Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29
zON|NG APPEALS
BOARD IS URGED
Builders Association Urges
Commission to Make Ad-
ditionS to Staff.

Rufus s. Lrsk, president OF the
Operative Builders Association. urged
the coming commission yesterday to
take steps to have Congress provide
appropriations for increasing its stan
as well as legislation creating q sep
arate board of coming appeals or ad-
justment.
Lusk made his recommendations In
letter to Maj. Donald A. Dawson,
assistant engineer commissioner and
executive officer Of the commission.
He suggested that the commission act
at its executive meeting this week.
Text Of Letter.
The text of the letter follows:
ON october 9 the Operative Build
ers' Association specifically recon-
mended to the coming commission that
appropriations should be sought for the
proper staining of the coming ONCE.
We recommended an engineer at $4,000
year, an assistant engineer at "a, 900,
a Stenographer and a craftsman and
also the appropriation of enough money
for postage, printing. photostating, etc.
We also recommended the creation of
q separate board of coming adjustment
with six members, thre to be ex officio
and three to be appointed by the Dis
trict Commissioners from the archi-
tects, builders and realtors.
In The Star of December % the
leading editorial stated: The ZoninR
Commission now exercises a powerful
and direct influence on the commercial
value OF property 1t can effect this
value by any regulations. There is now
a direct relationship between coming
and assessments for taxation, Sixteenth
street being the best example. The Inn
portance of the zoning Commission
should be recognized in increased APP
preparations and larger personnel. The
commission is too vital as q govern
mental agency to be constituted, as IL
is, On a 'part-time" basis
This is the fourth editorial in this
paper since September IA urging the
necessity for some change in our pres
ent coming Set-up. This editorial also
states that: Citizens who have common
sense requests to make of the Zoning
Commission, and to whom the changes
sought are OF great Importance, have
been left in the lurch and without hope
OF relief because the coming code does
not permit the changes they ask, when
there is no good reason under the sur
why the changes could not be made
the coming advisory committee, COM
posed OF representatives of the local
building and trade bodies, architect
and realtors have asked for the insti-
tuition here of a board of coming ap-
peals but the dangers inherent in
board Of coming appeals are recoR-
nlzed, despite the success of such
boards in other cities. The alternative
proposal has been to reorganize the
coming Commission by the addition of
expert subordinate personnel and the
creation of q special committee under
the commission that could sit on petit
lions Tor change, investigate the merits
Thereon nfifk
tons, to the Zoning Commission. This
arrangement would allow the zoning
Commission to retain its control over
the coming OF the city as a whole. but
would provide the machinery for Civ
ing relief in specific instances without
involving the whole commissions time
or working radical changes in the reg
ulations.'
Association Wants Results.
This association. while IL recon-
mended a separate board of appeals
or adjustment, is more interested in
obtaining results than the method by
which they are obtained II a board
OF adjustment such as The Star sue-
gested can be legally set up by the
commission and can legally function.
it should prove satisfactory. What we
are particularly interested in Is that
something is done to alleviate what is
generally admitted to be an unfortu-
nate state of affairs.
1t would seem that public interest
demands that the coming ONCE should
have proper appropriations, and also
that some sort of adjustment board
should be set up. In view of this. we
respectfully request the commission at
It's executive session in January to sug-
gest to the board of commissioners
that they have the necessary legisia-
ton introduced in Congress to bring
about these needed changes. We be-
lieve that now is the time for action.
The coming work is not very heavy, so
that the necessary time can be devoted
to the careful drafting of the proposed
bills. and, as this is a long session of
Congress, there is more chance to get
them through than there would be next
Winter.
Needless to say. we stand ready to
help in any manner within our power"
While fishing ar Neu parnah Y~nIau5