Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-26
15O-Foof-Hiqh
Buildings for
District Urged
Plon Tentatively
Endorsed by Citizen
Advisory Group
By GEORGE BEvERIDGE

yedT-OlQ law 1lIIllLlIlg IIle IlelSut
of Washington buildings and to
substitute a new system of adj
ministrative control permitting
150-foot building heights was
tentatively Endorsed yesterday by
a top-level citizens advisory
group.
The policy recommendation
involved the first in a series of
controversies expected to break
out in the revision of Washing
tons 1920 coming ordinances.
The proposal, indorseo by the
nine-member Executive Com
mittee of the Commissioners
Zoning Advisory Committee with
one dissenting vote, urged:
/. That there be an end to
congressional control over build
ing heights. The existing 1910
act sets maximum heights on a
basis of the width of streets on
which the buildings face. The
maximum height permitted is
100 feet, although penthouses
may send them higher.
2. That the Commissioners is
sue regulations to replace the
several old height districts" with
only two new ones: A 40-foot
district for detached residential
areas and a 150-foot district for
others.
3. That, within these restric-
tons, the shape of buildings be
governed by a ratio of the total
floor space in buildings to the
amount Of the lot the building
occupies. For example, if regu-
lations permitted a one-story
building to cover an entire lot,
the building could go up two
stories If 1t covered only half
the lot.
4. That this total floor space
to lot space-occupied ratio also
be used to govern population
density in buildings by creating
a number of AREA districts" with
different ratios.
Stirred Fight at Session
These four points are key fea-
lures in the report of a citizens
subcommittee, headed by Alvin
L. Aubinoe, Washington builder.
The report stirred a fight at an
Executive Committee meeting
last month. As a result. yester-
days special hearing was called
with Mr.. Aubinoe spearheading
support and Maj. Gen. U. s.
Grant III. former National Cap
ltal Planning Commission chair
man, leading the opposition.
Mr.. Aubinoe argued that the
present limits penalize builders
unnecessary, are unrealistic, are
working against stronger CEN
trail business district and. actu-
ally, are not far from the
changes his subcommittee sug-
geSts.
Gen. Grant dissented from
the motion granting approval
in principle" with the under
standing the Executive Commit
tee will take final action after
the report is considered by
Harold NJ. Lewis, consultant
hired by the District to revise
its coming regulations.
Not So Far Apart
Despite Gen. Grants dissent,
however, the bitter fight expect
ed to take place yesterday failed
to materialize. The main reason
was that spokesman on the Au-
binoe side insisted they do not
intend to allow the new height
regulations to increase popula-
ton denSities over general levels
existing now.
Gen. Grant made it plain he
had read such an effort into the
report and said the Qualification
means that we are not nearly
as far apart as we appeared to
be-"
Nevertheless, the general ar
gued strongly for retaining con-
greSsional control over maximum
heights, even though the present
ones might well be changed by
law. He also urged that the
zoning Commissions present
height districts be maintained,
even though future exceptions"
might well be granted freely
under them.