Evening star., 1945-11-18
zoning Change
For Roomiing
Houses Planned
Amendments Would
Restore Bon in
Residential Areas
BY JOHN w. THOMPSON, Jr.

ny JoIAES W. 1nONuN SoINs JIs
Termination of the. wartime
privilege Of accepting roomers in
residential areas by the end of the
national emergency, but in any event
by December 81, 1916, will be con-
sidered by the Zoning Commission
which meets at 10 am. Wednesday.
Action on the rooming house plan
is contained in two proposed amend
mentS to the Zoning regulations
which would restore the current reg
ulation governing acceptance of up
to four roomers. and the rule on TAX
ing in more than four. Both of
these at present have different ex-
piration dates.
Zoning officials estimate some g.
900 persons now occupying rooms
in residential sections would be af-
fected.
TeIevision Towers to Be Discussed.
Also scheduled to come before the
commission are proposed amend
ments governing establishment OF
| television towers in residential areas,
and the twice-denied application Of
Defense Homes Corp. for change
in the zoning of the $11, ,000, 900 Nc
Lean Gardens development to per-
NIT continuation of certain existing
commercial establishments.
The commission will hear Is cases,
exclusive of the proposed amend
ments. Neither the amendments
nor the Mclean Gardens case, how
ever, will be considered before the
afternoon session which begins at
| 1:30 pm, it was stated.
Under a regulation adopted in
December, 1941, zoning regulations
were changed to meet the wartime
housing shortage, to permit persons
in residential "a" restricted and
semirestricted, to take in up to four
roomerS on certificate from the
building inspector, the privilege to
end upon the Presidents declara-
ton of termination of the present
emergency or on December 81, 1945,"
whichever is earlier.
Second Change Was Made.
On July %, 1912, second change
permitted persons in the restricted
areas to accept more than four
roomers upon approval by the Board
of Zoning Adjustment. This priv
ilege was to terminate within one
year after the cessation of hostilities
of the present war"
The proposed amendments on
| television would permit erection of
towers when the Board Of Zoning
Adjustment finds:
That the proposed location
and height will not damage the
use of neighboring property in
accordance with the coming reg
uIations and map.
That any part of the antenna
tower is removed from lot lines
/ by distance of at least one-sixth
of its height or is separated
from other property by an in
tervening street.
i That the proposed height Is
reasonably necessary" to give
satisfactory service to all parts
of the District.
That any transmission equip
ment to be housed in a resi-
Dental area is technically nee
essary for satisfactory and rea-
sonably economical transmits
sions.
Park Commission to Approve.
The adjustment board, under the
proposed language, also is supposed
to submit tower applications to the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission for "a report"
before granting the appeal. Also,
if the proposed height is greater
than that provided in the building
code of 1910, approval of the Com
missioners is required.
Permission has already been
granted the National Broadcasting
Co. to erect 350-foot tower at the
Wardman Park Hotel and applica-
ton for rehearing is pending on a
request for a 300-foot tower by the
Bamberger Broadcasting Co. at
Fortieth and Brandywine streets
NV.
Pending Federal Communications
Commission regulations call for a
minimum altitude of 500 feet above
prevailing area for television towers.
4 Findings that most Of the COM
mercially-zoned areas of the city
lie too low to be used for television
towers have prompted the proposed
changes to permit them in residen-
tial areas. A major interest of the
Planning Commission is to see that
they are not set up in parkland.
The Mclean Gardens case con-
Germs a restaurant, barber shop.
gift shop and laundry agency and
the proposed construction of a
neighborhood business center for
the big housing development now
operating on the site of the old
Friendship" estate of Mrs. Edward
B. Mclean.
j Request for change in coming
to permit operation of these estab-
lishments was denied in April and
action was started in Municipal
Court to force compliance and stop
the stores from operating. In June,
the Defense Homes Corp. offered to
abandon certain projects if they
could keep the restaurant. The
Commissioners on July gave them
80 days to close the beauty parlor,
barber shop, gift shop and laundry
agency, but on July IL, the zoning
Commission agreed to have a new
hearing.
/ War Fund Report
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