Evening star., 1928-03-24
RAISING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS
BRINGS CHANGES TO SKYLINE
Builders Oppose Restraint on Buildings
City Planner Warns of Problems
of Congestion.

ed in the Mall triangle south of Penn
Nlvania avenue in Washington arc 10
be CTS feet high. but with only six
stories and therefore. III the floor space
equivalent to Office buildings 65 feet
high. Even these buildings are two
stories hhher than Federal buildings
heretofore built. The erection of these
4 Government buildings certainly will en-
hance values on the north side of
PENNSYLVANIA avenue and 1t would ap-
pear that some control of the height
and design of these buildings is justi-
/ fable"
To meet the situation referred to
( here. q bill now is pending before Con-
creSs which would place'in the hands of
the Fine Arts Commission power to
pass on plans for buildings fronting on
or adjacent to Government structures
1 prior 10 the issuance of building per-
/ mitS,
/ Sponsored by Planners.
/ The bill has been sponsored by city
/ planners of the National Capital and
has met with the approval generally Of
a number of local interested groups
The District Commissioners, however
! recently voiced diSapproval OF the meas
ure as it now stands. due to the fact
that it would affect all private property
within 200 feet of public building or
public park The fear was expressed in
their report that the measure was too
far reaching
In his discussion of the question of
high buildings, Mr. Delano remarks
t,lat several competent real estate au-
rhoyitieS III New York have stated that
the largest returns on the investment
come from the first two stories OF
building and that in many OF the
very tall buildings the amount of Valu-
able space given up on these lower two
stories for Hobbies and elevators takes
away most if not all the net profits OF
the upper stories.
"On the other hand" he adds. under
certain conditions. some engineers con-
tend that the profits to the owner VIII
increase even up 10 IS or 100 stories.
Perhaps those profits are at a great
cost to the community.
Many economic fallacies come and
go and in time will sink out OF sight
without leaving a trace, but not so the
we'll built steel structure. 1t may prove
TO be an economic monstrosity which
/ loses money for those who have invest
ed money in it, but the building neter-
/ theiesS remains"
Zoning Law AnaIyzed.
Mr.. Deiano in opening the discussion
in his report showed that the zoniLe
law OF the District. which was passed
BY Congress March l, 1920. prescribed
no height limitations, but authorized
the Zoning Commission to set limits not
exceeding those contained ir The exist
ing building Law. which provided a
height limit Of the street width plus 20
feet. with a maximum Of l30 feet. ex-
cept as to part of the north side Of
Pennsylvania avenue east # Fifteenth
street, where the limit was fixed at 80
feet.
When the Zoning Commission first
vas set up he continued, there were
four heights Of buildings used In Tie
claSSification-li0 feet. 35 feet. SIS feet
and 40 feet. The figures 85 and o5 sub
seuuentIy were increased 10 80 and 90.
respectively. 10 permit better ceiling
heights Later the Zon.ng Commission
adopted the regulation permitting i30-
foot height on streets 10 feet or more
IN width within the il0-foot districts,
with the setback of inches .or each
foot above lI0 feet. The District.
therefore, now has 40, so. 80 and 10
foot districts, the last permitting 30
foot buildings under certain conditions