Evening star., 1939-11-22
D. {. zoning Board
To Hear Appeal
On Gas Station
Northwest Citizens
Council Protests
EusIier Decision

The Board Of Zonlng Assessments
was scheduled to decide this after
noon whether to grant rehearing
of the bitterly contested case in
which it had granted permission to
the Blue Bell Realty Co. to estab-
lish a gasoline station on the west
side of Connecticut avenue near
Idaho avenue NV, a development
protested by officials of the North
west Citizens Council. Threats of
an appeal to court have been heard
should the board refuse rehearing:
The board was scheduled to act
on this case at the conclusion Of
today's public hearing on IA other
requests for variances or exceptions
from zoning regulations on other
properties. One of these was ex-
pected to create sharp contro-
versy, this being the request of the
Convent of Good Shepherd for per-
mission to erect a two-Story addi-
ton to its property at Thirty-sixth
and R streets NV. for use as a
laundry. Residents of the area ap-
peared at the hearing to register
protest on the ground that the en-
larged laundry service would be in
the nature of a commercial opera
ton.
Claim Right to Rehearing.
The board today received COM
munication from H. L. Colman,
president of the Northwest Citizens
Council, claiming the right to a re-
hearing on the grounds of new evi-
dence in the form of statement
by DR.. Lyman j. Briggs, director of
the Bureau of Standards, that the
bureau was opposed to establish
ment of gas station.
| The hearing on the Blue Bell ap-
plication was held September 20.
The communication received by the
board today showed that DR.. Briggs
had written on September 20 to the
Federal Works Agency stating, in
reply to a letter from that agency
on September 26, which referred to
letter from the president of the
Forest Hills Citizens Association,
that the bureau has entered verbal
protest against the project with the
Board of zoning Adjustments"
officials of the Adjustment Board
declared today that no member of
the board had received the verbal
protest from DR.. Briggs.
Wrote to Works Agency.
In his own letter to the board, Mr..
Colman stated:
Prior to the hearing the Bureau
of Standards through its director,
Lyman j. Briggs, verbally protested
to the board against the issuance of
the license in question. Several per-
sons interested in the matter were
told there was nothing in the record
| showing a protest from this source.
DR.. Briggs was informed of this and
wrote letter to the Federal Works
agency, copy of which is inclosed.
If the decision was rendered
without taking the protest of the
Bureau Of Standards into considera-
ton, then evidence of a most mate
rial nature has been excluded. The
ground of the Bureau of Standards
is practically contiguous to the site
in question and believe I can say
without contradiction that no mat
ter what improvements are erected
on the proposed site they will affect
the property of the Bureau of
Standards. They are certainly
party in interest and If their oppo-
sition is not in the record they
should be afforded the opportunity
to be heard together with several
others who, for extenuating circum-
stances, could not appear at the first
hearing"
Appeal Is Argued.
Nearly an hour was consumed at
the outset of the hearing over an
appeal by the G. & G. Properties,
Inc, for permission to use alley lots
at 3823-3825 Fourteenth street NV.
as plumbing and heating shop and
office The appeal was made by
Gilbert N. Keller and was opposed
by Francis L. Newbeck and other
residents.
Edgar Morris made a protest
against application by Frances r. G.
Francavilla for permission to estab-
lish an automobile service station
at 4036 Georgia avenue NV, on the
ground that it would damage the
values Of neighboring properties