Evening star., 1934-06-09
z0N|NG GRANTED
AFTER 9 DEN|A[S
Columbia Road Property
Given Commercial Status
After ID Years.

Rejected nine times previously, dur
ing a period Of IA years, a petition
for a commercial classification of prop
erty on the south side OF Columbia
road between Mozart place and Sew
enteenth street, where group OF
stores was built originally in violation
of the zoning regulations, was ap-
proved late yesterday by the Zonlng
Commission.
Since 1920 owners of the apartment
house property there have been seek
ing change in Zoning to legalize use
of stores built on the first floor OF the
property, and victory came after the
property had changed hands and In
the tenth case to be brought before
the commission.
The building was erected by Mrs.
Annie Stearman, on property re-
stricted to residential use. Stores. in
stead of apartments, were laid out on
the first floor and for this reason the
District refused to issue an occupancy
permit. The case was taken to Dis
trict Supreme Court. which upheld
the decision of the District.
Petitions Rejected.
In succeeding years the zoning COM
mission refused to approve petitions
for granting a commercial status TO
the property. In 1880 the property
had passed into the hands of B. R.
English and his petition for rezoning
was refused.
About that time the commission
adopted a rule that when a petition
had been denied one year must elapse
before a rehearing could be held,
where petition had twice been de-
MED two years must elapse. ana
where a petition had been denied
three times, four years must pass be-
fore another hearing.
Thus it was that the tenth hearing
was held this week and yesterday
portion of the petition, affecting this
particular property was approved
The commission, however, refused to
approve change from residential to
first commercial use for properties in
the same block held by Marie Won Un-
schuld-Lazard and Thomas H. Reyn-
olds and one parcel held by English.
Albert N Conner is an owner of a
portion of the Columbia road property
granted a commercial status.
The commission rejected an appli-
~cation for changing from residential
to first commercial the classification
of property at 932 M street, which
would have permitted a "non-con-
forming" store there to obtain a
license to sell beer. The place for
merly had a 80 beer license, which
expired recently after enactment of
the liquor law. The property Is
owned by Robert N. Harper, prominent
in financial circles.
Change Is Denied.
Petition for granting commercial
Eoning to property at 190O-l902 N
street and 1912 Nineteenth street,
diagonally opposite the site of the old
British embassy, now the location OF
q filling station, was denied.
The following changes were ap-
proved by the commission.
Increasing the height limit from 80
to 110 feet on the commercial prop
erty at 1917 I street, held by the
National Savings & Trust Co. as truS-
tee for the estate of Jane A. Riggs.
Change from residential to first
commercial, property at 1920 Thir-
teenth street; change from residential
to commercial, property at 500 Mary
land avenue southwest: change from
residential to commercial, property in
square 982, located near 1888 and 735
Eleventh street northeast conditional
upon dedication of land for alley pur-
poses; change from residential to
commercial, a portion of property at
3440 Eleventh street, and change from
residential to second commercial use,
property at the dead end of First
street, south of @ street northeast.
40S-41O First Street.
The Commission declined to change
from first to second commercial use
the property at 408 and 410 First
street southeast, but will permit ex-
tension of the rear of the building
to provide loading facilities to halt
similar use at the front of the build
ing.
Change residential "a" restricted
area to residential "a" area for a
large portion of property lying north
of the line of Whittier place, roughly
between Georgia avenue and Four
teenth street, will be granted by the
zonmg body if proposed extensive
changes in the highway plan are
approved by the District Commission
ers and the Park and Planning Com
mission. These include dedication of
land for the Whittier place, closing of
Aspen street in this area, and closing
OF the dead ends of Thirteenth and
Fourteenth streets, south of Walter
Reed Hospital.