Evening star., 1952-03-21
Two Alexandra
Plans
Disapproved
Planners Unanimous
Against Community
Unit Projects

land final action April 8.
There was standing room only
lat the Planning Commission hear
ling on the two applications. which
were the first filed under Alex
landria's new community unit
Iplan.
Spearheaded BY Edward Al
friend, president of the Seminary
Hills Association, and Armistead L.
IBoothe. counsel for Episcopal High
School. q large delegation Of citi-
zens in the newly annexed terri.
tory from Fairfax County OPP
posed the building of 723 multiple
units on the 51-acre Brookings
tract bounded BY Shirley highway,
Leesburg pike and Braddock road.
Another large delegation Of cit
izens petitioned the planning COM
mission to deny q similar request
for the building Of 592 dwelling
units on the 54-acre Hume tract
within the older part Of. the city.
It Is bounded BY Mount Vernon
avenue, the Mount Ida subdivisions
land the Washington 6 Old Do
lminion Railroad right Of way.
Went in Eject January 1.
The city,s new zoning ordinance
which went In effect January II
provides for development Of sites
in excess Of 10 acres under q COM
|munity unit plan. Such tracts
may be developed with variancesl
from the areas zoning classifica-
ton II the population density for
the entire tract does not exceed
the coming limit In which the tract
lis located. This means that a|
residential tract may be developed
Unto q combination Of row houses.
duplex houses and buildings for
Tight commercial uses"
Stanley King. attorney for the
Brookings tract applicant, ex-
hibited detailed sketches OF the
proposed development adjacent to
the Virginia Theological Semi
nary and Episcopal High School.
He said the site is suited only
for development as multiple
homes because Of its nearness to
Harrington.
Under the proposal, 9.s acres
would be given over to streets
and 2.6 acres for Fairgrounds. He
assured the commission that.
Braddock road would he widened
to dual highway WithSa median
strip. The side Of the property
which borders Episcopal HiehI
School De aid. would be planted
with trees.
Average cost Of the two and
three-bedroo units was quoted
at $4,000. The architect, Joseph
H. Saunders. of Alexandria, sub
mitted 10 different types Of
houses. The project, which isl
planned entirely for rental, would
be FILA financed and would, Mr..
King said. be superior to Park
fairfax which he referred to as
"a credit to the city" The de-
veloper Is the Bradlee Towers
Corp.
Fear Of Slums Voiced.
Speaking for 800 residents oil
Seminary Hill, Mr.. Alfriend asked
|the commission to recommend de-
|velopment Of the Brookings tract
exclusively for gle-famiIy de-
tached dwellings since it is nai
highly desirable residential area. n
The blight Of row houses" het
said, would destroy existing prop
|erty values. The people, he added. |
would have no assurance tlel
houses would not eventually bel
sold and later develop into a slumI
AREA.
Also speaking against the prof.
posal were Richard Russner whose
property abuts the tract and Mrs.
Richard Starr, q nearby home-
owner, who said the deRelopmentl
would be IAN eyeSore" at one Of
the entrances to the city.
Leroy Peabody, chairman Of the
commission, asked If the develop
Ter would "split" the property.
building high-density dwellings
along Leesburg pike and SINGLE
family houses bordering Braddockl
road. Mr.. King replied the de-
veloper would be willing to ''con-
|siderS 1t. Mrs. w. D. Brookingsl
Us owner Of the property.
The commission last night also
considered seven other rezoningl
applications in its four-hour ses-l
sion. 1
Before going into executive ses-l
sion, the commission approved
amendments 10 the zoning ofdf-
nance relaxing on -street parkingt
requirements outside the imme-i
|diate center Of the city's business
district. II approved by the cityE
Council at q public hearing sched-
uled for April 8, the amendments
in effect would reduce such park
ing REQUIREMENTS by so ner cent |