Evening star., 1950-07-30
District Construction
Exceeds SS2 Million
81 Per Cent Over 1940


1850 fiscal year totaled more than
$82 million in value, an increase
of 81 per cent over the volume for
fiscal 1s4s, 1t was reported ysstsr-
day.
The report of the Central Per.
NIT Bureau for the year ended
June 80 said that 89,106 permits
of various types were issued, Of
which 63,061 were for work on
private property and the rest for
work on public space.
The bureau issued 62.4 per cent
Of the permits lover the counter"
the report said.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon
r. Young called establishment of
the bureau and its increasingly
efficient operation" under B. II.
Benson. superintendent of permits,
"the greatest forward step taken
in recent years to give better and
quicker service to our citizens M
the field of building permits"
Established in I948.
The bureau was set up in Sep
tember. 1948. Gen. Young said 1t
had eliminated "a mass of delay,
red tape and 'runarounds'," and
has cost the general taxpayer
nothing, since it's additional cost
was absorbed by increased fees to
applicants.
The improvements have applied
more to persons seeking permits
for small jobs than to those pro-
posing large jobs. he noted, how
ever. Bottlenecks still exist, he
said, and they have been the sub
ject of friendly but quite legiti-
mate complaint from several re-
sponsible groups in the building
industry"
Gen. Young advised his fellow
District Commissioners that he
felt special effort should be made
in the 1852 budget to eliminate
these bottlenecks by further in
crease in staff which again should
probably be accompanied by an
increase of fees that would throw
the full cost on applicants.
Believes Industry Agrees.
He said he believed the industry
would back up the Commissioners
on this.
The permit bureaus fiscal year
report, showed that permits issued
for privately-owned construction
totalled 20.932, with a valuation
of $7,185,304. Permits issued for
District of Columbia operations
totalled nine, with valuation Of
$3,137,973.
This compared with $60,O87, 1888
worth of construction during fiscal
1949; $51 1,370,347 during fiscal
1948; 4,730.796 during fiscal
1947, and $33,316,191 during fiscal
1916.
A breakdown by sections of the
city indicated that of $52,563, 500
worth of new buildings constructed
in fiscal 1850, $33,536,69 worth
were in the Northwest section,
over 50 million worth each in the
Northeast and Southeast sections
and $452,000 worth in the South
west.
Northwest PredOminates.
The Northwest section gained
4 4,523 living units; Northeast, 1000;
Southeast, 1,677, and the South
west, 81, according to the report.
A total of 2,467 buildings were
erected, and 498 razed.
Electrical permits issued by the
bureau increased 26 per cent over
the previous fiscal year, with 20
058 issued in fiscal 1850. There
were 1929 gasf1tting and plumb
ing. 428 refrigeration, 223 unfired
pressure vessels and 1927 boiler
permits issued.
There were 26,045 permits is.
sued to plumbers, corporations,
public utility companies, transit
companies and individuals for
service connections for sewers.
water, electricity. communications.
gas and the like, and for repairs.
conduits, poles. stringing of wires,
driveways, sidewalks. retaining
walls, fences, sale of Christmas
trees and other activities on public
space, and other miscellaneous
an increase of S5 per cent
over the previous fiscal year.
A total of 5,918 certificates Of
occupancy were issued. q