Evening star., 1953-07-15
Capitol Hill Residents
Ask zoners 10 Bar
Parking LOT Project

owners Of that part of Capitol
Hill near the House Office Build
ings rose up in wrath today to
bar installation of a commercial
parking lot in the vicinity.
Today's session was a contin-
uation of proceedings before the
District Zoning Adjustment
Board which began more than a
month ago. A syndicate headed
by former Representative Rich
ard F. Hairless, Democrat, of
Arizona seeks permission to open
q $4,000 square foot piece of
property just east of the Con-
gressional Hotel at New Jersey
and c streets Sc, to accommo-
date ITO vehicles.
Has Been Long Unused.
1t is property, according to the
proponents lawyer. James C.
Wilkes, that has lain fallow"
since the turn of the century.
Mr.. Hairless pointed out to the
board that the ground would be
paved and fringed with hedge.
Another part of the plan is to
provide so of the proposed spaces
for the free use of members of
Congress.
Attorney Robert j. Lynch,
representing more than a hun
dred nearby residents. declared
this free parking space provision
is a "gimmick."
Mr.. Lynch declared heatedly
that the proposed lot would be
"a nuisance, a hazard, would de-
teriorate property values, create
an eyesore and ruin the char
acter of the neighborhood when
there isn't actually any need for
parking spaces there"
Lawmakers Wife Testifies.
Among the resident opponents
present was Mrs. Richard Boil
ling, wife of the Democratic con-
gresham from Missouri. Mrs.
Boiling, who lives at ia C street
Sc, said she spoke for 16 wives
of members of Congress who live
in the area. She said she bought
her home in 1850 and to date has
spent $1,000 remodeling it in
keeping with the rest of the
neighborhood development.
Mrs. Boiling contended that
most of the congressman occupy
ing private homes in the neigh
borhood walk to work every
day and the vehicular parking lot
is not necessary.
Another witness was Howe P.
Cochran. of 101 Carroll street
Sc, retired attorney who said
he had spent 100000 rehabili-
tating three homes. including
the one he occupies, since he
came here from New York six
years ago.
Opposes 'EyesOre.'
IF I had known this lot was
going in here I wouldn't have
invested in these properties,
Mr.. Cochran declared. II am
opposed to any artificial eyesore
in the most beautiful part of
this most beautiful CITY,"
Referring to the free space
for CongreSsmen proposal. Mr.,
Cochran branded the parking lot
people as "money-making ad-
venturers masquerading as a
third leg to Congress-"
The zoning board took the
Capitol Hill case under advise
ment.
Among other cases it heard
was the renewed plea of Provi-
dence Hospital to build a new
$6 million structure. including a
nurses home, at Twelfth and
Varnum streets NE, not far
from the Catholic University
campus.
Hospital Project Delayed.
The hospital won permission
from the board to build five
years ago, but due to unforeseen
delays, the project never got
under way and the Zoning per-
mission lapSed.
Hospital officials declared to-
day they are 100 per cent ready"
to begin construction under their
1864 congressional charter as a
non-prof1t. educational and phil
anthropic institution. To under
score the last point it was testi-
fled that Providence had a net
deficit of $104,000 in the last five
years.