Evening star., 1944-11-15
Grant Disagrees
With Builders
Over zoning
Planning Chuirmon
Seeks to Tighten
Height Restrictions


Maj. Gen. U. 8. Grant III, chair
man OF the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, and at
torneys for private builders disagreed
today at . Zoning Commission hear.
ing over amendments to zoning reg
ulations designed to tighten restric.
lions on height Of buildings.
Gen. Grant supported an amend
ment which would limit q 1l0-foot
building to 10 stories. The existing
regulations do not specify the num-
Der Of stories allowed.
In the case of 130-foot buildings
Of II stories, Gen. Grant favored the
Inclusion of fire sprinkler tanks,
water towers and housing for air
conditioning equipment all within
the total Of 100 feet. With water
towers and other equipment now on
top Of IL stories. he pointed out.
one building in the city is 100 feet
high.
Clouser Opposes Tightening.
r. o. Clouser of the Zoning Ad-
visory Council dissented from q re-
port Of the Advisory Council back
ing the Tightening of the height reg
ulations. He argued that in effect
the net result of floor area lost to
builders erecting 110-foot structures
is two full floors, and in the 130-
foot buildings q loss of approxi-
mately one floor"
Private builders were represented
by Attorneys James c. Wilkes and
Ringgold Hart. Mr.. Wilkes argued
that the effect of the amendments
would be to reduce density" in the
business section and pointed out
that this might threaten the present
tax structure. He told the commits
sion that more than half the Dis
trict's taxes come within a radius
Of few blocks OF F street down.
town.
Gen. Grant, however, main
tanned that a study of the District
disclosed that in the 110-foot area
only IL per cent of the buildings
reached ITO feet. The actual ex-
perience, he said, shows no demands
for additional height.
At yesterdays hearing Gen. Grant
joined prominent residents of the
Dupont Circle area in opposing a
change of zoning for construction
of an eight-story apartment hotel
on the site of the famous Letter
mansion at 1900 New Hampshire
avenue NV
Gen. Grant appealed to the COM
mission "for the sake of the city at
large to refuse the application.
Others Protest.
An attack on the projected hotel
plan also was made by Attorney r..
H. Yeatman, representing Mrs.
Eleanor Patterson, Is Dupont Cir
Gle: Miss Mabel T. Boardman, 1901
P street NV; Mrs. s. r. HIT, 1901
New Hampshire avenue NV, and
the Sulograve Club.
Gen. Grant described the proposed
change in zoning as an encroach-
ment on the few areas that are left
for residential purposes. Claiming
that the city already had sufficient
90-foot residential coming areas, Gen.
Grant said that to 60 outside those
areas to help one landowner de
tracts from value of land of neigh
bors."
Mr.. Wilkes, attorney, represent
ing Alvin l.. Aubinoe, architect
OF the proposed hotel, pointed out
that under existing zoning regula :
tions an eight-story hotel could be
built on the site.
John Nolen, jr., director of plan-
ming Of the Park and Planning
Commission, dissented from a ma :
jority opinion of the zoning Advis-
ory Council, which backed the re-
quested change in height limitations.
He said he opposed it not only "be-
cause 1t Is spot zoning, but also it is
the first step in a program for
further changes which are contrary
to a logical and desirable height
plan for the territory along New
hampshire avenue.
Occupied by MAC.
The Letter mansion at present is
occupied by the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics, which
has been informed that it may oc-
cupy the site until the end OF the
war.
The apartment-hotel would be of
glass, limestone and brick. The
Advisory Council expressed opposi-
ton to the request of the proposed
builder for commercial coming on
the part Of the property abutting
Nineteenth street NV. Mr.. Wilkes
disagreed with opponents of the ho-
tel who claimed it would add to the
already congested traffic at Dupont
Circle, pointing out that an under.
pass Is planned for Dupont Circle.