Evening star., 1941-11-26
Housing Project
In Alexandra
Opposed
Capacity Throng
OverfIows Council
Rooms; No Vote Token
b. a Staff Correspondent of The Star.

By a Staff Correspondent of The Star
ALEXANDRIA, Va, Nov 26-
After listening TO arguments for and
against the proposed $1,000 900 hous-
ing project IN the Seminary road
section for nearly two hours last
night the City Council recessed un-
til December without reaching
decision.
The largest crowd in the memory
of Council members forced moving
the meeting from the Council cham
Der to the Corporation Court room,
where it filled the aisleS and over
flowed into the hallway an hour and
a half before the opening of the
hearing on the petition of the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. to
reZone 187-acre tract in the north
west part of the city to permit con-
struction of a l,600-unit housing
project.
After spokesmen for the North
Ridge Citizens Association, sponsors
of the turnout in protest against the
rezoning, had finished, Mayor Will
liam T. wilkins, without mentioning
any names. warned that the bar
rage" of telephone calls with which
he and other members of the Coun-
Gil had been besieged during the last
week savored of Hitler methods"
and would not influence the Coun-
ellis decision.
We will not be coerced by either
side in this case" he declared.
Quality of Project Defended.
A J. Eken. technical adviser OF
| the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co,
| introduced by Gardiner L. Boothe,
described the project as resi-
dence park" which would add 10
the beauty of the neighborhood and
would not detract from the values
of nearby single-family dwellings in
the Beverly Hills area adjoining
the site along one side.
Only about II per cent of the en-
tire site would be occupied by dwell
ings, and space has been set aside
| for swimming and wading pools.
tennis courts and other recreational
facilities for various age groups, Mr..
Eken said. A site for a school and
/ playground also has been provided
| for in the plans he stated.
Occupants will be limited TO fam
lilies with incomes between $4,000
and $4,000 a year and rents will
range from S45 to S75 a month. ac-
cording to Mr.. Eken. All buildings
will be two stories high and OF
f1reproof construction along winding
streets 120 feet wide, he said The
general plan will be to have the
service entrances facing the streets
and the living rooms and bedrooms
fronting the park areas on the side
away from the streets, he explained.
Some OF the buildings will have
apartments on the first and second
floors. but most will be two-xtory
dwellings of the row type with
individual entrances, he stated.
To Be ElabOrately Landscap ped.
The entire area will he elaboratelv
Handicapped and the setback on the
Beverly Hills side will be from 100
TO 300 feet. he stated The buildings
as now planned If the rezoning is
granted. Mr.. Eken pointed out,
would be assessed at more than So
100000. II the rezoning is not
granted. the company will be forced.
under the present regulations. to
build single-family homes costing
about $4,000 each. The total assess
ment for 1000 to 1900 such homes
that could be built on the site would
aggregate only about s4,5OO,OoO he
declared.
Spokesman for the North Ridge
Citizens Association claimed the
project would constitute "low-cost"
housing that would materially de-
preciate residential values in the
area. William Warne. a former as
Sociation president, said he had been
advised priorities could not be OBJ
tanned for materials if the rents
were to be higher than $50 a month.
Wesley R. Nelson and Harold Whit
more stressed the cost of water and
sewer services and said that a new
school would be required for that
area If the l,600-unit project were
permitted.
Leo P. Harlow presented a petition
ne said bore 1.052 names of property
owners in the Northwest section who
; opposed changing the coming to
permit construction of the project.
Glenn Richard. president of the as
sociatlon, asked that equal time be
given both sides at the recessed
meeting next week.
The Council. before the hearing on
the Metropolitan company applica-
ton, approved rezo1ing a tract on
the northeast corner Of Franklin
and South Columbus streets from
residential to commercial and voted
to submit to a referendum a pro-
posal made by a group of Alexandria
ministers that sale Of beer and light
wine be banned on Sundays.