Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-08-07

zoning Board Studies
TeIeyision Tower Pleas
After Second Hearing
The Board of zoning Adjustment
has before it today for the second
time the controversial requests for
locating television towers in resi-
Dental areas.
The applications involved are
those of the National Broadcasting
Co. for a 350-foot tower on a 200-ft.
site behind the Wardman Park
Hotel and that of Bamberger Broad
casting Service, Inc, for a 300-foot
tower on a 406-foot site at Fortieth
and Brandywine streets NV.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission offered no
objection to the NBC site, which
the commission passed upon favor
ably in 1941, but recommended that
the board study very carefully the
necessity for a 300-foot tower for
Bamberger. 1t pointed out that
since Bamberger was on a higher
site than NBC, it might be able to
use 200-foot tower that would not
conflict with the Washington Cathe-
! dral.
Favor Earlier Site.
The report said that the previous
location sought by Bamberger at
Thirty -nlnth and Fessenden streets
NV. would not have affected the
Cathedral as much. The report,
signed by Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant,
III. chairman of the commission,
stated:
Washington Cathedral is an out
standing Landmark on the skyline as
viewed for distance of more than
a mile along the Mount Vernon
Memorial Highway, just south of
the airport. The former site for the
proposed television tower lay directly
behind the Cathedral as seen from
this point, but due to the more
distant location of the tower only
the topmost portion of the tower
would loom above the roof OF the
Cathedral.
This fact and the distance
would render 1t barely visible. The
new location, however, lies to the
west, with the result that it will
not be screened by the Cathedral
and more than half of its height
would loom above the skyline in
direct competition with the Ca
thedral itself"
Asks Fine Arts Study.
The commission said, however,
that the site proposed by Bam-
berger would have the minimum of
adverse effect on restricted resi-
Dental development. 1t asked that
the plans for the transmitter build
ing and landscaping be submitted
to the Fine Arts Commission in
order that it might blend with the
nearby Woodrow Wilson High
School.
/ Several residents of the area
bitterly complained that the tower
would be an eyesore and hazard
Gus to the area. Attorney Dean
Hill Stanley, representing several
home owners in the area, also pro-
tested the tower and said that
while the homes in the vicinity had
lower value than those at Thirty
ninth and Fessenden streets-the
location turned down by the Zoning
Board last month-the homes
meant just as much to their
owners.
George Davis, consulting engineer
Tor Hamburger, said the height re-
quested for Bamberger was neces-
sary and desirable. When he was
asked by board members why it
was necessary for Bamberger to
nave tower $50 feet higher above
sea level than NBC, Mr.. Davis re-
Piled that in his opinion the former
would give superior service. He
predicted that the 300-foot tower
proposed would give at least S Der
cent better service than a 2OO-foot
tower at the same location.
Sees Perfect TeIevision.
j. r. Poppele, chief engineer of
Bamberger's New York station.
WOR, and president of the Tele-
vision Broadcasters' Association.
Inc, testified that the 3O0-foot tower
would give perfect television recep-
ton In the Washington Metropol-
ltan area. The effective radius of
the tower would be 20 to Is miles.
he said, although those living on
high ground might receive tele-
vision signals 40 miles away. MIR.
Davis said there were a few places
in Washington that might not re-
ce1Ve perfect reception, even with
the 300-foot tower.
Earlier in the day, the Connecticut
Avenue Citizens Association and l..
Gardner Moore, general manager
and vice president of the Shoreham
Hotel, protested against MICS
plans for tower behind the Ward
man Park Hotel.
| Raymond Guy. radio facilities en-
gineer for NBC. and Andrew Ring,
consulting engineer for NBC, both
discounted the possibility that a
television transmitting tower would
blanket out" ordinary radio sets
IN that area. Mr.. Poppele and Mr..
Davis also discounted the possibil-
ity of interference from teleyision
towers, and both companies said
they would make any adjustments
necessary in radios if such inter-
ference did arise.