Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-27

Georgetown to the District line.
pensive single-family detached
houses, and some of its biggest
luxury apartments. 1t includes
such exclusive sections as Chevy
Chase, Spring Valley and Wesley
Heights.
The area, covered in the ad-
Joining map, is cut by major
traffic arteries-Connecticut,
Wisconsin and Massachusetts
avenues and Macarthur 5oule-
ward. These streets are bordered
by high-value apartments, bust
neSSes and homes. There is COM
paratively little of the slum or
blight which marks most parts
of the city.
Few Major Changes
Because Of these conditions,
Consultapt Harold Lewis new
coming for the most part permits
the same types of development
which already exist in the vari-
Gus areas. In following this pat
tern. however, he:
Cd Makes a few isolate d
changes in the type of develop
nent permitted under existing
zoning rules, and ~ suggests
much more rigid restrictions on
the size of future buildings and
the use of building sites.
One charge against his regula-
tons is that they require higher
building standards than now
exist in some of the best neigh
borhoodS. An instance is that
requirements for the best single
family detached home areas
(R-1-A on map call for build
ing lots with 100-foot minimum
widths and 10000 square foot
minimum areas. Mr.. Lewis
denies that these standards, and
others he suggests, are out of
line.
Curb on Population
The consultants stress. how
ever. that a major aim is to
hold down excessive population
growth in all areas. to a point
that it will not overload the
ability of community facilities
such as schools, sewers and shop
ping facilities.
Among major changes in Mr..
Lewis proposals for this area
are:
/. Zoning for a large. expand
ed commercial and business area
surrounding Tenley Circle, at
Nebraska and Wisconsin avenues
NV. marked C-3 on map.
At present. relatively narrow
strips of land on each side of
Wisconsin are zoned CONNER
cial." The new proposal pulls
this coming into one location and
changes some of the avenues
strip coming to residential use
The new, concentrated "C-3"
area cuts into some land now
zoned residential, and contain
ing expensive homes. This area
is bordered by a new type
transition zone (T-2 on map
designed to serve as a buffer be-
tween commercial and residen-
tial areas. 1t provides for wide
variety of different kinds of
development.
The "C-3" area also is a
brand-new kind or coming to
Washington. In addition to the
usual kind of commercial de-
velopment, it would permit eight
story Office buildings. Mr.. Lewis
feels that the location of num-
Der of such satellite employ
ment centers helps justify
tighter restrictions on the size
of new Office buildings in the
downtown area, ALREADY SnarleC
with traffic congestion.
2. Change in residential zon-
ing of a considerable amount Of
land near far-out Wisconsin
avtnue, to permit new semi
detached houses in areas now
zoned only for detached homes
8. Tighter restrictions on the
size of apartments at various
locations A number of eXistine
apartment buildings in this area
would not have been permitted
under the proposed regulations
An example of the tighter re-
strictions is coming on the So
called Glover tract. now largely
undeveloped, at Massachusetts;
and Nebraska avenues in Wesley
Heights (zoned R-5-A on map
This classification would require
much smaller buildings than the
eight-story apartments being
proposed by developers, and pos.
sible under existing coming. The
Lewis firm feels such develop
ment, however, would seriously
overcrowd the area, and have 6
blighting influence on it.
New Commercial Area
4. A new commercial area or
land now zoned residential al
the northeast corner of Macomt
street and Macarthur boulevard
CO. on map). Although on g
much smaller tract. this classi.
fication would permit the same
types of stores as in the SprinG
Valley shopping center on Mas
sachusettS avenue. The consult.
ants feel additional shopping
facilities are needed in this area
and that the tract is well suitec
for it.
Detailed neighborhood plan.
ming studies, used by the Levi,
firm as a guide to its new coming
show that about ATS acres o.
land in the area covered by thu
adjoining map now are zoneC
FOR apartments while only abou
252 acres are used for that pur'
pose. They also show about 10.
acres are zoned commercial
with only Ga acres so used. TIL,
new coming map, therefore. re-
duces the land acreage zoned 70
these uses to conform with tn,
existing development pattern.
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