Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-24
FILLING STATION
PERMIT REVOKED
Arlington Zoning Board Re-
sends Action in Allowing
Plant on Lee Highway.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP,
staff Correspondent OF The Star.

ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, Va, August 24.-Following a
hearing that lasted for about two hours,
the Arlington County zoning Commits
sion last night went into executive Ses-
sion, emerging after time to announce
that it had reversed its previous
decision in granting a permit to Mrs.
filling station on the Lee Highway at
the intersection of Virginia and Rucker
avenues. The decision was met by a
burst of applause from delegation
that had been apparently hostile.
Dubious at First.
Dubious from the first as to their
chances of effecting reversal, the large
delegation of persons from the Lyon
Village Citizens Association believed
that they were doomed to failure when
the commission, by unanimous vote,
abolished its former rule to require
petition signed by IS per cent of the
adjoining property holders to accom-
pany all applications for commercial or
industrial structures.
Having once been decided against,
the opponents to the location of the
filling station at that point Immediately
protested this action, believing that it
had been taken to eliminate the petit
ton that they had spent several days
in preparing.
Commissioner Robert H. Forman ex-
planned to the delegation that he had
moved for the abolition of the rule be-
cause it had always hampered the work
of the commission. To the protest Of
M. H. Stockett of the citizens body,
Chairman Fred A. Gosnell replied that
if the rule stays III effect the people
will be coming the county instead Of
the coming commission.
In announcing that the commission
had voted to reverse its former decision.
Gosnell said that the decision was made
with no promise that the section OF
Lee Highway in question will not be
designated as commercial territory
when the coming Is completed.
Led by MIR. Anderson.
The Lyon Village delegation was led
by Robert N. Anderson, president of the
association, After reading portions of
the State coming law, he introduced, in
the order of their appearance. William
H. Stockett, who presented the petit
tons of protest; Herbert Smith Of the
Clarendon Volunteer Fire. Department,
who spoke on the fire hazard; Mrs. j.
w. Walcott, who presented the angle
of the protection of the beauty of the
Lee Highway because it is one of the
approaches to Washington, and Henry
Young, who cited many legal decisions
against filling stations in the West.
The general trend of the opposing
arguments was that filling station at
that point wsuld present menace to
the travelling public, because it is To-
Gated on a curve, and that 1t would
impair the value of many nearby resi-
dence properties.
Attorney Thomas w. Phillips, appear
ing for the applicant, declared that the
refearing had been granted to permit
the citizens to present more evidence
This they had failed to do, in his
opinion. A refusal to grant a permit
for the erection of this station would
permit monopoly of the gasoline and
oil business by the two existing stations,
one at the top and the other at the
bottom of the hill upon which Mrs. Bell
wished to locate her business. Phillips
declared.
The zoning Commission granted Mrs
Bell permit for the erection of the
filling station at its last meeting.
Anderson and Louis G. Carl, who APP
peared against It at the time, carried
their fight to the board of county SUI
pervisors, who, in turn, returned it to
the zoning Commission for further
consideration.