Evening star., 1947-01-26
Commission May Act
Tomorrow on Petition
To Rezone 18Th Street.
By Henry A. Muslin

WllctllcT tlIc W1llCc I1OuSc FiCW
of lower Sixteenth street is to in
clude flashing neon signs and other
commercial embellishments may be
decided tomorrow by the District
zoning Commission.
The commission is scheduled to
meet at 2:30 pm. to act on a petit
ton to rezone Sixteenth street NV.
from H street to Scott Circle from
residential to commercial.
Granting the request would mean
opening up the section of Sixteenth
street across Lafayette Square from
the White House to such COM
mercial establishments as liquor
stores, barber shops and restaurants.
1t now is restricted generally to
private homes, apartment houses
and hotels.
The possibility remained, how
ever, that compromise might be
reached, in line with sentiment ex-
pressed at January Is hearing on
the proposal. The hearing was held
on petition filed by Ringgold Hart,
attorney, on behalf of the American
Federation of Labor and more than
20 other interested individuals and
groups. eta ma "..-
Partial Opening Possible.
In the event the commission turns
down the request for commercial
zoning, it could schedule another
hearing on the question of opening
up lower Sixteenth street to such
projects as office buildings while
still excluding the more garish
features of commercial districts.
Mr.. Hart said the AFL's interest
in a zoning change stemmed from
| its inability to build new Office
building on lower Sixteenth street
under present regulations.
Opinion was divided at the hear
ing. Mr.. Hart was supported by a
majority of the three-man zoning
Advisory Council, charged with in
vestigating each proposed change,
the Citizens Zoning Advisory Coun-
Gil and a number of property own
ers, including former Senator
Henry F. Ashurst, of Arizona.
Opposition View Explained.
| Leader of the opposing group was
John Nolen, jr., director of plan
ming for the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, whose
views represented a minority dis
sent from the opinion of the Zon-
ing Advisory Council. He told the
commission lower Sixteenth street
was zoned residential primarily be-
cause of a desire to preserve it as
a dignifed monumental frontal ap-
proach to the White House"
James l.. Houghteling, speaking
for st. Johns Episcopal Church at
Sixteenth and H streets NV
known as "the church of the Pres
idents"-said a change to CONNER
cial zoning would be blow to the
historic setting of the church and
would create traffic hazards as well.
Mr.. Hart, on the other hand, said
the plan represented no threat to
the White House. He pointed out
that Sixteenth street was the only
one of the major avenues leading to
the Executive Mansion which is not
already commercial.
Compromise Suggested.
Sentiment in favor of a compro-
mise was expressed by Elisha Han
son, representing the American
Chemical Society and the National
Geographic Society, both of which
maintain Offices in the area. While
he did not want to see 'liquor stores,
neon signs and barber poles" along
the street, he said, he nevertheless
felt Office buildings should be per-
mitted.
Much the same opinion was ex-
pressed by former Engineer Com
missioner David McCoach, jr., rep
resenting the Charles H. Tompkins
Co., which owns property in the
area. He urged limited commercial