davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
Outlined Growth

In 1850 the planning commits
sion did adopt such a plan. But
it was basically a series Of mono
graphs dealing largely in general
terms as to how Washington
should grow.
On many matters, the broad
policies of this plan are in agree
ment with specific city projects
like sewers, streets and schools.
The procedure is that the plan
ners advise the District as to
whether it's projects comply with
the master plans goals.
There are two reasons, how
ever, why Mr.. Lewis said a new
plan is needed:
l. The 1850 plan is not detailed
enough to provide the answers to
guide coming.
2. AS a matter of fact, many of
the Federal planners policies are
not accepted by District officials
as their guide to the city's
growth. The result is that most
of the citys operating depart
ments do their own planning.
And their plans-illustrated best
in bitter fights over bridges and
highways-often clash with the
planning commissions.
Part of the reason for this
clash between the planners and
city officials is that the planners
-rightfully-are more concerned
than are the municipal people
with Federal aspects of WASH
ingtons development as the Ma
tons Capital.
Different Approaches
A more basic reason is a diff
ference in approach to projects
like bridges. The city officials
job is to get things done now
The planners are concerned with
such things as the impact the
specific project will have on other
areas. and on long-range goals
for city growth.
Mr.. Groom said he intended to
use the planners 1850 "Compre-
hensive Plan" as the basis for de-
veloping the detailed policy deci-
sions Mr.. Lewis wants. The con-
sultant promised to propose ma
chinery for doing this soon.
Planning Commission Director
John Nolen, jr.. comedies readily
that the 1850 monographs are
not sufficiently detailed now to
provide the coming answers.
To get them, Mr.. Nolen said.
detailed independent studies will
be made of each "neighborhood"
In the city. The House. however.
has cut funds for the studies
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
involved

revision OF WaShington's coming
regulations will be the members
Of the District Zoning Commits
sion. This is made up of the
three District Commissioners,
plus the architect of the Capitol,
George j. Stewart. and the
director Of the National Park
Service. Conrad L. Wirth.
In recent meetings Of the COM
mission Mr.. Wirth has been
represented by Edward j. Kelly,
superintendent Of National Cap
ital Parks. Chief of the COM
missions staff is its director of
planning, Robert o. Clouser, a
veteran of more than 20 years
service with the District.
The planning commission has
a significant advisory role. This
was spelled out by Congress in q
1888 law, which expanded the
aims that coming should accom-
plish. Again in 1852, when the
planning commission was reor-
ganized, Congress told the PLAN
ners to help revise the regula-
tons.
The commission is composed
of IL members. Five are White
House-appointed citizen men,
bers and seven are ex-officio
members, whose membership
stems from jobs they hold. The
commission chairman, Harland
Bartholcmew&St. Louis, .plshner
and long timesplanning commits
sion consultant, is a citizen MEM
Der. Two of the other four,
John A. Remon, retired Chesa-
peake & Potomac Telephone Co.
executive. and Hilyard r. Rob-
inson, Negro architect, are Dis
trict residents.
The remaining citizen mem
bers are Joseph D. Lehman,
Cook County tIll.) sheriff. and
c. McKim Norton, New York
professional planner. The seven
ex-officio members are the chair
men of the House and Senate
District Committees, Mr.. Wirth,
District Engineer Commissioner
Thomas A. Lane. Public Build
ingS Administrator Peter A.
Strobel, A. ]. Spelman. repre-
senting the Federal public roads
commissioner. and Leon Zach,
landscape architect represent
ing the chief Of Army Engineers.
Its director, Mr.. Nolen, has
played big part in directing
planning commission activities
for the last three decades.
For Technical Advice
The Zoning Advisory Council
is a technical staff group which
advises the Zoning Commission.
While the commission must lis
ten to the councils advice, it
does not have to take it. The
councils members are represent
atives Of the District Commits
sioners, Assistant Engineer Com
missioner Harry F. Hansen; of
the Zoning Commission, Mr..
Clouser, and of the National
Capital Planning Commission,
Mr.. Nolen. The council is I'M
der orders to advise the paid
consultant who is doing the
technical work on rezoning.
The Zoning Advisory Com
mittee was set up specifically
to provide citizen representation
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
Why the Districts 1920 Zoning Code Is Being Rewritten

