Evening star., 1932-05-24
Commissioners Carefully Re.
consider Signs at New York
and Florida Avenues.
DENIAL OF CONCESSION
FOR BOILER SHOP CITED
Ruling on Public Parking Space
May Set Precedent for
District.

sion Tor the erection OF new b1llDOarCS
in place of old ones occupying public
parking space in the vicinity OF New
York and Florida avenues northeast.
DR.. Luther H. Reichelderfer. 1t was
understood, agrees with the Engineer
Commissioner that new matters have
cropped up in connection with the case
which warrant further investigation.
Meanwhile, the application Of the Gen
eraT Outdoor Advertising Co. for its
long desired permit was being held up
in the ONCE Of Capt. Hugh P. Orem,
chief Of inspection in the Engineer De-
partment. It can be issued only on
express order of the Commissioners,
who have not acted. despite the assur-
ances previously given the billboard
company.
Commissioners to Meet.
The Commissioners were to hold a
regular board meeting today, but 1t was
not known whether the billboard Ques-
ton would be taken up again at this
time.
A new matter which came to light
served to strengthen the argument of
some Of the public interest groups that
the granting of a permit to erect new
billboards on the public parking in
volved would be discrimination wholly
! in favor of the sign company. Maj
Gotwals was particularly interested in
this phase
AS late as last January, a boiler ma
chine shop located in the same square
on which the disputed billboards form
fence was denied an occupancy per-
NIT because his shed occupied space on
the public parking
The question that arose in this case
it would appear. applies likewise to the
occupancy Of the same space by some
OF the General Co.'S billboards.
Occupied Public Space.
It was because some Of these same
billboardS on public space formed one
Of the walls Of the machine shop that
the occupancy permit was denied In
quiries into this case at the time de-
veloped the forgotten fact that many
of the billboards had been occupying
public space for years past. The ma
chine shop itself, it was learned. also
had been occupying the space for some
time.
The root of the whole trouble grow
ing out of the occupancy Of public park
ing space by the billboard fence dates
back, it was said, some 20 years or more
ago. The original concession for the
fence. which either then or later served
as an advertising medium. was granted
only temporarily during a certain period
Of construction work on what Is now
square ITO.
The fence at that time was erected
over the building line and still stands.
Col. Gotwals pointed out the denial
Of an occupancy permit to the boiler
machine shop undoubtedly had direct
bearing on the questions involved in
granting what would amount to an oc-
cupancy permit to the billboard COM
pany. He indicated. at least, that he
would like to go thoroughly into this
phase Of the question.
To deny a permit to one business
and grant one to another when the
principle involved in the two cases ap-
pear the same, would be a discrimina-
ton, he said. which would ultimately
serve to break down the effectiveness of
the sign regulations.
COMMISSIONER Reasons Given.
The question OF public parking in
volved, 1t Is understood, was not gone
into thoroughly at the recent board
meeting at which the billboard permit
was considered favorably
The chief factor in persuading the
Commissioners to agree to the plan ad-
vanced by the company and Maj. Dom
aid A. Dawson, Assistant Engineer Com
missioner, was based on two premises:
First, the new poster panel fence would
improve and conceal unSightly condi-
tions on the lots which they were pro-
posed to screen. Second, the concession
to the company was necessary II 1t Is
expected to live up to its agreement to
remove billboards from residential and
public building locations.
Neither one Of these two points IS
absolutely necessary, in the opinion OF
some of the public interest groups which
have been endeavoring to see the Dill
board regulations enforced with strict
impartiality as between individual busi-
ness houses and the organized billboard
industry.
Might Use Police Power.
The Commissioners, it was said, would
be within their rights in ordering the
boards down from public parking space
or set back behind the building line, or
they could exercise police powers, per-
haps in having some Of the undesirable
conditions remedied. In either event,
the concession of new billboards IN
place Of boards now nearly so per cent
deprecated would be a discrimination
in favor Of the billboard company De-
yond the intent of the sign regulations
or any agreement of Maj. Dawson and
the Sign Committee may have made
with the General Co.
Many of the billboards forming this
controversial fence are said to be rot
ting. Some were taken down recently
because of their dilapidated condition.
The props behind them, it was said, are
RAPIDLY wearing away.
The poster panels which the COM
pany desires to erect would be much
higher than the old fence and so
strongly erected as to last indefinitely.
nEIEHINIco ADDICT GO