Evening star., 1945-05-06
Building Inspector
Asked to Delay
Issuing Permits
BY DON s. WARREN.

BY DON S. WARREN.
Seeing "far-reaching implication
in what is being attempted here,
Chairman Randolph of the HouS,
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 a question q
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 FHA approval of priori-
ties were filed last Thursday with
the District Committee by civit
spokesmen for Greater Woodbridge
who contended the construction o.
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.
sMr. Randolph announced his com.
mittee would make a prompt inves-
tigation of "the whole issue" an6
sent a 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 prewal
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 house.
was estimated at $4,000, which the
Woodbridge civic spokesmen declared
would be far less than the value.
of existing homes in the community
There was protest also that tn,
prospective builder planned to re.
duce the frontages of the presen
lots on the site from so feet to n
or 43 feet.
Future Values Is factor.
In a letter to Gen. Oehmann
Chairman Randolph said:
Individual owners of lots canno
build a dwelling of design which
would fit into the community o.
which they would desire to have fol
their permanent home. 1t woule
seem there are far-reaching irnpli.
cations in what is being attempted
here in connection with future val.
ues of this housing and property.
Il 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 t.
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 a 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"
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 nc
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 'FHA 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 anc
values of an established commun.
ity."
NJ