status quo who do not want
to see the regulations rewritten
at all.
Another battle will come on
April Is before the executive
committee of the Zoning Ad-
visory Committee over proposals
to wipe out the 1910 law which
governs the height of buildings
and give it the status Of
Commissioners regulation. and
to have only two limitations on
height-40 feet and $50 feet. in
stead of the present limits Of
40. go, 90, ITO and 100 feet.
Another battle will come ulti-
mately If the consultant actual
ly presses for adoption of a sug-
gestion that the Fine Arts COM
mission be given to veto on the
design and construction Of all
buildings in Washington.
Still another conflict will come
over proposals to ban residences
from areas zoned for CONNER
cial and industrial use. These
are just q start in q controversy
laden project.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03

statement accompanying the
QUESTIONABLE. which said pres
ent coming would permit the
oretical population of from as
million to S million in the Dis
trict If existing buildings we're
reconstructed to the maximum
allowed.
While there was no quarrel
with the accuracy of the the
oretical figure. it was called "un-
realistic and dangerous" because
the public might be led to be-
lieve such q thing could happen.
Despite present regulations
that permit construction of no.
foot and 130-foot buildings
downtown. the critics pointed
out. many structures there are
only two or three stories high.
Critics Criticized
Use of the figure was de-
Tended as an illustration that
present coming regulations are
not effective controls. The crit
les, in turn, were assailed' as per-
son with q vested interest in the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
What's Been Done

Money for a complete overhaul
OF Washington's 1920 coming
map and regulations was appro-
priated by Congress in 1858.
A year ago, former Engineer
Commissioner Louis w. Prentiss
set up zoning Advisory Commit
tee to help do the job. 1t now has
some IS citizen members, repre-
senting more than 80 organiza-
tons here.
Under the Craftsmanship Of
Mr.. Groom, the committee
is shifting into high gear
after about half a year of getting
organized and acquainted with
the complex and little under
stood field of coming.
To do the technical work of
preparing new coming maps and
rewriting the regulations. the
District Commissioners last No
vember hired Mr.. Lewis for two
years at fee of $14l TAO.
Under the consnltant's con-
tract, Mr.. Lewis staff headed by
Mr.. Cater, must prepare new
coming regulations, giving a pre-
liminary draft to the advisory
committee and to the Zoning
Advisory Council. The latter is
a technical group made of rep
resentativese of the District Com
missioners. the zoning Commits
sion and the planning commits
sion 49,,
After discussion, the consult
ant must revise his preliminary
draft, if necessary, and the re-
vision will be presented at a
public hearing. This is to be
conducted by the Advisory Com
mittee. ..
Any resulting suggestions are
to be considered by the consult
ant, who then will present final
drafts of the maps and regula-
tons which he recommends to
the District commissioners.
Up to Commission
Then it will be up to the Zon-
ing Commission whether to
adopt the recommendations
with mr. without chanpeS-or IN.
reject them. If the commission
adopts them, the maps and the
regulations will then have the
force of law in Washington.
At the moment. the consult
ant has completed two prelimi-
nary reports-the second of
which-will be issued this week.
In revised form, these will make
up part of his final report.
Also, Mr.. Caters Office has
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03

What should the size Of the fu-
ture population be? How should
it be controlled? Is the down.
town business district and its
present expansion adequate? Or
should it be directed somewhere
else? To what extent should eco
nomic factors govern coming?
What part should esthetic con-
siderations play?
Another basic question is to
what extent coming should reflect
ultimate planning aims and to
what extent it should deal with
immediate needs.
Opposing Views
Some businessmen condemn
the planners approach as ideal
istic dreaming. Planners counter
this with a contention that such
a businessman is putting his
interest above that OF the
city.
One spokesman for the anti
planning side stressed that the
interest of the city depends upon
realistic coming pattern" that
will attract business rather than
driving it away. He contended
Maryland and Virginia, in fact,
already have "stolen the march"
on the District through coming,
by allowing development Of
shopping areas at the District
line, depriving the District OF
taxes it might have received.
Some attorneys also question
Mr.. Lewis statement that coming
laws which do not follow long
range city plans are open to
court attack. One attorney con-
tended coming law is still too new
in concept for anyone to say
fatty what the trends are in
court decisions. Decisions, he
said, can be found to bolster both
sides of most coming arguments.
Mr.. Lewis proposed that for
nation of an "up-to- date COM
prehensive plan" be a function
of Mr.. Groom's Citizen Commit
tee. Mr.. Groom's committee has
Endorsed the need for such a
study.
But doesn't Washington al
ready have a comprehensive
t,1opq
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03

