Evening star., 1946-02-21
Public Hearing
Called on Fairfax
Courthouse Plan
Stote Fine Arts Body
Says Addition Will
Hurt Appearance

Tne Fairfax County supervisors
yesterday voted to hold a public
hearing on the proposal to construct
two additional wings to the present
Courthouse Office Building at Fair
fax. The date for the hearing will
be announced within the next 10
days.
This action was taken after the
board discussed the report of the
State Fine Arts Commission, which
expressed the opinion that the pres
ent plans for the addition would
detract from the appearance of the
old Courthouse Building.
The board also conferred with de-
partment heads, including Circuit
Court Clerk Thomas P. Chapman,
jr.: County Treasurer Lewis M. Coy
ner and Commissioner of Revenue
James U. Kincheloe. While the
three men cited the need for addi-
tional Office space, they did not make
any commitments as to the advisa-
bility of proceeding with the present
plan. They pointed out that they
were not qualified to pass on the
architectural design of the proposed
building.
Opposed by Civic Groups.
Opposition to the addition has
been voiced by the Fairfax County
Bar Association, the Fairfax Rotary
Club and several other civic Or
ganizations who contend that the
addition as designed would detract
from the appearance of the court
house and the courthouse green.
Board members said all residents in
the county interested in the project
will be asked to attend the hearing.
The estimated cost of the project
as planned is s160,000 and the
fund has been appropriated for this
purpose. In the event some plan
is agreed on it is proposed to break
ground for the new building this
spring. The two new wings would
provide office space for the county
clerk, county treasurer, county
school board, health department,
agricultural and home demonstra-
ton agents, and the board of super
visors.
: A resolution was adopted by the
board approving legislation now
pending in the General Assembly
appropriating additional funds for
secondary highways. 1t also re-
quested the State Health Depart
ment to give consideration to the
establishment in Fairfax County of
one of the six health centers pro-
posed for the State. and disapproved
a bill permitting the State to COL
lect all dog license taxes and pay
all claims against the dog tax fund
Act on Rezoning Pleas.
Three applications for rezoninz
were approved by the board and
one denied. Applications of Harry
K. Smith and Corbin T. and Florence
L. Baker, Mount Vernon district
and Lenna M. Howard, Falls Church
district, to rezone certain tracts OF
land from rural residential to rural
business. All of the applications met
with the approval of the County
Planning Commission.
The request of Robert M. Kearns,
Falls Church district, to rezone a
parcel of land from rural residential
to rural business was denied on
recommendation of the Planning
Commission.
Proposed amendments to the
County Zoning Ordinance. which
would give more authority to the
Board of Zoning Appeal in granting
certain exceptions to the zoning
ordinance and which would also
require the posting of notices on
property proposed to be rezoned
were ordered published for public
hearings.
The board authorized holiday
on Washington's Birthday for all
county employees and all county
offices will be closed, with the excep-
ton of the county clerks Office.