Evening star., 1949-11-02
Lee Boulevard
Apartments Hit
ByCiyiic Group
County Boord Asked
To Rescind Permit
For Arlington Towers

@AAS go AAA4S VIII S4F4S C0Cl
last night called upon the County
Board to rescind action which per-
mits construction of Arlington
Towers. a $40, 900 900 apartment
project at Lee boulevard and North
Arlington Ridge road.
The board last February amend
ed the county zoning ordinance tt
allow increased density of popu.
lation on the Site opposite the
Nevius tract. across the Potomac
from the Lincoln Memorial.
The federation's stand comes a.
the Federal Housing Administra.
ton is considering financing the
big project for the O'Driscol
Construction Co. Of Washington
and New York.
Criticized by Planners.
The project was criticized sharp
" several weeks ago by the Ma
tional National Park and Planning
Commission. That agency OBJ.
jected to the anticipated heavy
concentration of people. traffic
complications and possible adverse
effect upon the skyline of the area
The planners said the apartments
as proposed. would have too COM
manding a position behind the
Lincoln Memorial and the Mall.
The County Board objected tc
the Park and Planning Commits
sion's efforts to block the project
and voted a strong Endorsement
of the apartments.
Allen Elliott, chief underwater
for the FILA, said today the spon-
sor's application for financing is
"still in a state of flux." His agen-
cy is making detailed cost esti-
mates of the proposed develop
ment but has not yet done any
valuation work. he said.
Some Objections Met.
Mr.. Elliott said the sponsors
have met some of the objections
raised by the Park and Planning
Commission. For example, he said
the four buildings contemplated
will be of conventional masonry
rather than structural concrete
which many planners believe
would have marred the beauty OF
tho S1Irro,1pdnios
Mr.. Elliott also said the Airing
ton Towers would not be as high
as the proposed Veterans Admin
istration Hospital on the Nevius
tract. He added that the Virginia
Department of Highways is aware
of traffic problems that may arise
and already has laid plans for q
Lee boulevard underpass, If and
when that is needed.
In view of the County Boards
strong Endorsement of the devel-
opment and because of the stage
of negotiations. doubt was ex-
pressed in some quarters that the
civic federation's stand last night
would influence the board.
A resolution submitted by H.
Herbert Howe. acting chairman
of the Zoning and Land Use Com
mittee. read in part, as follows:
This amendment was rushed
through for the benefit of a par
ticular person, upon representa-
tions Of his attorney that
the law under which the Federal
Housing Administration would
insure the proposed apartment
hotel would expire on March H."
the resolution drafted by the civic
federation stated.
Work Not Started.
upon being confronted with
the doubts of one member of the
board as to whether the FILA
would insure an apartment hotel, "
the resolution continued, the at
torney promised that If construc-
ton did not start during the sum-
mer. he would ask the board to
reScind the amendment"
The summer has come and
gone, and the apartment hotel
has not been started"
Meeting in the Lyon Park Com
munity House, the federation last
night also instructed its Legisla-
ton and Legal Action Committee
to confer with the county delega-
ton to the General Assembly to
obtain support for such changes
in the State income tax law las
are necessary to achieve better
coordination Except as to rates)
Of Federal and State laws"
AS proposed by Lyle Bryant, for
the Revenue and Expenditures
Committee. the measure asked
the legislation particularly to
provide that deductions per-
mitted under Federal laws may
be taken under the State law
and to provide standard deduc-
tions similar to those allowed
under the Federal law"
Cup Committee Named.
One object of the proposal Is