Evening star., 1944-01-18
Citizens Group
plans New Fight
|0n Zone RuIinq
Committee Meeting
Called Tonight in
Congress Heights

S"S's !"
Congress Heights
The Executive and Strategic Com
mittees of the Congress Heights
Citizens Association will meet to-
night at the Congress Heights
School to discuss the action of the
Zoning Commission yesterday in re-
jecting the petition Of the associa-
ton to rezone part of its area to
prevent construction of multi-fam-
lily dwellings.
I'VE have not given up the fight"
said j. Louis Goldman, president
Of the association, in announcing
that the committee would be called
together to discuss possible steps
to be taken.
The immediate effect of the petit
ton of the association would have
been to block the construction of
multi-family housing in part of Con-
greSs Heights. Mr.. Goldman denied
that these could be considered low
cost projects. since the monthly
rents ranged from SAB to $3.50 on
the various projects.
Bradbury Heights Delay.
| The commission deferred action
on similar petition of Bradbury
Heights, where additional multi
family housing is proposed. The
commission will reinspect the area,
and Mrs. Roosevelt announced at
her press conference yesterday that
'she also intended to visit Bradbury
Heights.
/ Mrs. Roosevelt discussed Negro
housing when asked if she intended
! to apologize to the Bradbury
Heights Citizens Association which
had objected to a statement in her
column that there was Bradbury
Heights opposition to erection Of
apartments in site 'in the center
OF a Negro residential district"
In It's report to the Zoning Com
mission on the Congress Heights
petition, the Zoning Advisory Coun-
Gil stated:
1T is apparent to the council that
the transition from what was at
one time real home area has all
ready set in for at least a portion
OF this community. Furthermore,
1t is evident that the home owners
have for some time acquiesced in
this continuing transition to a use
consisting with existing zoning,
otherwise efforts on the basis of a
comprehensive change of zoning to
prevent further intrusion and con-
version would have been made many
years ago.
Inconsistency" Charged.
Some of these same people,
themselves apartment house owners
by reason of erection or conversion
, within the area. now would prevent
others particularly those on the
fringe of this area, from utilizing
their property for the purpose for
which it is zoned. This position
is utterly inconsistent.
John Nolen, jr., of the National
, Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, dissented from the ma
jority opinion of R. o. Clouser,
execl1ive officer of the Zoning Com
miss.Sl. and Assistant Engineer
Commissioner Joseph D. Arthur, jr.,
in preparing the council report.
In discussing the possibility of
establishing a new district in the
most recently developed part of
Congress Heights, the majority of
the council stated that the "crea-
; tlon Of a new, comprehensive dis
trict would be impossible in that
q CT tu-N Of re Il i
OF necessity be entirely arbitrary,
capricious, and without foundation
, IN planning practice or reason"
Petition Filed Too Late.
!, The council can only conclude. :"
5 the majority report continued, that
the petition of the Congress Heights
Citizens Association has been filed
too late, and under the circum-
stances a recommendation for de-
NAL is the only logical conclusion"
The council reported to the zon-
ing commission. however. that it was
not Impressed with the general
proposition that the existence of
zoning classification over period
OF 20 years prevents its change to
some other classification. It ar
gued IF the Commission has the
power to impose zoning restrictions
IN the first instance, it certainly
now not only has the authority but
the duty to bring its plan to date"
1t said, however, that such a plan
must bear "a reasonable relation to
the facts and that it must be in
accordance with comprehensive
plan"
! The commission also rejected pro-
posed amendments to the coming
regulations which would have per-
: mitted family dwellings, apartments,
; flats and tenements, with division
walls from the ground up, to be
considered one building, rather than
number of buildings with separate
sewer and water facilities. Mr..
Clouser said that a committee of
l6 architects, lawyers and builders
are now studying wording for a new
amendment and that in the mean
, while each application of builders
for such multi-family dwellings
would be considered individually by
the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
Other Decisions Made,
Other decisions of the commits
sion follow:
Voted to change from residential
to first commercial land at 1904 K
: street NV.
Voted against change from resi-
dental to commercial property on
the east side of Forty-second street,
between Grant and Foote street
NE.
Rejected move to change from
residential to commercial land on
the west side of Connecticut ave-
nue., between Macomb and Newark
streets NV.
Refused to change property Of
the Cafritz Co. on Naylor road near
the District line from commercial
to residential; allowed a petition
by Waverly Taylor to build a shop
ping center near Thirteenth street
and Naylor road Sc. but refused