Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-09
GAS PLANT PERMIT
!. FIGHT is RENEWED
Alleged Ordinance Flaw May
Affect Sun Oil Co.
Plans.
BY LESTER N. INsKEEP.


LYON VILLAGE, Va, December g.
The alleged flaw in the emergency zon-
ing ordinance of the board of county
supervisors, on which the Lyon Village
Citizens Association is basng its fight
to prevent the erection of a filling sta
ton on the Lee Highway at Rucker
avenue, would, If sustained by the courts,
apply equally as we'll to the erection of
a large oil storage plant in RoSSlyn by
the Sun Oil Co., it was said today by
persons interested in both cases.
The executive committee of the cltl-
zens' association, headed by its presi-
dent, Robert N. Anderson, an attorney,
has pointed out that in special ord
nance passed last Spring the govern
ing body of the county provided that
no commercial or industrial structure
shall be erected in Arlington County
until an application has been filed with
and approved by the Zoning Commits
sion and permit granted by the board
of supervisors"
Board Approval Cited.
BY the passage of this ordinance,
which was adopted primarily for the
purpose of putting to stop flow OF I'M
desirable industry during the prepara-
ton of the coming ordinance, Anderson
claims that the board has tied its own
hands with the clause that requires the
approval of the zoning Commission"
The Zoning Commission IN ootn
cases disapproved the applications and
in both cases the board of supervisors
over-ruled them and granted the per-
mits. These are the only two cases OF
the kind now in question in the county,
the Sun Oil Co.'S proposed plant having
been fought by both number OF local
associations and the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
In the case of the Lyon Village filling
station, the Zoning Commission first ap-
proved the application OF Mrs. Marie
Clark Bell for a permit for the station
and then rescinded its previous action
when the matter was referred back to
them for consideration. The Sun on
Co. permit was diSapproved by the close
vote of 3 to 2, after which the board OF
supervisors granted the permit, as tney
did in the former case.
Nearby residents have voiced their
protests in both cases and now claim
that if the board was in error in grant,
ing the filling station permit they were
also in error in granting the permit 1or
the large storage plant.
In order to make further preparations
for the fighting of the project, which
will in all probability eventually reach
the courts, the executive committee
of the Lyon Village Citizens ASSocia-
ton and the coming committee of the
same association will hold special
meeting tomorrow night. Hiram N.
Critchton is chairman Of the coming
committee.
May Combine Efforts.
While those opposing each Of the
propositions have not yet combined IN
their efforts it was intimated today
that such steps are being contemplated
I.44I h0 n
at the same time.
Closely allied with the Sun Oil Co.
plant is the set of questions that was
sent out recently by Lieut.. Col. U. S.
Grant, 3d. executive officer of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, in which he seeks information
as to the commercial water front needs
of the county as to whether this type
or residential development Is OF the
most value to the county. A public
meeting to consider proper answer to
these questions will be held in the
chamber of commerce rooms tomorrow
night by the special committees OF the
Civic Federation and Organized Wom-
en- Voters.
Col. Grant has stated in the let
tiers accompanying the questions that
the answers must be. in his ONCE by
December Is in order that they may be
presented at the regular meeting of
his commission. It is generally be-
lieved that the decision of the War De-
partment on the question of whether
the oil company may use that water
front for shipping purposes, which is
to be made public on December 20, has
been held up to await the outcome of
the meeting of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
A letter addressed to the Arlington
County Zoning Commission, which was
made public today by Dr. j. N Roberts,
whose property adjoins that to be ac-
quired by the Sun Oil Co. and who
has waged a bitter fight against the
location of the plant at that point, states
that Mr. Roberts does not agree that
Rosslyn should be limited as COM
mercial center, as has been suggested,
but thinks that the commercial water
front development is not necessary.