Evening star., 1951-03-30
Planners Turn Down
Wesley Heights Plea,
Advise zoning Reform
By Nelson M. Shepard

Heights and similar communities
of single-family homes threatened
with apartment house invasions
have been urged to join Federal
planners in obtaining revision OF
the Districts zoning regulations
: That was the intent of resolu-
tion approved yesterday by the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, to which spoke.s-
men for Wesley Heights had ap-
pealed earlier for relief from the
hazards of possible over -crowding
They had asked the planners to
facilitate public acquisition of GER
tain. properties for additional park
and playground purposes now
zoned to permit construction of
multiple family units. Otherwise,
they protested, recreational areas
and school, fire and other facilities
will be overburdened by possible
overcrowding to the northeast and
east. a,.s
That plea to acquire the prop
critics in question the planning
commission turned down in the
folliwng enunciation of principle: ::
1T believes the public acquisi-
ton OF the designated properties
should not be based upon, or es-
tablish precedent for, the
purpose of escaping from the de-
teriorating influence of incorrect
ly zoned properties"
Called Typical Example.
John Nolen. jr., director of plan
ming, said the desired relief could
be obtained only by the kind of
coming revision suggested in the
resolution. Wesley, Heights, he
said, represents typical example
OF what can happen in a city
without proper zoning control.
For the section of the city in
which Wesley Heights is located,
the commissioners comprehensive
plan for Washington had recon-
mended a density of no more
than IS persons per gross acre,
which would include streets.
Washington, Mr.. Nolen said, is
one of the few large cities lacking
the proposed control over popu-
lation density.
The planning commission has in
formed District Commissioner
F.. Joseph Donohue that it wants
to follow up recommendations in
the comprehensive plan affecting
the District, as well as Maryland
and Virginia. ., y.,--,.-
One of the tracts Wesley
Heights residents want acquired
for park purposes is small por-
ton of the Glover estate on which
1t is planned to erect an eight
story apartment. The project isl
H6ing held up on a technicality
The planners. Furthermore, i
called upon those residents tUssnge1
the proper anthoritie@tf,e Dis.
tricta Commissioners and Board Of
zonfng Adjustinent-to reduce the
number of multiple-family zcned
areas in their community. Dis
trict and school officials also
should be warned, the resolution
said, that public services in the
area might have to be doubled or
tripled If overcrowding occurs and
that the additional cost of new
schools, recreation sites and other
public improvements would be
very great.
Further Study Ordered.
On another front, the commits
sion directed its staff to develop
further surveys. and studies for
carrying out the proposed develop
ment of the Anacostia flats north
of New York avenue.
The survey would be done In
consultation with the National
Park Service, the Public Roads
Administration and the District
Highway Department, all of which
have hand in the area. 1t
would look into the practically
of connecting the Baltimore park
way with Anacostia Park by a
clover leaf traffic interchange out
side the District line and routing
it to the Constitution avenue con-
nection in the vicinity of the
proposed sports center on the ap-
proved plan.
Mr.. Nolen reviewed the Districts
highway-traffic report on the
Fourteenth street-Mall area to
relieve congestion on the Four
teenth street approach to the high
way bridges. He made it clear
the commission wants to cooper
ate in every way with District
officials in working this problem
out in connection with the pro-
posed permanent improvements in
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