Evening star., 1945-05-06
Rando|phMoves
Ban Low-Cost
Homes Project
Building Inspector
Asked to DeIoy
Issuing Permits
BY DON s. WARREN,

issuing refmItS
BY DON s. WARREN.
Seeing "far-reaching implications
In what Is being attempted here"
Chairman Randolph Of the House
District Committee acted yesterday
to block a permanent type Of "low-
cost" housing project for Northeast
Washington for which a private
builder has obtained priorities clear
ance from the Federal Housing
Administration.
Involved in the case, Mr.. Ran.
dolph indicated, was question as
to whether the FILA was extend
ing" its wartime emergency powers
on housing for war workers to cover
development of a permanent type
which would impair the future
values Of residential areas and de-
stroy individual investment"
Bitter protests against the prof.
ect and the FILA approval of priori-
ties were filed last Thursday with
the District Committee by civic
spokesmen for Greater Woodbridge,
who contended the construction Of
10 cheap, inferior" houses planned
for the 5000 block of Seventeenth
place NE. threatens the character
Of our community and the value
of our homes"
To Investigate Issue.
Mr.. Randolph announced his com.
mittee would make prompt inves-
tigation OF "the whole issue" and
sent formal request to Brig Gen.
John w. Oehmann, building inspec-
tor, to withhold the granting Of per-
mits for the houses until the COM
mittee study is completed.
Because of the question of relative
property values involved in the case,
Mr.. Randolph also called on Charles
j. Rush, secretary of the Washing.
ton Real Estate Board, to supply
data on the values of comparable
properties under present-day condi-
tions and those prevailing in prewar
years.
The proposed development on Sew
enteenth place would be adjacent
to the Taft Junior High School,
the Franciscan Monastery and the
Holy Name College. The cost of con-
struction for each of the 10 houses
was estimated at $4,000, which the
Woodbridge civic spokesmen declared
would be far less than the values
of existing homes in the community.
There was protest also that the
prospective builder planned to re-
duce the frontages of the present
lots on the site from go feet to 40
or 43 feet.
Future Values Is factor.
In a letter to Gen. Oehmann,
Chairman Randolph said:
Individual owners of lots cannot
build a dwelling of design which
would fit into the community or
which they would desire to have for
their permanent home. 1t would
seem there are far-reaching impli-
tcations in what is being attempted
here in connection with future VAL
ues of this housing and property.
T II realize that under the impact
of war conditions it was necessary
to compromise in many cases where
the Government has built tempo
rary types of structures.
This case however, would indi-
cate an effort is being made to
build = homes that do not fit into
the general community scheme.
Thus, the war emergency authority
given under the necessity for imme-
diate housing for war workers,
would be extended to include perma-
nent construction which would i'm
pair the future values of residential
areas and destroy the individual in
vestment."
Information Is Presented.
Mr.. Randolph said he was much
impressed" by information which
had been presented by representa-
tives of the civic organizations.
These included William I. Peeler,
chairman of Committee on Homes
for the Greater Woodbridge area;
Bernard T. Dodder, president Of
the Burroughs Citizens Association;
w. A. Eisenhart, vice president Of
the Rhode Island Avenue Citizens
Association; Benjamin F. Taylor and
Jesse Jameson of the Burroughs
group and John J. Donnelly. jr,
attorney for the Woodbridge Com
mittee on Homes.
| Mr. Randolph said in his letter
to Gen. Oehmann: 1T is my un-
derstanding that the size of lots
sold were planned to conform to
the overall permanent design for
housing comparable in this Sec
ton. The Federal Housing Admin
istration application filed with your
Office, however, indicates a reduc-
ton in size of individual lots to
that of two lots subdivided to pro-
vide sites for three houses"
Woodbridge Citizens Protest.
The Woodbridge citizens, in their
protest to Mr.. Randolph, said:
This builder was cleared by FILA
for priorities with the War Produc-
ton Board and given permission to
build, by FILA, with absolutely no
consideration of the inevitable and
irreparable injurious effect of such
low-cost emergency housing on the
character and value of our per-
manent homes. FHA did not con-
slider this factor because it is ad-
mittedly not interested in it. FHA
is only concerned with whether this
builder owned piece of land, re-
gardleSs of where, and whether he
would conform to war construction
housing standards.
If FdA or any other Government
agency wants to build or permit the
building Of low cost houses in the
District, there is ample land avail
able without destroying homes and
values of an established commune
ity."
B0Ifin7ore Marker