Evening star., 1953-06-25
.Ho|tzoff Studies
SibIey Hospital
.Bui|dingAppeaI
Arguments End;
Decision Expected
EorIy Next Week


Holtzof today took under ad-
visement the controversial ques-
ton of whether a new Sibley
Hospital should be erected on
the American University cam
puS.
The case, which has been be-
fore him in the U. S. District
Court for the District Of Co
lumbia, for three weeks, came to
a close at 1890 pm. after op-
posing attorneys summed UP
their arguments.
E. F. Colladay, one of the at
torneys for the hospital and uni
versity, borrowed the court
clerks Bible as he started his
summary.
Quotes Commandment.
In a slow voice, he read the
Eighth Commandment, Thou
Shalt Not Steal" and added:
This procedure before the
zoning Commission was an at
tempt by some 400 people to use
Government machinery to take
$1.2 million from American Uni
versity." =
It had been testified by a
witness during the trial that the
market value of the 78-acre
campus had dropped that much
after the Zoning Commission
changed the campus zoning from
Residential A to Residential A
Restricted. This action pre-
vented construction Of the hos
pital on a 7-acre tract on the
campus.
The change in zoning was
made after residents in Spring
Valley and Wesley Heights petit
toned for it. The two Method
ist institutions went to court
in an attempt to upset the Zon-
ing Commission ruling.
Zone Action Defended.
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Oliver Gasch, defending the
Zoning Commission, said Amer
ican University has not been
deprived of it's use of the land
and can still expand to a great
university.
James c. Wilkes, attorney for
the protesting home owners, said
that the university has the same
rights now as it had before to
develop buildings for university
purposes. He said the home
owners in the area petitioned to
change the zoning Of the campus
after a series of incidents of
which the hospital plan was the
climax. 4
He criticized the university'S
actions in renting one Of its
buildings to the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co. for
Commercial" purposes. and the
erection of a radio broadcasting
tower on the campus.
Mr.. Wilkes said the area,
largely composed Of single-fam-
lily homes. should be protected
from depreciating values which
improper use of the campus
would bring about.
Paul Cromelin, another attor-
ney for the hospital and uni
versity, pointed out that Ameri-
can University has had the same
zoning. permitting a hospital,
since the beginning of coming in
the District in 1920.
Action Prohibits Building.
He declared the university'S
legal right to build and expand
was taken from it purely be-
cause certain people took this
pre-emptory action"
He pointed out that under the
zoning of the campus as it now
stands the university can erect
nothing but single-family dwell
ings which they don't need, un-
less they go to the Board of
zoning Adjustment for special
permission.
Judge Holtzoh commented on
this point. II don't think per-
son should be left at the mercy
of an administrative agency" He
said it appeared to him that the
University could not build a
dormitory without special per-
mission and that he was not
sure it could build a laboratory
Yesterday Judge Holtzof indi-
Gated he would rule within two
or three days after the case was
concluded. It is expected his de-
cision will be handed down by
! Monday al; the earliest.