Evening star., 1927-10-22
BY DON s. WARREN.

An important and far-reaching pro-
rosal for amendment of the existing
zoning regulations of the District of
Columbia is being drafted by officials
OF the Zoning Commission and will be
the subject of a hearing at the Dis
trict Building at 10 o'clock on NoVem-
ber 9. The proposal is for the crea-
ton Of an entirely new residential
area for houses Of the semidetached
or duplex type.
This new proposal, an alternative to
the plan rejected by the Zoning Com
mission following the October hear
ing, is held to be especially important
at this time, inasmuch as the order
of the commission precluding the
building of any additional duplex type
homes in the present A-reStricted area
will become effective January 21, 1928,
under the present order by the COM
mission.
Creation Of a new semi-detached
home area not only will provide
proper protection of such develop
ments from the encroachment of
apartment buildings, hotels and flats.
hut proponents Of the plan see in 1t
also sure means OF protecting the
integrity Of the present wholly de-.
tached A-restricted areas, as well as
the whole zoning regulation system.
Present Areas Not Disturbed.
While providing a means of protec-
Sion for the duplex house develop
ments by the creation of new and
as yet unnamed area which would
be designed exclusively for the duplex
type of house, the proposed amend
ment would not tend to disturb the
present residential sections, which are
distinctly made up of detached homes,
it is pointed out by the Zoning Com.
mission Office. This would be possible,
it is explained, due to the fact that
under the proposed amendment own
ers of semi-detached property would
have to make application for shifting
of such property into the new area,
and the burden of proof as to the need
of the change would be on them and
not on the owners of the wholly de-
tached property. The chief objection
which was raised against the amend.
ment proposed at the October hearing
thus would be eliminated by the new
plan, it is believed bv coming officials.
Under the existing Zoning regula-
lions, it is to be remembered, duplex
or semi-detached houses may be built
in the A-restricted coming areas. Be-
cause of the protests against this
situation the Zoning Commission has
ordered that after January FL, 1928, no
more duplex houses can be built in
A-restricted areas. After that date
the building inspector of the District
will approve no more plans for the
construction of duplex houses in
wholly detached areas.
Believed Solution Of Problem.
Unless some new provision is made,
therefore, this order would force the
builders of additional semi-detached
homes to erect them in A-residential
areas, where apartment houses, flats
and hotels also are permitted. The
need for protection of the semi-detach-
ed house developments has been felt
for some time by members of the COM
mission, and it is believed the pro-
posed new duplex" residential area
would solve the problem.
Briefly, the new proposal to be con-
kidered at the November 9 hearing
would, If adopted, set up residential
koning in this wise:
A-restricted area-For wholly de-
kached houses exclusively.
A-duplex area-For the semi-de-
kached or duplex or two-in-one house
exclusively. Wholly detached houses,
bf course, also could be built in this
krea.
A area-For community houses, So
ealled three-in-one type; for apart