Evening star., 1944-01-06
Housing Code Battle
Due as zoning Council
Resumes Hearings
Commission to Consider
Citizens Petition for
Changes in Two Areas

to develop today as the Zoning
Commission resumed a hearing at
10 am. to consider a petition of the
Congress Heights Citizens Associa-
ton to change land within It's area
to "A" semirestricted to block low
cost multiple housing.
The commission also must con-
slider petition of the Bradbury
Heights Citizens Association to re-
zone land in its territory to "a" re-
stricted, also to prevent construc-
ton OF multifamily dwellings.
AS the hearing upon the Congress
Heights petition started late yes
terday afternoon, support of the re-
zoning move was led by Louis Gelb-
man, president of the association,
who said that his group was against
building OF multifamily dwellings.
Under questioning Of Robert E..
Lynch, representing several prop
erty owners in the area, Mr.. Gelb-
man denied that any racial issue
was involved and pointed out that
IS Negro families had originally
joined with $500 petitioners pro-
testing q proposed Negro low-cost
housing project OF the National
Capital Housing Authority.
Let's eliminate the question of
race said Commissioners Charles
w. Kutz and Guy Mason
IT don't want to mention it
either" rejoined Mr.. Lynch, "but
that's how 1t is.''
Here" said Mr.. Gelbman, "is
$500 names on a petition to pre-
vent low-cost housing in Congress
Heights. We didn't care whether
it was for white or colored. We
have raised no racial question and
we don't intend to-"
Again under questioning OF Roger
j. Whiteford, representing a con-
struction firm, discussion came back
to the racial issue when he asked
Mr.. Goldman about a protest to
Federal Housing Authority project
at Fifteenth and Alabama avenue
Sc. Mr.. Goldman again insisted
that his opposition was to the con-
struction Of more apartments. Mr..
Goldman said that a private con-
Germ now wished to construct IA
housing units for colored residents
in their area.
The Advisory Council on Zoning
took no stand on the Congress
Heights petition but asked the right
to submit an opinion after the hear
ing. Mr.. Goldman said that while
his association was in favor of good
housing" in their section and
throughout the city, the residents
of his area, including persons out
side the associations, did not want
additional apartments constructed
in their area.
Our association" Mr.. Gelbman
said, sis firmly convinced that there
are sufncient apartments in our
area. There Is no reason why the
Southeast section should be picked
upon for row upon row of houses,
garden developments or whatnot.
Ours Is a neighborhood Of home
owners who have had to struggle
to buy and build. The need for fam
lily dwellings is much greater than
that for multiple mass housing"
Earlier in the day considerable
opposition developed to a proposed
amendment to the zoning map max
ing properties located on the west
side Of Connecticut avenue, between
Macomb and Newark streets NV.
first commercial, instead of resi-
Dental &C." Mr.. Lynch and Harry
S. Wender, representing the Con-
necticut Avenue and Macomb In
vestment Corp. led the fight for
rezoning, while number of citizens
opposed it.
Various residents Of the area con-
tended that sufficient stores existed
in that part Of the city. Mr.. Wen
der heatedly denied an inference
made at the hearing that he had
tried to use his position as presi-
dent of the Federation OF Citizens
Associations to influence the officers
Of the Connecticut Avenue Citizens
Association in favor of the proposed
amendment.
In the morning part of the ses-
sion, the Zoning Commission heard
arguments on amendments to mod
| ify the definition OF the word build
ing" to permit construction of court
groups of buildings with division
walls from the ground to the roof
as single structures.