from the Commissions budget
for next year. In the studies. a
"neighborhood" will be con-
sidered to be the area served
by an elementary school-usually
Of about 5000 residents
These studies, and attempts
to draw policies for the future
from them, may be the battle
ground for conflicts that seem
to be in the ofiing.
The big challenge is whether,
in view Of their past differences,
the District. Federal and citizen
leaders will be able to agree on
what they want to see happen
to Washington.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03

1910 acres zoned for retail bust
ness use. only 718 were used for
that purpose. On the other
hand. only $50 acres were zoned
for row houses-but row houses
were built on $500 acres If land.
Obviously, such gaps are ridic-
ulous. Zoning should be changed
to bring controls closer to
reality.
3. Off street parking should he
required in new business areas.
Since 1912, such a requirement
has applied to new residences,
but so far the regulations by
pass business.
4. Regulations should require
the gradual elimination of non
conforming uses"
This phrase refers to struc-
lures that existed at the time
the 1920 coming law was in
stalled, and which conflicted di-
rectly with the coming applied
to them The old theory was
that as such structures uiSap-
peared they would be replaced
with conforming" uses. The
problem: They haven't disap-
peared.
d Cotitrol Over Density I
y S. Direct controls are needed
on density-the number of eo-
pie who can occupy any struc-
ture.
The only such controls now
are through building heights and
the area of a lot the building
covers But, in complete COM
pliance with regulations, such
indirect controls can be circum-
vented.
6. More protection should be
given commercial and industrial
areas which-needed to bolster
city tax revenues-have been
usurped by residential develop
ment.
7. The coming regulations,
adopted three decades before the
Planning Commission adopted
its Comprehensive Plan Of
1880" is patterned on no specific
plan of city growth and develop
ment.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
Why the Revision?

There is general agreement
that the 1920 ordinance, like an
old car, is overdue for an over
haul.
No one contends, within its
limits, it hasn't done a good job.
Some Washingtonians. in fact.
feel it is pretty adequate as it
stands. Such people are going
to fight drastic changes.
Following are some of the
major reasons for the revision,
given The Star in interviews by
District, Federal and citizen
leaders. Some of the reasons
have general agreement. Some
are highly controversial:
/. The present code is confus-
ing, an administrative maze Of
patchwork amendments.
Its different types of controls
should be placed on a single Of
fetal map. They should be ex-
pressed in terms Of single coming
classifications that would include
height, use. area and population
density control. Now, it's theo-
retically possible to come up with
about 100 possible combinations
of coming classification. This
could be cut to about Is. Some
of the present language should
be worked over-an example:
"All front entrances of such
group "a group of apartments)
shall abut a street, front yard or
front court; except that a front
entrance may abut a side yard
If all of the household unit to
which such entrance is appurte-
nant is located no nearer the
street upon which. the lot abuts
than the rear elevation of any
part of the group having a front
entrance abutting a street, front
yard or front court"
What Study Showed
2. Present coming just. doesn't
At the way land actually is being
used. A National Capital Plan
ming Commission study in l948,
for example. showed:
OF $3.50 acres Of land zoned
for apartments. only l.475 acres
actually are used for them. OF
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03

completed mapping new con-
struction in Washington; six out
of 10 maps showing how land is
now used Presidential, CONNER
cial. industrial. etc. here: seven
out of 10 maps showing in de-
tail how the city is zoned now.
and an outline of new coming
regulations for discussion with
the Advisory Council. A third
preliminary report-on height.
use and bulk of buildings" is in
preparation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
First Fights

