Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-11
Lewis Shelves
Drastic Cut in
Building Sizes
PIonner Won't Push
His Downtown
Zonine Proposals

Zoning Proposals
Consultant Harold M. Lewis
controversial rezoning proposals
for Washington appeared con-
siderably debated today. as the
National Capital Planning Com
mission prepared to study the
plan.
George Cater, Mr.. Lewis
Washington representative, indi-
Gated yesterday the consultants
would not now push their pro-
Iposals for drastic restriction of
the size and types of downtown
buildings.
"We are going to propose
downtown coming pretty much
the way it is, pending compile
Ition of the mass transportation
study and preparation of def
Initive planning" Mr.. Cater said.
Mr.. Cater said also that park
ling specifications have been re-
duced and that downtown they
would amount only to "a token
requirement"
Plans Being Revised
The preliminary Lewis pro-
Iposals, including restrictions de-
signed to. limit the number of
additional people who could be
employed in the central area.
are undergoing revision for the
final report to the Commission
ers on the $4,000 study Nov
ember 8.
The proposals have been
studied widely throughout the
city. and the consultants have
reviewed $50 specific suggestions
as they prepared for the final
drafting.
Meanwhile, the executive COM
mttee of the Commissioners
zoning Advisory Committee ap-
proved a report yesterday at
Itacking Mr.. Lewis preliminary
proposals and charging the con-
Isultant with acceptance of an
''untenable philosophy and
premise" leading to serious
errors."
The adverse report. which at
tacks the Lewis proposals on
several grounds, now goes to
the full Contender committee
which viii meet September 20.
Seeks Compromise
It was drafted by a subcom-
mittee headed by James C.
Wilkes. specialist IN coming law.
Mrs, Walter Tobriner opposed
the report. after declaring she
believed this committees re-
port should indicate a greater
willingness to compromise"
The committee received a re-
port from its parking Subcom-
Imittee favoring the principle
that developers of property in
the central business district have
a responsibility for seeing that
a reasonable amount of parking
space is provided in relation to
the needs which their new de-
velopments create" This was OPP
posed by L. B. Doggett and Rufus
S. LuSk, who submitted a
minority report.
The Wilkes report on the Lewis
proposals urged that "off- street
parking regulations. as proposed,
should be completely eliminated
as far as the downtown retail and
central business district is con-
cerned." 1t suggested the whole
subject be considered only after
completion of the $500, 1000 study
of metropolitan area transport
tation problems.
Reply Planned
The planning commission to-
day was to have before it a
comprehensive statement Of the
merits Of the Lewis coming plan.
The statement. prepared by a
special committee of four, was
understood to outline the COM
Imittee's replies to II points re-
quested by, the coming engineer.
1t was learned the committee
also has outlined a general policy
on coming at Mr.. Lewis request.
What action the full planning
commission will take on the COM
mittee report on the Lewis pro-
Iposals remains to be seen. De-
tails of the committee report
were not available early today