Evening star., 1940-03-01
Parkway Tract
Rezoning Hints
Legal Battle E..
National Park Service
Studies Action by
Alexandra Council

AeXonOTI0 NOunCII
Indications were strong today that
the city of Alexandria soon may find
itself involved in a legal battle with
the United States Government as a
result of action of the Alexandria
City Council in rezoning a tract of
land occupied by the Potomac Clay
Works from residential "A" to in
dustrial "E."
Under an agreement the National
Park Service, which administers the
Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
and park land adjacent to it, has
with Alexandria, the latter agrees to
limit zoning along Washington
street, including any extension
thereof to commercial and residen-
tial zoning only for a distance of
200 feet back from Washington
street on either side.
In return, the Park Service and
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission agreed to allow
the highway to run through Alex
andria instead of skirting its limits,
thereby permitting local business
interests to profit from the increased
tourist trade and generally increased
property values.
Change Approved Tuesday.
Tuesday night the City Council,
IN the face of the agreement, grant,
ed a rezoning request to change ~
acres OF land, on which the Potomac
Clay Works is situated and which
ADULTS on the Memorial highway for
distance of $50 feet, from the resi-
dental to the industrial zoning.
The property is of irregular shape.
reaching to $50 feet back from the
highway and being bounded on the
north by Slater's lane and on the
south by the right-of-way of the
Washington and Old Dominion
Railway. 1t lies to the east of the
highway Immediately north of
where the w. & o. D. track crosses
the highway north of the traffic cir
Gle.
On the assessment map of the
city the property is listed to C. C..
Lamond.
The Park and Planning Commits
sion and the Park Service previ-
ously have joined in protesting Wig
orously any change in the zoning
OF the property. Last May they for
warded a letter to the city council
containing excerpts of the agree
ment applicable to the case in point
AS late as January 30 the commits
sion and the Park Service answered
a communication from the city
council, stating that it had before it
an application requesting a zoning
change for the property in question
Agreement Quoted.
The first communication quoted
the agreement as follows:
"The city hereby agrees to zone
Washington street, including any
extension thereof which may be
made =, so as to bar therefrom
and from unimproved property with
in distance of 200 feet on each side
thereof, all billboards or other ad-
vertising signs or devices facing in
the direction of Washington street,
except where attached to the build
Ing in which the business advertised
Is conducted, and to restrict the said
street to residential and business
development of such character and
OF such types of building as will be
In keeping with the dignity, purpose
and memorial character of said
highway"
A. E. Demaray, acting director of
the Park Service at that time, wrote
In the letter:
1T thus appears that frontage on
Washington street is confined by
the agreement to residential and
business uses only, thus excluding
industrial AS the property in
question -" . fronts on Washington
street at a very prominent location,
zoning change permitting it's use
for industry would be in violation
OF the terms of the agreement"
The other portion of the agree
ment quoted in the communication
is:
The city hereby agrees that 1t
will enact any and all ordinances,
and do any and all things necessary
to carry into effect this agreement,
and that it will enact no ordinance
nor take any other action which will
be in conflict herewith or contrary
to the purpose and intent hereof"
On January 80. Arno B. Cammerer,
director of the Park Service and ex-
ecutive officer of the Park and Plan
ming Commission. wrote:
'"The commission National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission)
respectfully requests that the City
Council reaffirm its previous action
In accordance with the terms of the
agreement by denying the applica-
ton"
The Park Service today did not
indicate what action it would take
In the matter. but it was learned
that the zoning change was being
given careful study.
One course open to the Park Serv-
Ice is to take the matter to the Fed
eral courts, seeking an order re-
straining the city of Alexandria from
making a change in violation of the
agreement.