in the Piney Branch section TO
serve not only Sixteenth street (which
for some miles has the park and no
residences on its west side), but to
serve the thousands Of small homes to
the east Of Fourteenth street.
Want Drives Preserved.
Washington as the National Cap.
ital, belongs to the whole country and
its driveways to the park must be
preserved from any encroachments
that are unnecessary and dangerous"
Commissioner Dougherty indicated
that the protestants were rather late
in making their objections. as the site
site already has been purchased, ana
the appropriation for its acquisition
was provided about two years ago. He
explained that the District has been
handicapped in acquiring a suitable
site because OF the 125 per cent lini-
N0SlOtls lAlob 1ttt0by a 0CuNAStf~y
appropriation bad to be obtained In or
der TO purchase the property at Six.
teenth and Webster streets. During
this two-year period. he said. the
three citizens associations in the VI
cinity were urged by the Commission
ers to assist in finding q suitable To-
cation for the engine house.
Commissioner Dougherty was told,
however, that the residents on upper
Sixteenth street were not aware that
the Webster street site had been pur.
chasd and plans for the fire house
tentatively drawn, until last Sunday.
Mr.. Dougherty promised to lay the
protest before the Board OF Commits
0ioners at their semi.weekly meeting
tomorrow.
The speakers for the group Of pro-
testants were Mrs. Cabot Stevens and
Edward s. Brashears. Others in the
group were: b. Frank Wright. Mr..
and Mrs. Charles L. Ritter. e. F.
Dougherty, r. T. Hurley, 8. r. Bowen.
Rev. DR.. J. T. Herson OF the Hamline
M. e. Church: Oscar F. Bryant and
Rev. DR.. G.. E. Lenski Of the Grace
Lutheran Church.
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