A QUESTIONABLE put out by the
consultant, which has been de-
scribed as a fishing expedition"
to see what Washingtonians
want their city to be in the fu-
ture, was promptly branded as
LOADED" to produce desired re-
suits.
The charge came from spokes-
men for the city's business in
terests. They also assailed q
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
The Planning Issue

Long range Guy pldIlilluS
seems sure to play a major role
in the coming revision.
This was made clear last week
by Harold M. Lewis, the New
York consultant hired by the
District to re-write the coming
code, in a letter to Thomas j.
Groom. president of the Bank of
Commerce and chairman Of the
Commissioners Zoning Advisory
Committee.
Mr.. Lewis wrote that the cur
rent trend in coming law points
toward the overturning of coming
ordinances not based upon com
prehensive plans for the de-
velopment of the community as
whole"
He said the philosophy behind
these decisions is that, If a
property owner is asked by the
Government to give up certain
rights, there must be real and
tangible reward for this in terms
of the general welfare" and adj
ded:
Following in logical sequence
-. is the now generally accepted
premise that the only way an
individual can tell if the loss Of
certain of his rights is in fact re-
sulting in a public benefit is by
reference to a comprehensive
plan ;. which clearly states and
illustrates the best use to which
each parcel of land should be
put, and its relation to the COM
munity as whole"
Long Range Plans
In essence. Mr.. Lewis said, a
community must first make poll
icy decisions based on a long
range plan for the use of its
land before it can adopt coming
regulations to carry out these
policies.
This approach is a sharp d.
vergence from Washington S
coming picture during the last
three decades. The existing reg
ulations were based largely on
then-current 1920 land uses and
trends.
BY and large. coming changes
have followed the normal
growths of business and residen-
tial areas. rather than directing
them.
The implication of Mr.. Lewis
statements is that the new policy
decisions should relate not only
TO the future use of the Districts
4.300 acres of vacant land. but to
areas already developed as well
The Implication raises such
controversial questions as these:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03

in the coming overhaul It has
81 members at the moment.
representing 81 organizations
Some members were chosen as
individuals because Of special
knowledge that would be help
full. The committee is headed by
by Mr.. Groom.
The groups Executive Com
mittee, including Mr.. Groom. is
made up of nine members. The
others are Thomas D.. Carson.
assistant to the president Of the
National Metropolitan Bank.
representing the District Bank
ers' Association; Maj. Gen. U. S.
Grant III. president Of the
American Planning and Civic
Association; Fred L. Haller.
Automotive Trade Association:
Harvey L. Jones. q real estate
man representing the Washing
ton Board of Trade; Thornton
w. Owen. a real estate APP
praiSer and member of the
Citizens Advisory Council: Mrs.
Walter S. Tobriner, League of
Women Voters; James c. Wilkes.
a lawyer who specializes in
coming, representing the District
Bar Association. and Howard D.
Woodson, Federation Of Civic
Associations.
The consultant hired by the
District Commissioners, Mr..
Lewis, is a New York City plan
ming specialist. His Washing
ton representative is George S.
Cater, 81, a former Navy officer
and Annapolis graduate, who.
took his masters degree in city
planning at Massachusetts, In
stitute of Technology in 1861.
He and his staff Of eight have
Offices on the second floor Of
the district Rlildinp
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
Present Patchwork
Threatens 10 Unravel
During Strain Ahead

Coming this week is a report
on coming which brings into To-
Gus some fundamental problems
about the city's future.
Conflicting theories about the
use of the city's land-whether
It should be with more or less
restrictions-are the heart Of the
matter which has been in the
making for IS years.
Here is how we got into the
present crisis:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-03
Some Definitions

