Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-27
Housing Code
Draft AssaiIed
As Too Strict
Property Owners
Group Requests
Changes in Plans
" washington, d. G.
SUNDAY, MARCH 81, l955
By Hector Mclean


ing code was assailed yesterday
as setting too high a standard
for Washington dwellings.
The District chapter of the
Property Owners Association Of
America charged that industry
members of the Housing Code
Drafting committe represent
"private interests which. in the
main, operate only luxury apart.
ments and. naturally, they are
not of the belief that the code
standards are too high"
In a statement to the District
Commissioners and to the Hous-
ing Code Review Committee
headed by Charles B. Dulcan-
which now is studying the new
est draft of the code-the Or
ganization said:
This association believes ii
entirely unfair to draft a code
of this sort without the repre-
sentation of fair segment OF
those who believe the standards
of the new proposed code are
too high"
Adopted at Meeting
The statement, according to
Harold H. David, secretary, was
adopted at a meeting Friday
night. He said the organization
represents $500 property own
ers who control from 10000 to
10000 dwelling units here used
as lodging, rooming and board
ing houses.
Like the Washington Hotel
Association. the Property Owners
asked that their properties be
specifically excluded" from ef-
fects of a code provision de-
signed to prevent overcrowding
of sleeping rooms. The provi-
sion requires that no room be
used for sleeping unless there
are 10 square feet of floor space
for the first occupant or so
square feet for each occupant if
there is more than one.
Other Changes Asked
The association also asked for
three other changes in the pro-
posed code:
THAT every dwelling unit,
should be permitted eight per-
sons to share one bath and, in
the case of rooming units, 10
persons to share one bath.
THAT every deWlling unit,
light housekeeping room or by
whatever name it is known, not
be required to install a kitchen
sink if same unit was In exist
ence on January /, 1947. and
meets all other requirements.
In the provision of the code
referring to light, we believe the
code should be a little more f1ex-
ible, say a variation of 20 per
cent or % per- cent be allowed
in certain cases. "
Present Draft Cited
The present draft of the code
would allow up to six occupants
of rooming units to share wash
basin, toilet and bathing facility.
In dwelling units dimited to
one family. with kitchenl up to
four persons of two or more
such units may share bathroom
facilities.
Kitchen sinks would be re-
CURED in each dwelling unit"
within six months after the eff
fectlve date of the code. Resi-
dences without kitchen sinks
would be regarded as rooming
units used or intended to be
used for living and sleeping. but
not for the preparation or eat
ing of meals"
Of this requirement, the prop
erty owners said. I'VE believe
that. tor instance, an elderly
person renting a rooming unit
should be permitted to make a
cup of coffee for breakfast on a
stove. without being compelled
to install a kitchen sink
Third Draft Submitted
The codes provision on light"
would require that each habit
able room have glassed, light
admitting openings equal to at
least 10 per cent of the floor
area.
The third draft of the hous-
ing code was submitted to, the
District Commissioners as a
compromise over the signatures
of all II members of the. Hous-
ing Code Drafting Committee.
The four industry representa-
tives were George r. Linkins, of
the Board of Trade: the Build
ing Owners and Managers Asso-
citation and the Washington
Real Estate Board; William S.
Harps, president of the WASH
ington Real Estate Brokers As
ISOLATION; and Alvin L. Aubinoe
and Herman Schmidt, both of
the Home Builders Association
of Metropolitan Washington.
Camalier Gets Copy
A formal copy of the document
was turned over to Commissioner
Renah F. Camalier Friday bear
ing the signatures of all II mem
bers of the Housing Code Draft
ing Committee.
In addition to the four indus
try members. they were William
H. Cary. jr., of the Health De-
partment, chairman; Supt. f.
Milton Dulin of the Districts
newly established Housing Di-
vision; Ralph Johnson and Roy
McCaldin of the United States
Public Health Service: Murray
Stein of the general counsel's Of
flee, Department of Health. Edu-
cation and Welfare; r. Donald
Kinney of the Districts Depart
ment of Licenses and Inspections,
and Assistant District Corpora
ton Counsel Robert F. Kneipp.
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