Evening star., 1954-10-15
Plan for Stores
InAparfn1enis
Here0pposed
Residential Owners
Assoil Proposed
Zonine Change
BY Hector MeLeon

Residential property owners
today assailed a proposal to let
large Washington apartment
buildings put in stores for the
convenience of their tenants.
Homer ]. Smith. representing
the Federation of Citizens AS
sociations, charged that adop-
tion Of the proposed change In
coming regulations would "per-
NIT an indirect form of spot zon-
ing"
Mrs. Walter A. Sellers. 1899
Massachusetts, avenue NV, told
a hearing of the ZonIng Com
mission in the District building
boardroom the move would harm
homeowners by increasing traf-
fic and noise and jeopardize the
safety of children.
Berkshire Apartments Cited.
cit is obvious that the amend
ment was prepared to permit
the Berkshire Apartments Cat
4201 Massachusetts, avenue) ana
others to install drug ana gro
cery stores inside the buildings
on and below the ground floor
level" she said.
The Berkshire last summer
asked for permission to put in
such facilities for its tenants
but was refused by the Zoning
Commission.
The commission, however, or
dered its staff to draft an amend
ment to the coming regulations
upon which today's hearing was
held.
1t would allow stores if there
were no direct entrance on the
street nor outside advertising
and would permit them to be
placed in buildings less than one
quarter of a mile from an estab-
lished shopping center.
The regulation was supported
by Paul B. Cromelin, on behalf
of the Berkshire, where he is
a tenant.
Qualified Support Given.
The amendment was supported
reluctantly by the zoning Ad-
visory Council. a technical group
of zoning experts to whom the
zoning commission is obligated
by law to listen.
The Zoning Commission is
composed of the three District
Commissioners. the architect of.
the Capitol and the director Of
the National Park Service. The
new architect, j. George Stew
art who recently succeeded
David Lynn, attended his arst
hearing today.
Although the Commission is
not required to take the advice
of the advisory council, the tech
nical group declared it recon-
mends approval of the amend
ment insofar as it relates to
the supplementary uses contm-
plated. On the other hard, it
is not enthusiastic about the
permitted substitution of ad-
juncts apartment house stores)
for neighborhood centers."
Opponents of the regulation
change declared it would damage
residents near such apartment
houses and contended it is pre-
mature" because the Capitals
zoning regulations are undergo
ing a general overhaul for the
first time in 80 years.
Rixey Among Opponents.
Any decision on the issue
should be made as a part of the
overhaul, Mrs. Sellers insisted.
Oother opponents included
Brig. Gen. George E. Rixey
U. S. A. tRet.). president of the
Cathedral Heights Cleveland
Park Citizens Association; Wal
ter B. Castonguay of 3131 @
street Sc. T. N. Sheehan, 3916
Macomb street NV, and Mrs
Harold B. Hinton, for the Pro-
gressive Citizens Association OF
Georgetown.
They charged that the pro-
posed regulation provided pro-
lection for existing commercial
business, but gave none to resi-
Dental homeowners. Mr.. Smith
warned against creation Of
semi-public spaces in private
buildings" and that outsiders
would loiter in the halls of
apartment houses on the pretext
that they were patronizing the
stores.