Evening star., 1928-01-29
nv BEN McKELWAY.


One of the most effective pieces Of
ammunition In the hands Of those op-
posing the erection Of fire house on
Sixteenth street at Webster has been
it's location on Sixteenth. The fact that
the spot chosen is near two churches
Is another argument, but II the FIRE
house was removed from Sixteenth
street, the shrieking sirens and clam
orous bells of apparatus would still tn
trude upon church services. for the en-
gines would probably pass UP or down
Sixteenth no matter where they were
based. But the erection Of a. fire mouse
on Sixteenth street Is the real issue.
Its nearness to churches or fine resi-
dences Is a side issue, for the location
OF fire houses Is governed by the need
of the territory and Is always likely
to be Objectionable TO some one. Ac-
cording TO the past utterances of our
city planners, 1t has been their inten-
ton to preserve Sixteenth from the
trespass Of business and commerce and,
in the words OF one Of them, gradually
1t will come into the dignity and beauty
Of the Champs -Elysees Of Paris, with
some commanding feature on the axis
OF the White House and an ADEQUATE
arrangement OF trees and parking on
either side OF the great driveway. AL
ready 1t Is becoming q street OF
churches. institutions and fine apart
ment houses and residences, business as
such being properly excluded" Web
ster street Is some distance out on
Sixteenth street. beyond the area which
has been the center Of previous con-
troversy. but Sixteenth and Webster Is
in neighborhood Of churches and fine
residences nevertheless. Whether or
not a fire house should be placed In
the same category with business a.
such" seems to depend upon the point
of view. The Commissioners are evi-
IDENTIFY of the opinion that 1t will not
detract from the appearance OF Six
teenth street and despite the protests
intend TO go through with their orig
inal plan.
The controversy over the fire house
however. is only another indication of
the TACT that the future of this Ave
nue. OF the Presidents" might very prop
erly be settled now, while there Is
plenty of time. by the enactment Of a
special coming ordinance applying to
Sixteenth street alone Already the
street Is changing its character. espe-
cially below Scott Circle. Not long ago
the Hay mansion was razed to make
way for new apartment hotel that
Will stand at Sixteenth and H. across
the street from st. Johns and over.
looking Lafayette Park and the White
House. Other fine old homes have been
carted away and hotels and apartment
houses have come TO take their place
Business is rushing west along K street
hurrledly jumping Sixteenth and
stretching out TO Connecticut avenue
And between Scott Circle and H street
the shutters are drawn in more than
one home. the occupants Of which nave
gone elsewhere because Of too cloAe .
proximity 70 ceaseless stream OF mo-
tor cars and buSSeS and the erection
OF buildings which a few years ago
were rank strangers to Sixteenta-
What this change has meant to uroo-
erty owner below Scott Circle was elo-
quently described last March. when the
Zoning Commission held q public hear.
ing on the proposal to change the ron
Ing or Sixteenth street from residential
10 "A commercial. At that time, eS
per cent OF the property owners south
OF Scott Circle were represented as
~Ao S@sS ~-A01ASC, 6AiO SOlikc OA E@lG&d
spoke as II their future welfare and
livelihood depended upon 1t. 1t was de-
clared that the section Of Sixteenth
street under consideration had already
lost its residential character. that fine
residences are no longer tenanted and
that there Is no market either for their
sale or for their rental, because those
With the means TO buy or rent them
viii not live on this part of Sixteenth
street. but go elsewhere 70 seek privacy.
The only hope OF these property own
erS, II vas represented. is that Sixteenth
from Scott Circle TO n viii be re1cned.
thus increasing the value Of the vacant
residential properties and permit OF
their acquisition and replacement BY
commercial establishments. Some Of the
applicants for rezoning declared that
For Sale" signs mad been futilely hung