Evening star., 1952-03-21
Planning Board
Expected 10 Hit
zoning Change
Addition of Stories
In Buildings Seen as
Causing Congestion
By Nelson IA. Shepard


Federal planners today were
lexpected to make a definite recon-
Imendation to the District Zoning
Commission with respect to q
pending proposal to amend regula-
tions to permit more stories in
buildings without changing their
height limit.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has con-
Sistently opposed moves to in
crease the population density in
downtown Washington-which the
proposal would do-because Of
added traffic and parking confu-
Sion.>
The coming commission had re-
quested NCPPC's views. and the
latter suggested last week that it
defer action on the proposal until
the planning group could give it
careful consideration. Builders
favor the change. Present rules
arbitrarily fix the number Of
stories in Office buildings and
apartments allowable. in each
height zone.
A new standing committee Of
the planning commission. COM
posed of the four presidential
appointees, held special plan
ming session yesterday to survey
the District highway program. the
Southwest redevelopment pro-
gram, zoning and other matters
scheduled for discussion at today's
monthly meeting. They took no
action on the $160 million high.
way plan. NCPPC officials said
the plan will keep coming up.
month after month. for the next
two years probably.
See Acquisition Wrecked.
At today's meeting. it was be-
| lieved, the only definite action will
be the recommendation with re-
spect to the building regulations.
OF more concern to the commits
sion than anything else, right now.
is what they call the ruins of the
land acquisition program" for the
next two years. The 80 per cent
slash in the commissions original
request for $500, ,000-made by the
House Appropriations Committee
CONSTITUTES "a repeal Of the Cap
lper- -Cramton Act by indirection,"
a staff member said.
The commission will review the
land program and discuss what, If
anything, can be done to get some
of the appropriation restored. AS
previously reported. the slash
leaves only $66.000 for the pur-
chase of land in the District for
park and playground. Thrown out
were all funds allocated for nearby
Maryland and Virginia.
The Capper-C -Cramton Act has
been operating fairly successfully
flor the past 20 years or SO. PLAN
ming officials said. During recent
months. Fairfax County has come
around and now Virginia has be-
come a partner under the act, the
same as Maryland.
Reversal Held Unlikely.
| With the Federal Government
pulling out Of agreements to ex-
tend the George Washington park
way into Fairfax County and ac-
quire four small valleys in Mont
gomery County for park develop
ments, these programs are serious
lly jeopardized. While there is al
ways a chance of the House Com
mittee's action being reversed, that
prospect is said to be pretty bleak.
planning officials are comforting
with the Maryland-National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission
to see what can be salvaged from
the program in small stream VAL
leys. These include two projects
along the Northwest Branch, Paint
Greek and Rock Creek.
The planning commission isn't
worrying very much at this stage
about Interior Secretary Chap
mans contention that the Inte-
rior Department and not the Dis
trict government has jurisdiction
over about so Fairgrounds in
Washington.
NCPPC has asked the Attorney
General whether, as a Federal
agency, it is bound by his opin-
ion, which forms the basis for
Mr.. Chapman's letter to the PLAN
ming commission, telling it not to
assign any more Fairgrounds to
the District. There Is no land
lup for assignment this month.
hut there will be in April, 1t was
said.
For many years the planning
commission has followed the ac-
cepted practice Of assigning such
lands to the District. and it is
entirely in sympathy with the
Districts Interpretation Of the
law.
/ The March planning session is
limited to one day.