Zoning is the use of police
powers by a city to earmark
land for specific kinds of use
In Washington, three different
sets Of coming controls now are
set up to do the job.
1. Land Use-Every piece of
private land in the city falls
into one of four "use" classes
residential, commercial. light in
dustrial or industrial. The resi-
Dental class is divided further
into separate restrictive dis
tricts" FOR detached. semi-de-
tached and row houses and apart
ments. OF Washington's 39,193
acres Of land. 1918 acres are
taken up by the Federal Gov
-ernment and 8,545 acres by
streets and alleys. Of the rest
1883 are zoned for residential
use, 1,443 for retail business,
1893 for light industry and 914
for heavy industry.
2. Building Height - Four
height districts" determine how
tall a specific building can be.
The maximum limits are 40. so.
30. 10 and in some cases 1870
feet. These heights can be ex-
ceeded in some cases by moving
q building a more than normal
distance back from the street.
3. Area COnrtol-Seven kinds
Of AREA district" determine the
proportion of a lot which may
be taken up by building, and
the open space required around
it.
The details of these three sets
Of controls are spelled out in IS
pages of regulations and are
depicted on three separate and
official use" height" and
"area" maps.
Why are these rigid controls
imposed? Don't they violate the
rights of property owners?
Protects Area
The answer to the first ques-
ton is that such controls are
needed to protect the character
of each area. They keep a glue
factory-or a big apartment
off a street of single-family
homes.
They protect land values and
prohibit overcrowding. They
guarantee enough light and air.
They strengthen business invest
ment and help preserve the city
tax base. They help cities pre-
dict the need for such services
as sewer and water. At times
of course-they block the desires
of a property owner. But the
courts have held that coming
can be a proper exercise of the
police power for the good Of
the whole community.
BY the same token. coming
does not do some things. 1t
does not specify the layout of
streets, or specifically locate
schools or parks. 1t is frame
work for development. But it
can't build a single building.
The idea of city-wide. coming
Is strictly 10th century, but some
of it's first roots showed UP in
the Federal City. George Wash
ington, in 1871, decreed no build
ing here could be higher than
40 feet or, on avenues. lower than
IS feet. In 1910 Congress set
basic height controls for Wash
ington. 1t wasn't until 1916,
however, that New York City
pioneered with a coming code
for the entire city, expanding
controls to the use of land.
Washington followed. in 1920,
with it's own code. 1t is this set
of regulations, 35 years old,
which is under revision now.
Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993, 1955-08-01
PelIeted Feeds

There are several advantages to a cOmpIete
pelleted feed lot ration Many feeders report
bringing their cattle up to full feed IN less tIne
and some experimental data indicate added Ell
Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993, 1955-08-01

ficiency in pelleted feeds over the same feed in
mash form-enough to more than justify the
usual cost of pelleting. The emphasis on feed lot
ratIOnS is for greater efficiency cheaper gains
and less labor.
Supplemental feeds are becoming increasingly
important in pasture fattening programs. Here
again the commercial feed company with its
trained nutritiOnistS can be of ineStimable value
in formulating rations for various types of pas
lures as well quality OF pasture. Since the fat
tening value of pastures declines after the peak
of the growing season, it is often necessary to
vary the feeds to correspond to the quality of the
pasture.
There are some cattle and sheepmen who are,
wherever it is practical feeding supplement for
several weeks prior to shipping. The purpose here
is to retain as much of the bloom as possible,
reduce the percentage of shrink caused by ship
ping and increase the utilization of range grasses
through proper supplemental practices.
Competition from the brOiler and swine pro-
Queer will make the cattleman increasingly aware
of the importance of sound feeding and man
agement program The aim of the reliable COM
merciaI feed manufacturer is to formulate feeds
which will aid the cattleman in producing more
pounds of beef from the same acreage. In addition
to possessing the nutritional knowledge, feed
manufacturers can obviously study the changes
in the prices of various feeds much more closely
than can most rancherS. They are, therefore, IN a
position to make such changes in their formulas
are necessary to furnish efficient feeds to their
customers at the minimum price.
There are still many fields IN animal nutrition
vet undiscovered. Creep feeding of lambs and
calves offers tremendous possibilities where such
practices are possible. Since young animals can
convert feed very efficiently, the future in this
field is extensive Recent research data on creep
feeding baby pigs and lambs with high energy
and heavily fortified feeds is very gratifying in
deed
New discoveries in nutrition will go hand in
hand with advances in disease control and inn
proved breeding and management practices. The
cattIeman can rest assured that the feed indus
rys desire is to his best interests by being
alert and ready to help with any feeding problem
which may arise.