Evening star., 1955-05-19
Ward Circle
Group AssaiIs
NBC Transfer
IS Cases Heard
In Long Session Of
Zone Adjustments

bsS W. SSeseS
Residents Of the Ward Circle
area last night bitterly assailed
plans of the National Broadcast
ing Co., to move Station WRC-
TV and FM to a So million
studio-transmitter installation In
their neighborhood.
Their protests ended a 13-
hour session of the Board OF
Zoning Adjustments in the Dis
trict Building. Adjourning at
1898 pm, the board postponed
decision on this and "a other
cases until 1t can arrange a spe-
cial meeting in a few days.
The board also heard Naylor
Gardens residents plead against
coming exceptions designed to let
Sears, Roebuck & Co., con-
struct its largest Washington
store on a site bounded by Ala
bama avenue, Naylor road, Den
yer and Thirtieth streets Sc.
Plan to Use School Site
Attorney James C. Wilkes,
speaking for NBC, told the board
the broadcasting company seeks
to build a new, two-story studio
and transmitter installation on
the Seven-acre Grasslands site
north of Ward Circle at 4001
Nebraska avenue NV. It is now
occupied by the Georgetown
Day School.
Carleton B. Smith, NBC vice.
president and general manager
Of the station here, said NBC
wants to move its transmittel
and studios from the Sheraton
Park Hotel because 1t is unable
to expand its facilities sufficient
ly, including provision for local
color broadcasting.
Mr.. Wilkes said the Grass
lands tract is now owned by G.
Willard Furlow, who described
how he bought the property In
1945 for $4,000, successfully re-
quested that it be rezoned fol
apartments and saw three Out
of 10 acres condemned by the
Navy several years later For
5000.
Shaped Like Balloon
The site was used by the Navy
for the secret communication
center now located there and
left the property shaped like
a balloon with a long thin neck
"a 30-foot wide, 300-foot strip
extending to Nebraska avenue
its only street frontage.
This, Mr.. Wilkes contended
makes it economically impos-
sible for the property to be used
for apartments, for which it Is
now zoned.
Area residents. through Attor-
ney~ John L. Hamilton, objected
bitterly that the requested vari.
ance would constitute an enter.
ing wedge" for commercializa.
ton of the area. Mr.. Hamilton
insisted the case involved prac.
tically one of rezoning and thu.
was beyond the boards power.
Objects to Evidence
He objected repeatedly to in.
PRODUCTION Of evidence that Mr.
Furlow had been unable to Obtain
mortgage financing for a 500.
unit apartment house on the
site. He contended that Mr.
Furlow was a real estate specu-
lator" who had suffered no hard.
ship. Mr.. Wilkes, however. in
sisted the owner was entitled tc
the benefit Of his bargain"
Testifying for NBC, Charles H
Colledge, director Of engineering
for the company. said the firm
seeks to group its transmitter In
the general area with those OF
WMAL and WTOP so that area
television owners may focus their
antennae more easily on all three
stations. Also, he said, use OF
higher ground at the Grasslands
site would let the NBC tower GO
to a maximum height allowed by
the Civil Aeronautics Administra-
ton for the area and eliminate
shadow areas" in the station s
broadcast area.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co.,
plans, which include a parking
lot for GA cars, were opposed by
area residents headed by John
Brasel, 3007 Erie street Sc, OF
the Stanton Elementary School
Parent-Teacher Association. He
said the organization was worried
about increased traffic hazards
and contended that "such a large
store in a nice residential area"
would devalue residential prop
erty there.