Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-10
Expert Warns
|0f Excessive
zoniing Rules
FIexibiIity Needed,
RedeveIopment Unit
Is Told by Justement

RedeveIopment Unit
Is Told by Justement
A warning against excessive re-
strictions in new city coming reg
ulations was heard yesterday by
the Washington Clearing House
on Stun Clearance. Redevelop-
ment and Housing.
I'VE are not going to get a
substantially more beautiful city
by coming" Louis Justement,
architect and member of the
Commissioners Zoning Advisory
Committee. told the group meet
ing at 1884 ! street NV.
| Designers and architects. he
said, should be given the maxi
mum f1exibility in working out
their problems, consistent with
the coming aims of protecting
health, safety and welfare.
Personal Opinions Seen
Such things as requiring 20
foot frontage for a row house,
he commended, "are getting in the
realm of what you would like to
do" and are not the concern of
Those writing regulations.
Referring to caution by an
earlier speaker. Maj. Gen. U. S.
Grant. Sd, also of the advisory
committee, against letting down
the barriers" Mr.. Justement
said that others differ on the
question.
He argued that a 145 or $50
foot height limitation on build
ings. inclusive of penthouses, air
conditioning towers and the like,
as has been advocated by some,
is comparable with the present
130-foot maximum which allows
penthouses above the limitation.
With respect to floor area ra-
tios to lot coverage. he noted
that coming Consultant Harold
Lewis estimates the present ratio
An the downtown area is about
Is to /, that Mr.. Lewis is propos-
ing a ratio of 7. and that the
advisory subcommittee on height
and bulk of buildings had recon-
mended 8.
Would Increase Restriction
That is not letting down the
bars. that is increasing the re-
strictions over and above what
they are now" he said Of the
latter proposal.
Gen. Grant said that Wash
ington had not reached the
point of near self -destruction as
have some other cities. But he.
warned that if the coming bars
were let down, expenses and
inequities would result.
The cost OF such things as an
additional water supply ana
added utilities will be paid later
by the taxpayers, mot the own
ers of buildings who have prof
tied by breaking down the
bars" he said.
If you change the coming
regulations 81 they allow con-
siderably more space in a build
ing than is allowed now, the
buildings pu, up under present
regulations will be put at an
economic disadvantage and new
buildings will have an unearned
increment over existing build
ings," Gen. Grant declared.
Federal Observance Noted
He said the Federal Govern
ment had taken care to keep we'll
within the zoning regulations
here.
The Rev. Vladimir E. Hart
man. president of the clearing
house, composed of some "a or
carnations interested in better
housing, criticized the coming
advisory committee for failure to
keep citizens informed through
regular meetings of the full COM
mlttee. He said there had not
been a meeting of the full COM
mittee for about year.
He said that some subcommit-
tees had never held a meeting.
Full Meeting Planned
Gen. Grant replied that the
executive committee Of the ad-
visory group has planned a
meeting soon of the whole COM
mittee, now that enough differ
ent elements of the coming
regulations and plan have been
worked out to permit the con-
Sultant 10 make some reconf
lamentations. He said a meeting
is probable next month.
/ He said he believed the ex-
ecutive committee had felt that
sufficient progress had not been
made previously for such
meeting, and that it had not
been Intentionally keeping you
in ignorance"