Evening star., 1953-09-28
Witnesses Appeal to Save Alley Homes

dwellings were unanimous today
in their opposition to enforce
ment of ga law which would
make them move out by
July /, 1865.
Highlights of the testimony
presented before the District
Commissioners follow:
Rear Admiral NeilI Phillips,
retired, representing the Wash
ington Housing Association:
Alley dwellings which have been
rehabilitated under proper en-
vironmental conditions no longer
constitute a slum menace. The
city can i'll afford to lose the
approximately 100 alley homes
that are in good condition. Such
rehabilitated dwellings should be
continued to be used for homes
but the city should enforce
strictly the deadline against
those which are still slums.
Mrs. Harold B. Hinton, Pro-
gressive Citizens Association of
Georgetown: Enforcement of
the act will cause hardship to
owners of dwellings rehabiliated
with the approval of the Dis
trict. These investments should
be protected and relieved of the
threat of condemnation. Those
alley dwellings which have been
renovated should be exempted.
Construction of any new alley
dwellings should be prohibited.
Walter Wood, representing
Terrace Court: Terrace Court
long ago ceased to be an alley
in the true sense of the word.
Owners of homes there simply
want to keep their houses and
feel there should be exceptions
under the law.
Mrs. Olga Jamison Brown,
also of Terrace court: Terrace
court is a quiet, livable place
which they do not consider an
alley. The homes all have been
modernized with permits from
the District and they want to
keep them.
]. Ross McKeever, president of
the Washington Court Dwellers'
Association: Alleys which have
been rehabilitated should not be
closed. Slum clearance should
be undertaken but not all alleys
are slums. Property owners are
being urged to improve run
down dwellings but owners of
re-modeled alley homes face the
prospect of being penalized for
such action.
David A. Scott, attorney for
the Washington Court Dwellers'
Association: 1t was not the in
tent of Congress to force resi-
dents from rehabilitated alley
property. The intent was to at
tack slums. To ban occupancy
of all alley dwellings would be
violation of the Constitution
as it could amount to taking
of property without due process.
AS practically all rehabilitated
alley property is in areas zoned
residential, to force evacuation
is, in effect, to confiscate. Re-
habilitated alley homes should
be exempted.
C.. William Brooks, Zoning
consultant to Baltimore City:
Any law which attempts to
establish a conclusive presump-
ton that all dwellings situated
on streets or alleys less than
80 feet in width are injurious
to the public health, safety, I
morals and welfare, regardless
of their condition, is illegal, ar
bitrary and fundamentally un-
sound. Dwellings are not slums
simple because they are located
in alleys less than 80 feet in
width. Every encouragement |
should be given private enter
prise to participate in rehaoili-
tation of homes.
Edward X. Moss, Cherry Hill |
Citizens Association of George
town: 1.-The 26 row houses in |
Cherry Hill sold for $4,000 each |
in 1850. Following rehabilita-
ton they are now valued at an
average of around $4,000 each. |
AS a result of the individual eff |
forts of the owners. this section |
once a terrible Stunts as far
removed from the slum housing
at which the Alley Dwelling Act
is aimed as is any area in Wash
ington.
Howe P. Cochran, Capitol Hill |
Southeast Citizens Association:
The alley houses in Southeast |
Washington are works of art. |
Although alleys have been re- /