Evening star., 1942-05-27
Boarding House
zoning Change
Protest Grows
Measure Unneeded,
Witnesses Soy
During Hearing

The bill to amend the District
zoning act to permit boarding and
rooming houses in restricted and
semirestricted areas to relieve the
housing congestion was strongly
opposed at a continuation today of
the subcommittee hearing conducted
by Representative Hebert, Demo-
crat, of Louisiana.
Every witness heard, including
zoning and housing authorities, op-
posed the bill and testified that the
Zoning Commission already has
sufficient authority to relax zoning
regulations as soon as the emer-
gency need is shown.
At the conclusion of the hear
ing, Chairman Hebert himself en-
phasized that the testimony had
shown that 1T is entirely possible
in special instances for the Zoning
Commission to handle problems that
may arise without bothering Con-
gresS."
IeStl1y on GrOupS ROVER.
Among those who testified that
the Zoning Commission has the
authority and the willingness to ease
zoning regulations in the emergency
were:
David Lynn, architect of the Cap
itol and member of the Zoning
Commission.
Engineer Commissioner Kutz,
member of the Zoning Commission.
John Nolen, jr., director of plan
ming, National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and a member
of the District Board of Zoning
Adjustment, introduced a letter
which the commission had received
from Harlan Bartholomew, consult
ing engineer on zoning problems
of st. Louis, who protested that
such legislation would easily cause
blighted residential sections here.
Injustice to Many.
Thomas Settle, executive secre.
tary of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, said that
a small benefit for a very few per-
sons through legislation might re-
suit in grave injustice to many per-
sons and endanger the development
of the Capital, and that Congress
could save itself much work by
granting the District Commissioners
and the Zoning Commission author
ity to handle minor problems.
Mrs. Helen Duey Hoffman, execu-
tive director of the War Housing
Association.
Leon Pretzfelder, chairman of the
Zoning Committee of the Federation
of Citizens Associations, also repre-
senting the Connecticut Avenue
Citizens Association.
Mrs. L. B. Wright, representing
the Northwest Citizens Counsel.
w. E, Hoffheim, District Fedora
ton of Federal Employees and the
Piney Branch Citizens Association.
Problem Linked to Transport.
The problem of opening private
residences for accommodation of
war workers is closely related with
the question of transportation, prac-
tically all of these witnesses said.
Mr.. Nolen said the Park and Plan
ming Commission, since Pearl Har-
Dor. has been intensively seeking
solution of the housing problem in
an endeavor to help provide ade-
uuate accommodations for war work.
ers.
He showed chart which indi-
Gated that if the proposed bill were
passed "it would not do enough good
in comparison with the damage that
1t would do"
He pointed out that the areas
which would be opened up for
boarding and rooming houses under
the pending bill are mostly fringe
properties considerable distance
out from the Government buildings.
He gave as the opinion of the Plan
ming Commission and the Zoning
Commission that the problem can
be best handled as it develops by
the zoning Commission.