Evening star., 1936-11-22
PLEA TO CONGRESS
To AMEND LAWS
ON z0N|NG LIKELY
Study of District and U. S.
officials Expected to
Changes.
LAND SUBDIVISION
ALSO IS CONSIDERED
Extensive Revamping Of Regula-
tions Due If Report Wins
Approval.
BY DON s. WARREN.

BY DUN ). WARkEN.
Important amendments to the Zon-
ing act, intended to modernize its
provisions and close gaps which have
come to light during its Is years of
operation, may be recommended to
Congress at the forthcoming session,
as result of studies being conducted
by District and Federal officials.
Extensive revamping of District
regulations dealing with land sub
division, coming and building also may
be ordered for the same reasons if
the Commissioners approve suggestions
expected to be made by the Official
group.
Proposals for changes in Roth the
coming act and in municipal regula-
tions are expected to result from the
work of committee, named December
80 Of last year by the Commissioners.
The studies are expected to be COM
pleted in time for action in the next
session of Congress. The work so far
as brought into focus many Of the
faults in the coming code recognized
at times during the last Is years.
ncSutdtlOHS t1OuSe- rouge.
Present District coming regulations
were characterized yesterday as a
'hodge-podge" by Capt. Hugh P.
Dram, executive officer of the Zoning
Commission, who also is director of
inspection for the District
1T should be remembered that the
District was one of the pioneer cities
consequence. sometimes the very OBJ
jectives of zoning now are defeated
by reason of the present statement of
zoning regulations. Some changes
should be made. Also there is need
for revision of subdivision, building
and zoning regulations"
For one thing, Capt. Dram ex-
planned, proposed changes in zoning
regulations, even when initiated by
the commission, must be advertised
for public hearing 10 days after a
public notice is published.
In hundreds of cases, builders have
learned of the proposal to place new
restrictions of properties from these
notices and have applied for permits
for structures which later were
banned. The District has been help
less to prevent issuance Of these per-
nits."
Will Urge Amendment.
He said he would urge that the law
be amended to permit the District
to refuse permits in such cases, when
q legal notice is given of hearing
on a proposal coming change, until
after the commission has acted on the
proposed change.
AS an illustration, he said permits
for a whole block of apartment houses
were obtained for Forty-seventh street
near Tilden street, after publication
of a proposed change in coming which
was intended to prevent just such
types of development. Later, large
area was placed in a restricted CLASH
fication, forbidding apartment hous-
ing construction, but too late to stop
the project for which permits had
been obtained
Two nationally known experts on
Soning and city planning have been
called on for advice by the commit
tee, through the cooperation Of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. They are Harland
Bartholomew of ST. Louis. who has
advised the District previously on
coming problems, and Alfred Bettman,
who has served as director of the
National Conference on City Plan
ming.
Members Of the investigating group,
In addition to Capt. Dram, are
Vernon E. West, principal assistant
corporation counsel; John Nolen, jr,
city planner of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, and
Edward Dent, District surveyor.
Changes Held Necessary.
This group was requested by the
Commissioners to consider needed
changes in subdivision, zoning and
building regulations, particularly to
eliminate inconsistencies between the
three types of rules, and to suggest
any further changes in subdivision
rules which might prove desirable.
Study Of these factors, Capt. Dram
said. has led to the question of amend
ment of the zoning code itself.
Capt. Dram and other zoning Off
cials recognize that one of the original
mistakes in coming here was to fail to
establish at the beginning different
classiflcations for apartments, de-
tached dwellings and two-family
residences.
within two years after coming was
started here this fault came to light
and later the commission created the
A-restricted, the A-semi-restricted and
the B-restricted areas, but much dam
age already had been DONE" Capt
Dram said. Because the District was
one Of the pioneers in zoning such mis-
takes were inevitable. 1t Is too late
to try to rezone the whole city, but
future damage can be avoided if we
can effect wise changes in coming and
other rules on the basis of 16 years of
experience"
Study on Subdivision Rules.
The committee has about concluded
its study Of subdivision rules, and
numerous suggested changes are ex-
pected to. be outlined. AS one ex-
ample, he cited the fact that subdi-
vision regulations now permit the di-
vision of q tract of land into small
lots, even as narrow as IA feet in
width. And yet, he explained, the
Eoning regulations for the same terri
tory may not allow residential de-
velopment which would require a lot
Of no less than "A feet in width. This
means home developers must buy as
T~kr
Is an odd lot left over which can be
used for no separate purpose, unless
the zoning Is changed. The commit