Evening star., 1943-04-17
Planners 0. K.
Two Temporary
Housing Units
Developments in Sc.
Will Provide Quarters
For pa Families
By NELSON M. SHEPARD.


Sites and plans for two new tenn
porary housing projects in the
Southeast section for the accommo-
dation of 224 families in semi-de-
tached units were approved by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission late yesterday. They
will be built by the Alley Dwelling
Authority
One project on. Nichols avenue is
to be located just north of ST.
EliZabeth's Hospital 1t will consist
of 164 apartment units of one and
two stories.
The other, at Alabama avenue
and Naylor road will accommodate
60 families. 1t is planned in units
of eight and six each. forming
horseshoe. The central group will
be tWo.story apartments, the re-
mainder one story.
Winding up its April session. the
Commission took under advisement
report from the Federation of
Citizens Associations. urging that
Washington be designated a "criti-
cal housing area" by Congress. The
report was transmitted by John H.
Deckman, chairman of the Fedora
tions Housing and Rent Control
Committee. Copies will be made
available to each member of the
Federal group for study between
now and the next monthly meeting,
when it is possible action may be
taken.
Earlier Recommendation Adopted.
The Federation adopted at a re-
cent meeting recommendation of
the report calling for a congressional
investigation for verification of the
facts set forth by Mr.. Deckman's
committee and the formulation of a
policy putting all it's recommends
tions into effect.
These recommendations were:
The complete elimination of in
migrant restrictions governing the
eligibility of war housing.
A return to the original pe~na-
nent housing program of the Alley
Dwelling Authority.
That Washington be officially
designated as critical housing
area, requiring all Federal agencies
dealing with priorities and alloca-
ton of materials to make available
necessary materials and permission
to construct permanent housing in
the manner suggested in this re-
port
Removal or modification of pres
ent building limitations so as to
permit additional bedroom capacity
to be built into such units as are
constructed and so that additional
units now unavaila BILE because of
zcnlng, restricted covenants and
economics, can be utilized.
That the savings in the net
amounts of critical materials and
manpower through permanent hous-
ms IN this particular area where
non-crltlcal permanent housing ma
terlal and labor are available. be
effected by elimination of further
| construction of temporary family
housing units
Vote to Appeal Zoning Case.
The recent opinion of the United
States District Court in the Po-
retsky zoning case, which the Fed
eral planning group considered
reverse for its ideas of proper zc=l-
ing. came up for consideration. AS
result. it recommended to the
Zonlng Commission that it take
steps to appeal the decision of the
lower court
The court had declared that the
1871 rezoning of the property in
volved north of Sixteenth and
Shepherd streets NV should be
set aside so as to permit the erec-
tlon of an apartment
The Planning Commission always
has felt that the area northward
should be restricted in view of the
fact that coming regulations per-
mitted such buildings to the south.
1t also approved for submission
to the Zoning Commission a re-
vised phraseology for the present
special exception" in regulations
permitting the Board of Adjust
ment to allow the establishment of
educational institutions in residen-
tia' districts under certain condi-
| tions.
How the planners proposed to
change the phraseology so as to
bar institutions that are not bona
tlde schools or colleges was not dis
closed in advance. A substitute had
been worked out which it felt meets
previous objections raised to earlier
| proposed amendments.