Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-12
zON|NG INCREASES
PROPERTY VALUES
Mai. Brown Points Out Ad-
vantageS to Private Home
Owners Under Plan.

Zoning to regulate development in
effect is a means of protecting private
property, Maj. Carey Brown. engineer
of the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, said this week in out
lining the purposes of coming and city
planning to the real estate class at the
Y. NJ. c. A., conducted by the Washing
ton Real Estate Board.
Under a properly operating coming
system residential neighborhoodS are
protected against intrusion of business
and other mechanical or commercial
pursuits which by their nature detract
from the exclusivenesS which residen-
tial section should enjoy, he said.
Stabilizes Property Values.
1.-THE restriction of business to certain
well defined areas" he continued,
''tends to stabilize not only property
values but business itself, as such con-
centration of areas inevitably influences
the movement of traffic and brings buy
ers TO these restricted areas. thereby
assuring to every business a maximum
Of opportunity.
THE recent development of special
detached residential areas has signifi-
cant importance to the home owner Sc
1ecting these sections for his home in
that he can be assured that nothing
will be permitted. The theory of elimi-
mating apartments in detached residen-
tial areas is based on the principle that
such areas are constructed and laid out
in respect to streets and other public
facilities for a population housed in
single family units, whereas the en-
croaciment of apartment houses in
such areas increases population and
traffic and curtails the availability OF
street and park facilities.
city planning has grown beyond city
limits and now is considered regional
planning, taking in certain areas around
of the city in so far as the city plan is
concerned. These areas must be made
to harmonic and development should
be co-ordinated with the general sys-
TEN of highways and other projected
plans for parks, schools, fire and police
protection and all other elements that
enter into the economic and social life
of modern CITY, It is for this reason
that the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has broadened its
scope to include adjacent counties of
Maryland and Virginia"
Through the cooperation of properly
constituted authorities in these States,
Maj. Brown said the park development
and system of highways in these ad-
joining counties are being planned and
laid out with the thought of harmonic
ing with the development of the Ma
tons Capital.
Wider Highways Urged.
Commenting on major thorough
fare plan Mai Brown said: The OBJ
jective of major thoroughfare plan is
the improvement of a comprehensive
system of wide, direct arteries in which
the vital traffic flow of the community
may freely move. To develop such
system requires an acceptance of the
principle that all, streets are not Of
equal Importance in the circulation
scheme. that some are of much greater
value to the community than others,
and that 1t is advantageous to select
these community routes and work con-
sistently upon them until they function
as a system. This requires the adop-
ton of an official th0roughfare plan
and formulation of the policies required
for the effective execution of that plan.
There Is in Washington and vicinity
urgent need for promotion of the major
thoroughfare idea. If streets of this
type can be set apart from all others in
the popular mind and in the minds of
officials, notable step will have been
taken toward creation of more perfect
Capltal City. FRANCHISES Tor car or puS
routes cannot be discussed intelligently
without a major thoroughfare plan.
Traffic regulations, such as those re-
stricting the movement of vehicles OF
certain classes to marked routes, must
be related to the major thoroughfare
system.
street lighting plans. traffic signals,
paving specifications, school and play
ground sites, location of neighborhood
store centers, fire and police stations,
tree-planting policies, even deed restric-
tons on private property, all are de-
pendent upon designation of major
thoroughfares. A subdivider must move
somewhat in the dark If he does not
know where the thoroughfares of the
district in which he is operating are or
will be-
1T will be increasingly helpful to all
Washington to have an official major
thoroughfare plan. Any plan for streets
within the District of Columbia must
be carefully related to the primary
highway system of the region and to
the streets and roads in Maryland and
Virginia"