Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-11


measure the city planning for the secti
just as apparent, in the opinion of so
Charles w. Eliot. I'd, city planner o
Commission, in prepared statement
assessors are realizing that the public al
that control over the use of property
that, therefore, assessments must be !
coming laws.
ANY apparent conflict between u
when the permanence of coming is RI
values is restrained by realization of s.
The Stars compilation of facts has
shown that while lower Sixteenth street
is Zoned for residential purposes only,
assessments on properties in this resi-
dental strip are based on its possible
future commercial use, with the sale
prices on nearby commercial properties,
so zoned, being made reason for high
Sixteenth street assessments and with
but scant consideration being given to
coming restrictions on this street where
commerce is barred.
Suggests Readjustment.
The solution suggested in the state
ment by Mr. Eliot is that assessments
on the Sixteenth street properties be
readjusted with proper consideration
of other suggested solutions of the Six
teenth street problem, which have been
brought to the attention Of The Star,
also are outlined herewith, though not
as an argument for or against any
proposal.
Col. u. S. Grant, Sd, member of the
Zoning Commission and executive OF
the National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, and Maj. Donald A. Davl-
son, executive of the coming body. have
refrained from commenting on the mat
ter since they are officially associated
with coming.
Mr.. Eliot declares in his prepared
statement that the series of articles on
coming and assessment OF property on
sixteenth street between Lafayette
SQUARE and Scott Circle illustrate some
of the most difficult problems OF coming
and city planning.
Discussed Throughout U. 5.
1.-THE relation of coming to assessed
values is now subject OF discussion
throughout the country" he continues.
Because coming Is comparatively new
factor In the development of real eS-
tate, and because coming regulations
can be changed by political action, the
assessors of the county were at f1rst
inclined to ignore coming regulations in
determining tax values. Since the pur-
pose of coming is to promote stability OF
values and to assign uses to appropriate
areas, reasonable and sustained coming
will necessarily affect values.
Because coming action is always
negative-'you shall not do this or that
and because the pressure OF taxation
is very positive force, coming and tax
assessments may come into serious con-
fiict. More and more assessors are
realizing that the public and the real
estate interests are determined that
control over the use of property through
, coming shall be maintained and that,
therefore. assessments must be related
to the uses permitted under the coming
laws.
ION the other hand coming is not an
instrument to promote sales of real es-
tate. The records of sales and assess
ments cited in the articles above refer
red to indicate that the assessments on
lower Sixteenth street approximate the
true value under the existing coming
regulations A slow market may be a
hardship to individual owners, but Is
hardly SUFFICIENT argument to warrant
change of coming regulations.
Cannot Favor the Few
I'm a recent memorandum of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission on heights Of buildings it
was pointed out that since the Zoning
Commission must necessarily act as dis
interested guardians of the entire citi-
zenry, other things being equal, it cam
not favor the few against the many, but
should rather protect the rights of the
many at the risk of restraining some of
the few This argument Is equally ap-
plicable to changes Of coming from resi-
Dental to commercial uses. When the
Zoning Commission is asked to change
the coming on lower Sixteenth street
because of a slow market for residential
property in that vicinity 1t is asked to
increase the area zoned commercial.
which is already in excess of needs
las pointed out by Harold S. Butten-
helm at the National Conference on
City Planning this year, No one wants
business and industry to remain static;
but great handicap to the orderly de-
Velopment of most communities is that
too much space. rather than too little
Is provided for purposes of manufacture
and trade.
We have the spectacle of our small
town Main streets spoiled for mile in
length as sites for pleasant homes by
struggling and struggling retail stores.
The zoner or realtor who provides soil
TO, two such stores to grow where only
one is needed is far from being as great
a pubic DeneIaCtOr as ne would De
could he devise method of restricting
business property to the reasonable
needs OF the community without Gre
ating form of land monopoly which
would be to the community's detriment.'
Suited for Development.
"A change in the Szoning of Sixteenth
street would deprive Washington Of the
outstanding residential street in the
downtown area. Such a street Is GER
tainly needed, and Sixteenth street is
eminently suited to development with
residential hotels, institutions and
apartments.
There must border line between
commercial and residential areas some
where. Presumably, as assessors of real
estate come to recognize coming as
permanent force in relation to values
note will be taken of the possible hard
ship suffered by residential properties
by proximity to business areas. In such
border-line cases hardship may not be
apparent for many years, due to specu-
lation in the real estate market or other
causes, and in such cases a particularly
difficult problem is presented to the
assessor.
ANY apparent conflict between zon-
ing and assessments will be reconciled